미국 환경보호협회(EPA)와 메릴랜드 주가 패탭스코(Patapsco) 강의 부분에 대한 새 쓰레기 공해 제한 규정을 발표했다.

오염총량(TMDL)이라고도 알려진 이 제한은 볼티모어 항구와 존 폭포 및 그윈 폭포의 상류 분수령을 포함, 패탭스코 강의 중간 지류와 북서 지류의 조석 해안선(tidal shoreline)으로 버려지는 쓰레기를 통제한다.

한편, 패탭스코 강에는 매년 수백 톤의 쓰레기와 잔해들이 버려지거나 유실되는 실정으로, 애물단지와 흉물을 만들어낼 뿐만 아니라 새, 물고기, 기타 야생동물들이 유실물들을 삼키거나 몸이 얽히도록 해 위험에 빠뜨리기도 한다.

 

 

 

Today, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the state of Maryland announced a new set of trash pollution limits for portions of the Patapsco River.

 

These limits, also known as a total maximum daily load (TMDL), require the control of trash entering the tidal shoreline of the Middle Branch and Northwest Branch of the Patapsco River, including Baltimore Harbor and the upstream watersheds of Jones Falls and Gwynns Falls.

 

Each year, hundreds of tons of trash and debris are washed or dumped into the Patapsco watershed from stormwater runoff, not only creating a nuisance and an eyesore, but endangering birds, fish and other wildlife that ingest or become entangled in the debris.

 

The federal Clean Water Act directs states to develop TMDLs for impaired waterbodies, such as the Patapsco River. A TMDL establishes the amount of a pollutant, in this case trash, which a waterbody can assimilate without exceeding water quality standards. TMDLs provide the basis for establishing water quality-based controls, reducing pollution from both point and non-point sources and restoring the quality of water resources.

 

In 2008, Maryland included portions of the tidal Patapsco River shorelines on its list of impaired waters due to excessive quantities of trash and debris. To complement this TMDL, the Maryland Department of the Environment is implementing the limits of these TMDLs through recently issued stormwater permits to local governments that will include trash collecting in the waterbody as well as reducing trash dumping at the source.

 

The Maryland Department of Environment, along with members of several non-governmental organizations, has worked collaboratively with EPA in the completion of this series of trash TMDLs.

 

[출처 = Water World / 2015년 1월 6일]