What is the 303 D list?

What is the 303 D list?

The term “303(d) list” or “list” is short for a state’s list of impaired and threatened waters (e.g. stream/river segments, lakes). States are required to submit their list for EPA approval every two years. For each water on the list, the state identifies the pollutant causing the impairment, when known.

What is an impaired stream?

What are impaired water bodies? Streams, rivers and lakes are used for recreation and fishing and may provide water for drinking or agriculture. When water is contaminated by pollutants, the water bodies are considered impaired.

What contaminants are in the Tennessee River?

Industrial chemicals found in the Tennessee River are PFAS (per-and polyfluorinated substances), mercury, PCBs (polychlorinated biphenyls), and corrosion inhibitors. These chemicals are often non-biodegradable, can move through soil into waterways, and last in the environment for decades to hundreds of years.

What is a point source discharge?

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) defines point source pollution as “any single identifiable source of pollution from which pollutants are discharged, such as a pipe, ditch, ship or factory smokestack.” Some factories discharge their effluents directly into a waterbody.

What is TMDL water?

What is a TMDL? A TMDL is the calculation of the maximum amount of a pollutant allowed to enter a waterbody so that the waterbody will meet and continue to meet water quality standards for that particular pollutant.

What do you mean by an impaired water source?

An MPCA study of the Des Moines River found several impairments to water quality A body of water is considered “impaired” if it fails to meet one or more water quality standards. Waters that do not meet their designated uses because of water quality standard violations are impaired.

What does it mean when a waterbody is impaired?

Waters are assessed as impaired when an applicable water quality standard is not being attained. Impaired waters require a total maximum daily load (TMDL) or alternative restoration plan to reduce pollutant loadings and restore the waterbody.

Why can’t you eat fish from the Tennessee River?

If the pollutant is mercury, do not eat the fish. Therefore, the best choice is to totally avoid eating this fish. It is very important that children not eat fish contaminated with mercury. Many developmental problems in children have been linked to elevated mercury levels.

Are there alligators in Tennessee River?

In 2019, a baby gator was spotted in the Tennessee River, just across the border in north Alabama. “Alligators are naturally expanding their range into Tennessee from the southern border states,” TWRA wrote. “TWRA has not stocked any alligators in Tennessee.