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Northeast Aquatic Biologists Conference Cultivates Collaboration Among Environmental Community
The 2023 Northeast Aquatic Biologists (NAB) Conference convened for its annual regional event in Plymouth, Massachusetts in February. Participation surpassed pre-pandemic numbers, with 152 attendees from all seven of NEIWPCC member states’ environmental departments, the U.S. EPA, and United States Geological Survey (USGS), academic institutions, and the private sector. Deneen Simpson, director of Environmental Justice…
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Chloride Resources Clearinghouse Aims to Reduce Salt Concentrations in the Environment
In the Northeast, winter weather has become associated with one particular pollutant: salt. When snow and ice hit the ground, de-icing salts (comprised of chlorides) are scattered liberally across roads, sidewalks and driveways to melt ice. Salt provides a valuable service in the wintertime by improving the safety of roads and walkways, but overapplication can…
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Calculating Pollution Tipping Points: Total Maximum Daily Loads (TMDLs)
In episode five of the “Clean Water Pod,” podcast host Jeff Berckes digs into his favorite four-letter word: TMDL, or Total Maximum Daily Load. Part equation and part plan, a TMDL defines the maximum amount of a specific pollutant allowed in a waterbody for it to meet designated water quality standards. It serves as a…
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Knocking on Lake Champlain’s Door: The Round Goby
First found in the St. Clair River in Michigan in 1990, the round goby (Neogobius melanostomus) took five years to colonize all five Great Lakes. With the highly invasive fish making its way towards the Lake Champlain basin, a multi-agency effort is coordinating to stop the spread of this aggressive – and ecologically disruptive –…
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Diving into States’ Impaired Waters List
Episode 4 of the Clean Water Pod Jokingly called the “naughty list” by some water professionals, the Clean Water Act Section 303(d)’s list of impaired waters helps to define the extent of pollution within the nation’s water bodies. When a state determines that a water body such as a lake or a river is polluted,…
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Animated Website Aims at Reducing Phosphorus Pollution in Lake Champlain
The Lake Champlain Basin Program (LCBP) recently launched a website dedicated to simplifying the lake’s phosphorus reduction plan. The site — Clean Water Commitment — takes a unique approach to educating the public on how they can be of assistance. “We wanted the website to be fun and light in order to engage people who…
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Harmful Algal Blooms Conference Focuses on Nationwide Solutions
This past October, students, scientists, and industry professionals traveled to Albany, New York to kick off the 11th U.S. Symposium on Harmful Algae. The six-day conference operated under the theme “Science to Support Solutions from Shore to Shore,” to recognize that harmful algal blooms (HABs) present a nationwide challenge that impacts a variety of ecosystems.…
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Exploring the Building Blocks of Water Quality Standards: Episode Two of The Clean Water Pod
The second episode of NEIWPCC’s new podcast, “The Clean Water Pod,” is now available, focusing on water quality standards. Host Jeff Berckes speaks with Jennifer Wigal, water quality administrator for the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality, and Thomas Mumley, assistant executive officer at the San Francisco Bay Regional Water Quality Control Board. “Water quality standards…
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EPA Honors NEIWPCC Commissioners with Regional Environmental Awards
For more than 50 years, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) New England has recognized those who have made outstanding contributions to protect the region’s environment. The 2022 Environmental Merit Awards, presented in a virtual ceremony on Oct. 12, included several NEIWPCC partners. NEIWPCC Commissioner Melanie Loyzim was honored with the Ira Leighton “In Service…