DATE: June 15, 2021
SUBJECT:
Title
SHELTER ISLAND YACHT BASIN DISSOLVED COPPER TOTAL MAXIMUM DAILY LOAD:
A. INFORMATIONAL UPDATE ON THE STATUS OF THE PROGRAM, INCLUDING WATER QUALITY RESULTS, LOAD REDUCTION EFFORTS AND COORDINATION WITH THE SAN DIEGO REGIONAL WATER QUALITY CONTROL BOARD ON TMDL IMPLEMENTATION ACTIONS; AND
B. DIRECTION TO STAFF ON INITIATING AN IN-WATER HULL CLEANING PILOT STUDY THAT WOULD REQUIRE A TEMPORARY PAUSE OF IN-WATER HULL CLEANING OF VESSELS WITH COPPER-BASED PAINT IN SIYB FOR AN EIGHT-WEEK PERIOD STARTING APPROXIMATELY MID-DECEMBER 2021 AND CONTINUING THROUGH MID-FEBRUARY 2022; AND
C. DIRECTION TO STAFF ON DETERMINING A VOLUNTARY OR MANDATED IMPLEMENTATION APPROACH FOR AN IN-WATER HULL CLEANING PILOT STUDY.
Body
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY:
In 2005, the San Diego Regional Water Quality Control Board ("Regional Board") set a Dissolved Copper Total Maximum Daily Load ("TMDL") for the Shelter Island Yacht Basin ("SIYB"). A TMDL is the maximum amount of a pollutant that a waterbody can receive and still attain water quality objectives and protection of designated beneficial uses. In establishing the SIYB TMDL, the Regional Board found that dissolved copper levels in SIYB violate water quality objectives and thereby threaten and impair the designated beneficial uses of marine habitat and wildlife habitat in this area.
The Regional Board attributed approximately 98 percent of all copper loading to SIYB to copper-based antifouling paints applied to the hulls of recreational boats. The Regional Board found that a 76 percent overall reduction of residual copper loading to SIYB is required to meet the SIYB TMDL.
The Regional Board adopted a 17-year compliance schedule period with a final copper loading reduction of 76 percent from the 2005 baseline by December 1, 2022, with interim loading targets of 10 percent and 40 percent by 2012 and 2017, respectively. The Regional Board named the District, SIYB marina owners and operators, underwate...
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