Wastewater Discharge and Cook Inlet Beluga Whales The AWWU Perspective

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Wastewater Discharge and Cook Inlet Beluga
Whales The AWWU Perspective

• Alaska Ocean Observing System
• Coastal Processes Seminar
• October 8, 2009
• Brett Jokela, P.E.
• Assistant General Manager
• Anchorage Water and Wastewater Utility

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Cook Inlet Beluga Whales listed as endangered
on October 22, 2008

• Population dropped by 50 in 1990s
• Declared depleted under the Marine Mammal
  Protection Act in 2000.
• Subsistence hunting suspected.
• Cessation of hunting has not resulted in the
  population recovering.

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Alaska hosts five distinct stocks of Beluga
whales.
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Population is trending slightly downward despite
cessation of hunting in the 1990s
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Threats to belugas come from natural and human
causes.

• Subsistence harvest
• Poaching / harassment
• Fishing Personal / Commercial
• Pollution
• Industrial WW
• Urban stormwater
• Municipal WW
• Airport deicers
• Ballast Water
• Military
• Oil Gas
• Land development
• Tourism / whale watching
• Noise
• Research

• Stranding
• Predation
• Parasites
• Disease
• Environmental Change

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Subsistence Harvest was curtailed in 1999.
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Are municipal wastewater discharges limiting the
recovery of CIBW?
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AWWU provides wastewater disposal for all of
Anchorage.

• 56,000 accounts serving 280,000 people
• Residential
• Commercial
• Industrial
• Septage from rural on-site systems
• Hillside
• Chugiak/Northern suburbs
• Mat Su Valley

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AWWUs wastewater treatment meets all
requirements of the Clean Water Act.

• Headworks Screening
• Primary Sedimentation
• Secondary Biological Treatment
• Tertiary Filtration/Nutrient Removal
• Disinfection and Discharge

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In 1977 CWA Amendments, Congress noted marine
discharges are different.

• Section 301(h) of Clean Water Act
• Primary treatment sufficient where
• Ambient receiving water character
• Character of discharge
• Industrial pre-treatment
• Rigorous monitoring of effluent and environment

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Asplund WWTF is a unique candidate for 301(h)
modification.

• Receiving waters
• Very silty - primary productivity low
• High tides - swift tidal velocities
• Unstable cobbly seafloor - biologically barren
• Treated Effluent
• Very few industrial dischargers
• Vigilant industrial pre-treatment
• Low levels of trace contaminants
• Muni Household Haz Waste program
• Well-operated systems and facilities

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Asplund WWTF granted 301(h) modification in 1985.

• Headworks Screening
• Primary Sedimentation
• Secondary Biological Treatment
• Tertiary Filtration/Nutrient Removal
• Disinfection and Discharge

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Lets take a tour of the Asplund Wastewater
Treatment Facility.
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VISITOR CENTER, ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICES LOBBY
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Sewage enters via 8 tunnel under the airport
runway.
RAW SEWAGE
Headworks
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Wastewater treatment uses complex machinery and
control systems.
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Three screens capture debris and large particles.
SCREENS
SCREENS
SCREENS
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Screenings go to landfill.
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Degritters remove sandy particles abrasive to
equipment.
UTILIDOR
GRIT CHAMBER
DIVERSION BOX
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Flow is distributed among six primary clarifiers.
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Scum and sludge from the clarifiers is thickened
to 30 solids and incinerated.
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Clarifier effluent gets infusion of chlorine
disinfectant.
PARSHALL FLUME
CHLORINE BOX
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Chlorine gas is infused into the water at a rate
proportional to the flow
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Final effluent is discharged thru diffuser 800
offshore.
OUTFALL
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Outfall diffuser creates rapid mixing and
dispersion of discharge.

• Tidal velocities to over 8 feet/sec.
• Flood excursion 19-20 miles
• Ebb excursion 22-23 miles
• Knik Arm waters refreshed in days

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Comprehensive monitoring demonstrates permit
compliance.

• Plant Influent WQ
• Effluent WQ
• Effluent toxicity
• Sludge toxics
• Marine WQ
• Metals
• CN
• Hydrocarbons
• Chlorine
• Sediment
• Biota

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20 years of monitoring finds

• Plant meets all permit conditions.
• Effluent yields very low levels of trace
  contaminants.
• Background trace metals from glacial silt.
• No measurable Water Quality effects.
• No toxicity in effluent bioassays.
• No bioaccumulation of toxic materials.
• No sediment effects at outfall.
• No sediment contamination from outfall.
• Asplund primary effluent
• secondary effluent elsewhere.

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Permit renewal requires ESA Consultation w/ NMFS.

• EPA reviewing permit reauthorization request
• NMFS will provide input
• Identify species
• Provide Biological Opinion
• May stipulate permit conditions.
• AWWU will work with agencies to establish
  reasonable expectations within the permit.

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NPDES process includes NEPA review.
AWWU applies For NPDES Renewal
EPA writes Draft Permit Fact Sheet
State drafts CZC Review and 401 Cert
ESA consultation parallels NEPA process.
Public Notice
Final Permit
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AWWU applies For NPDES Renewal
EPA confers informally with NMFS
EPA determines action may affect listed species
EPA writes Draft Permit Fact Sheet
EPA Writes Biological Evaluation
no
yes
EPA requests formal consultation
State drafts CZC Review and 401 Cert
Terms and Conditions/ Incidental Take Statement
NMFS drafts Biological Opinion
Public Notice
EPA/AWWU Review
Final Permit
Final NMFS Biological Opinion
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ESA Charges NMFS with 2 Duties

• Define Critical Habitat
• Specific Areas
• Essential to the conservation of the species
• May require special mgmt / protection
• Draft Delineation due in October, 2009
• Develop Recovery Plan
• Blueprint for removing a species from listing
• Guidelines only (Unenforceable)
• Team approach
• Plan subject to public review

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Is Point Woronzof Critical Habitat?

• Principal Constituent Elements
• Geographic delimiters
• Physical Features temp, depths, substrates
• Conditions prey, flows, cover
• NMFS actively pursuing definition
• Public Input requested
• Likely to follow MMPA Conservation Plan
• Economic test for exclusions

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Critical Habitat could entail most of upper Cook
Inlet
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Recent surveys find more whales near Anchorage
1998-2007
1993-97
1978-79
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ESA prohibits actions that take an endangered
species

• Harass, harm, pursue, hunt, shoot, wound, kill,
  trap, capture, or collect..
• HARM includes habitat degradation
• Impairing essential behavior patterns
• Immediate death/injury not required
• Can project future harm
• Cannot be speculative
• Reliable evidence required

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At the Port of Anchoragetake occurs when
whales get too close to operations.

• ESA consultation required
• Maritime Administration Funding
• US Army Corps permitting fill placement
• NMFS Biological Opinion issued July 2009
• Consultation on annual operations plan
• 1300 meter buffer from piledriving operations
• Full-time whale observers
• MMPA Incidental Harassment Authorization
• Allows so many takes annually

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How could wastewater discharge be construed as a
take?

• Direct contribution to mortality or morbidity?
• Low level chronic exposure to toxins or
• Exposure Fn (concentration, duration)
• Build-up of contaminants
• Synergistic effects
• Indirect effect to habitat?
• Physical alteration
• Avoidance of sites
• Reduction of prey

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Contaminants in CI belugas are few and at very
low levels.

• CI belugas lower in PCB/DDT than Arctic
• PDBE Flame retardants suspect.
• Low Cd, Hg.
• Higher Cu - not implicated as toxin
• Emerging Pollutants of Concern
• Endocrine Disruptors
• Pharmaceuticals
• Personal Care Products
• Prions
• No data

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Achieving recovery of the species is a
significant challenge for us all.

• Lots of unknowns and uncertainties
• Life histories
• Relative significance of potential threats
• Emerging pollutants of concern
• Effects of very low levels of contaminants
• Risk of exposure and bioaccumulation

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Stakes are high for getting the right answer.

• Current monitoring efforts 350,000 per year
• No. of undocumented compounds HUNDREDS
• Repeal of 301(h) waiver 500-800 MILLION
• Advanced wastewater treatment BILLIONS
• Benefit of higher levels of treatment
• QUESTIONABLE
• Energy/Carbon impact of advanced treatment
• CONSIDERABLE

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AWWU is organizing our input to the consultation
process

• Develop Biological Evaluation for use by EPA
• Address concern of toxicity hazard
• Address concern of exposure to effluent
• Clearly communicate findings

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AWWUS approach is open and pragmatic.

• Consider 280,000 customer stakeholders.
• Collaborate with federal and state agencies
  regarding wastewater concerns.
• Participate in recovery planning using
  appropriate scientific analysis.
• Focus wastewater data gathering on specific
  issues related to CIBW recovery.
• Actively communicate our findings.

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Visitors are always welcome.
Bring the kids!
www.awwu.biz/einfo Brett Jokela 786-5511
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AWWU treats wastewater at 3 facilities.
Eagle River
Girdwood

• John Asplund
• (Pt. Woronzof)

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The rate of discharge of treated sewage is gaged
continuously.