The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), in conjunction with the Vermont Department of
Environmental Conservation and the Vermont Agency of Agriculture, Food and Markets, is holding a
series of six public meetings in December, 2013, to discuss the new phosphorus plan that is under
development by the EPA for the Lake Champlain Basin, referred to as a Total Maximum Daily Load
(TMDL).
The meetings will be moderated by the Lake Champlain Basin Program staff and held around the Lake
Champlain Basin. There will be morning, afternoon, and evening sessions in an attempt to
accommodate and encourage all interested persons to participate. No pre-registration is required.
Please refer to the table below for the meeting schedule.
Phosphorus runoff and discharges from numerous sources within the Lake Champlain Basin are causing
excessive growth of algae in the form of “blooms” in some areas of the lake that turn water murky
shades of green, brown, or blue. Some of these algae blooms can be toxic to pets and people. Excessive
phosphorus loading also increases the costs of drinking water and wastewater treatment, affects
businesses that depend on clean water such as tourism and recreation, and depresses property values.
Excessive phosphorus loading can also degrade the water quality of local streams and rivers that feed
into Lake Champlain.
The TMDL will place a cap on the maximum amount of phosphorus that can be allowed to enter Lake
Champlain and still meet Vermont’s water quality standards. It will allocate that maximum amount to
each river basin draining to Lake Champlain and among the various phosphorus sources. Phosphorus
sources include discharges from wastewater treatment facilities, runoff from developed lands, runoff
from state and municipal road networks, runoff from agricultural lands and timber lands, and
streambank erosion stemming from channel instability.
For more information, please contact Kari Dolan, kari.dolan@state.vt.us