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HomeMy Public PortalAboutTOL PR 2018-05-09 TMDL Accomplishments Town of Leesburg News Release For Immediate Release May 9, 2018 Media Contact: Betsy Arnett, Public Information Officer barnett@leesburgva.gov  703-771-2734 Leesburg Celebrates Completion of Stormwater Pollutant Reduction Efforts Native milkweed planted at Foxridge Park to create Monarch butterfly waystation. Leesburg, VA (May 9, 2018) – On Saturday, Mayor Kelly Burk and Council Member Vanessa Maddox were joined by Girl Scout Troop 70027, the Environmental Advisory Commission, the Loudoun County High School Environmental Club and Science National Honor Society, the Loudoun Wildlife Conservancy, and Foxridge Park neighbors to celebrate the completed improvements to the stormwater facilities at Foxridge Park that will reduce stormwater pollution. Mayor Burk and Council Member Maddox officiated a ribbon cutting ceremony at the Foxridge Park stormwater pond. Following the ribbon cutting, the mayor led the assembled group in reciting the National Wildlife Federation’s “Monarch Pledge,” making a commitment to restore habitats for Monarch butterflies. Volunteers planted native milkweed seedlings along the edges of the stormwater detention pond to create a Monarch butterfly waystation. In addition, Mr. Paws was on hand, encouraging people to take the “PAWS for Clean Water” pledge to always pick up after their pets. Pet waste is the number one source of e. Col i bacteria in area creeks and streams.  Cleaning up the environment is everyone s responsibility, Mayor Kelly Burk said.  The Town is doing its part with these stormwater pond projects, but there are easy things that anyone can do to make a difference, like picking up after your pets, organizing a neighborhood liter pick up, recycling, and even making sure to use the right amount of fertilizer on your lawn. When it rains, water that isn t absorbed into the ground runs off into area streams and creeks, and ultimately into the Chesapeake Bay. As the stormwater flows across the ground, it picks up pollutants such as nitrogen, phosphorus, and sediment which are then carried into the bay. Under the requirements of the Town of Leesburg s Municipal Separate Storm Sewer System (MS4) permit, issued by the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality (VDEQ), Leesburg is required to develop and implement an action plan to reduce pollutants in stormwater. This plan, known as the Chesapeake Bay TMDL (Total Maximum Daily Load) Program, outlines how the Town will meet pollutant reduction goals set by VDEQ based on the area of land within the Town that drains to the Chesapeake Bay. Under the plan, the Town is required to meet 5% of its pollutant reduction goals by 2018, 40% of the goals by 2024, and 100% of the goals by 2028. Last year, the Stratford and Foxridge Park dry stormwater ponds were converted to extended detention ponds with plunge pools and, in the case of Foxridge Park, a meandering stream to slow the flow of stormwater into area creeks, which allows pollutants to settle out of the water. At the Greenway Farm pond, two constructed wetlands were created. Plants in the wetlands and along the edges of the ponds help remove pollutants from the water. With the completion of these three stormwater pond retrofits, the Town of Leesburg has met its 2018 goals for the Chesapeake Bay TMDL Action Plan. When the Tuscarora Creek stream restoration project is completed next year, the Town will have met 100% of its 2024 goals and 75% of its 2028 goals. The Town received $370,000 in grant funding from VDEQ s Stormwater Local Assistance Fund to pay for the pond retrofits. Total cost for the three ponds was $1.5 million. For more information, visit the Town of Leesburg website at www.leesburgva.gov/TMDL. # # #