Stakeholder Involvement in Water-Based Permitting: The Penobscot River Example, 1998 Environmental Conference Proceedings

Watershed-based decision-making has become increasingly important in the development of discharge permits throughout the nation. Numerous stated have reorganized their water quality planning and permitting sections along watershed boundaries to coordinate data collection, facilitate analysis, and synchronize permit issuances, including development of Total Daily Maximum Loads (TMDLs) for impaired waters identified under Clean Water Act (CWA) Section 303(d). The development of a TMDL for the Penobscot River, Maine provides a good example of the challenges inherent to watershed-based planning and the need for stakeholder input. This paper highlights the activities of the Penobscot River Basin Dischargers Council (PRBDC), a private, voluntary group of industrial and municipal dischargers, during the development of the TMDL. Early involvement by PRBDC members in the Penobscot River TMDL development was important due to the wide and divergent spectrum of stakeholders in the basin. PRBDC activities included: preliminary discussions with regulatory staff, input on river sampling work plans, involvement in river and effluent discharge sampling, evaluation of sampling results, and comments on draft TMDL.