THE USA PROJECT OVERVIEW -
REVIVING OUR LOCAL WATERS
The quality of the water in New York Harbor is better than it has been
in decades. These improvements can be attributed in large part to the
upgrading and construction of New York City's wastewater treatment plants
and the implementation of a wide range of aggressive pollution prevention
programs. However, more work remains to be done if these waters are to
meet (and even exceed) all state and federal water quality standards.
Furthermore, additional efforts are needed to make certain that the safety
and viability of these valuable aquatic environments are maintained in
years to come. To supplement these existing Harbor water quality achievements,
the New York City Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) has begun
the development of a four-year, expanded, comprehensive plan (the Use
and Standards Attainment or "USA" Project) that is to be directed towards
increasing water quality improvements in 26 specific bodies of water located
throughout the entire City. These waterbodies were selected by DEP based
on the City's drainage patterns and on New York State Department of Environmental
Conservation (NYSDEC) waterbody classification standards. The 26 bodies
of water include some of the major open waters of New York Harbor and
also several urban creeks and tributaries. An assessment of every waterbody
must be done at the start of the program and will include a careful study
of each one's physical, biological and chemical characteristics. At the
conclusion of the project, this data will be used to bring each of these
bodies of water into compliance with state and federal water quality standards.
It will also provide DEP and the other program participants with the information
they need to develop a final plan for the beneficial use of these waters
in the future - one that is watershed-based, and ecologically, technologically
and economically sound.
The Problem:
The upgrading and construction of New York City wastewater treatment
plants has dramatically improved water quality in New York Harbor and
the surrounding waters. Our current water quality is better than it has
been in decades, but there is still a need for further improvement if
our local waters are to meet all state and federal water quality standards
and if we are to ensure the maximum protection, safety, and viability
of our valuable aquatic environment. However, spending on pollution control
facilities alone cannot ensure complete compliance with existing water
quality standards nor the attainment of the full range of environmental,
commercial, and recreational benefits that the public desires. These facilities
are also costly to construct (their funding is directly from the City's
water and sewer rates) and unfortunately, they only address part of a
larger pollution problem.
Towards a Solution:
Fortunately, there are a variety of other techniques..techniques that
range from encouraging more open green space, to reducing the amount of
litter and pollutants we generate, to improving marine and shoreline habitats..that
can supplement the work of pollution control facilities and attain even
greater improvements so that New Yorkers can use and enjoy the City's
many waterways and extensive shoreline. Therefore, we need to develop
a comprehensive and integrated plan directed at improving local water
quality, a plan that will address regulatory requirements, reflect the
priorities of our citizens and, most importantly, achieve the goals identified
through the USA planning process in the most practical, effective and
cost-efficient ways. Over the next four years, the Use and Standards Attainment
Project ("USA") will define, through a public process, the prioritization
of project goals, the means of achieving those goals, determination of
desired levels of use and environmental benefits, and costs of proposed
remedial actions as well as the creation of a schedule for implementation
of recommended projects. The plan developed through the USA process can
only be implemented with the support of New Yorkers who care about the
environment and our local waterways. To build this support, the planning
process seeks input and participation from groups and individuals who
will be most directly affected by the plan's findings - known as "stakeholders."
If it is to succeed, the planning process should incorpoprate periodic
updates to stakeholders on the status of the project; build confidence
in the plan's technical analyses; provide convenient ways to offer comments
and guidance on the plan's development; and assure participants that their
comments will be considered as the plan takes shape.
First Steps:
The New York City Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) has created
a project team that includes engineers, planners, ecologists, marine biologists,
economists, landscape architects, stakeholders, and other independent
experts to collect and analyze a wide range of data and to make recommendations
for achieving specified waterbody uses. We have defined 26 project areas
based on the city's drainage patterns and waterbody classifications. We
are devising logical planning sequence for the order in which watershed-specific
plans will be developed for each of these local areas. For example, because
of a related project already underway (through a partnership between the
DEP and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers), the Bronx River tributary area
will be one of the first in which local watershed planning will begin.
We are developing an extensive public participation program for both the
overall study and the individual study areas. This program will include
joint advisory committees and a communications network (including a project
web site) for informing and soliciting the views of a broader segment
of the public. A City-wide Quality Citizens Advisory Committee (composed
of representatives of city-wide private and public-interest stakeholders),
a Government Steering Committee (composed of regulators and other agencies
directly involved in plan-related responsibilities), and a Technical Advisory
Committee (a team of independent experts serving as resources to the DEP
team, the Government Committee and the City-wide Water Quality CAC) will
provide ongoing guidance throughout the planning process. Local Watershed
Stakeholder Teams representing community-based stakeholder groups will
be organized before planning work begins in each of there designated areas.
Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg
Christopher O. Ward
Commissioner
