EPA

1
EPAs Role in Protecting Coastal Water
Quality

• June 6, 2007 Economics of Coastal Communities
  Panel
• Craig Hooks, Director
• Office of Wetlands, Oceans, and Watersheds
• US Environmental Protection Agency

2
Protecting and Restoring Ocean/Coastal Water
Quality and Ecosystems

• Clean water is essential for healthy coastal
  communities
• Economic benefits of ocean and coastal waters and
  ecosystems are significant
• Benefits depend on clean water and healthy
  ecosystems
• Water quality and living resource degradation in
  many coastal watersheds is a problem
• Threats come from various activities, including
  those far upstream

3
Todays Presentation

• EPAs role in coastal communities
• Subcommittee on Integrated Management of Ocean
  Resources (SIMOR)
• National Estuary Program
• Green infrastructure in coastal communities

4
The Ocean Action PlanIntegrating Federal
Activity

• SIMORinteragency body promoting Federal agency
  collaboration
• Work plan targets four priority areas
• Regional collaborations
• Science/management integration
• Enhance resource management to improve use and
  conservation
• Enhance ocean education

5
National Estuary Program
6
NEP National Coastal Condition Report
7
Green Infrastructure in Coastal Communities

• Cleaner, Cheaper, Smarter
• Uses or mimics natural processes
• Generates ecological services
• Keeps water on-site, out of sewer systems
• Reduces combined sewer overflow and stormwater
  discharges to rivers, streams, estuaries, and
  coasts
• Eliminates significant discharges of sediment,
  pathogens, and other pollutants

Pervious Parking
Green Roof
8
Green Infrastructure

• Helps coastal communities
• control stormwater and combined sewer overflows
• comply with permits and the Clean Water Act
• protect sources of clean drinking water
• keep beaches and shellfish beds open
• save money on traditional concrete steel
  treatment technologies

9
Green Infrastructure

• Growing list of coastal
• communities
• Portland (OR)
• Seattle (WA)
• Chicago (IL)
• Philadelphia (PA)
• New York (NY)
• Prince Georges Co. (MD)
• Emoryville (CA)
• Warsaw and Stafford
• counties (VA)

Seattle Green Street
Boston City Hall Green Roof
10
Green Infrastructure

• Green Highways Partnership
• Diverts flow to medians and rights of way
• Protects critical habitat
• Uses recycled materials
• Promotes permeable
  pavements, and other
  cutting-edge
  technologies

Prince Georges County, MD
11

• Thank You
• For more information
• EPA http//www.epa.gov/owow
• SIMOR http//ocean.ceq.gov
• NEP http //www.epa.gov/owow/estuaries