Working together to improve the health of the lower Charles River.

The US Environmental Protection Agency reports on how cleanup work by community organizations, local municipalities and the Massachusetts Water
Resources Authority (MWRA) that started years ago continues to reduce
the flow of contamination into the Charles:

"The Charles River is one of our signature waterways and it is clear
that more than a decade of focus and attention - from the full spectrum
of community organizations, environmental groups, businesses,
institutions, municipalities and state and federal agencies - has begun
to turn the tide toward the promise of a clean, fishable and swimmable
river," said Massachusetts Secretary of Energy and Environmental Affairs
Ian Bowles. "The challenge before us is to maintain the momentum and
finish the job - and learn from our lessons in the Charles and spread
them to the other impaired watersheds of the Commonwealth."

Full Press Release below

AS BOATERS AND CLEANUP VOLUNTEERS CONVERGE ON CHARLES RIVER, WATER
QUALITY CONDITIONS IMPROVED (4-25-08)

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency- New England Regional Office

Contact: Ken Moraff, 617-918-1502

April 25, 2008

AS BOATERS AND CLEANUP VOLUNTEERS CONVERGE ON CHARLES RIVER, WATER
QUALITY CONDITIONS IMPROVED

EPA Grade from 2007 Monitoring: B++

(Boston, Mass. - Apr. 25, 2008) – As volunteers flock to the Charles
River tomorrow for the annual spring clean up event, and paddlers arrive
for the “Run of the Charles” canoe and kayak race, EPA water quality
monitoring data show that during 2007, the Charles River had it’s best
water quality for boating and swimming since the intensive Clean Charles
Initiative began in 1995.

EPA’s grade for the lower Charles River this year is the highest-ever:
a B++. The unusual grade reflects that coordinated efforts by government
and local groups have had continuing success reducing bacteria levels –
helping to restore the river to ecological health. Although we have made
good progress reducing bacteria levels, there is growing concern about
elevated levels of nutrients, especially phosphorus, which requires more
work to address.

"We can all be very proud that our
hard work to reduce bacteria levels in the Charles River is paying
off,” said Robert Varney, regional administrator of EPA's New England
office. “We still have work to do – especially regarding nutrients from
stormwater pollution – to solve problems including the algae blooms
that have occurred the past several summers."

This year’s grade is based on the number of days the river met state
boating and swimming standards on days that samples were taken during
the previous calendar year, and is based on measurements of bacteria
levels. For 2007, the Charles met boating standards a superb 100 percent
of the time, and swimming standards 63 percent of the time, according to
data collected by the Charles River Watershed Association (CRWA) between
Watertown Dam and Boston Harbor. These measurements are the best levels
recorded since the Charles River Initiative began in 1995.

The Charles has improved dramatically from the launch of EPA’s Charles
River Initiative in 1995, when the river received a D for meeting
boating standards only 39 percent of the time and swimming standards
just 19 percent of the time.

"The Charles River is one of our signature waterways and it is clear
that more than a decade of focus and attention - from the full spectrum
of community organizations, environmental groups, businesses,
institutions, municipalities and state and federal agencies - has begun
to turn the tide toward the promise of a clean, fishable and swimmable
river," said Massachusetts Secretary of Energy and Environmental Affairs
Ian Bowles. "The challenge before us is to maintain the momentum and
finish the job - and learn from our lessons in the Charles and spread
them to the other impaired watersheds of the Commonwealth."

Cleanup work by local municipalities and the Massachusetts Water
Resources Authority (MWRA) that started years ago continues to reduce
the flow of contamination into the Charles. Over the last year, MWRA has
finished the design of a 57 inch pipe that will stretch from Brookline
to Cambridge. This will improve flow of sanitary wastes to Deer Island
for treatment and will reduce the number of overflows that will
discharge to the Charles in heavy rains. In addition, during the last
year the City of Cambridge closed two of its combined sewer overflows
that discharged mixed stormwater and sanitary waste during large storms.

“Over the last decade, the Massachusetts Water Resources Authority has
completed a number of projects to control combined sewer overflows
(CSOs) to the Charles,” said MWRA executive director Frederick A.
Laskey. “To date, overflows have been reduced by over 90 percent in a
typical year – and there's more to come. We have three more projects in
the works that, when completed, will achieve a 99 percent reduction in
CSO discharges."

EPA’s Varney noted that the involvement of ordinary citizen volunteers
who have patrolled and cleaned the Charles for years has been critical
to the restoration of the River. This weekend, in conjunction with its
annual canoe and kayak race dubbed Run of the Charles, the Charles River
Watershed Association will be organizing a clean up day during which
volunteers can collect trash along the shores.

“Though it seems progress has been slow for a few years, our efforts to
analyze the Charles and the impacts of urbanization have accelerated.
That work has been revealing. Together with EPA, DEP, and CLF, we are at
a new high in understanding the sorts of regulatory changes and water
infrastructure changes necessary to fully restore the river, sustain our
drinking water supplies, reduce energy demand, and improve the quality
of our lives in the Greater Boston metropolitan region,” said Bob
Zimmerman, Executive Director of the Charles River Watershed Association.

High levels of phosphorus in the past several years have caused the
River to turn a bright shade of blue-green during summertime algae
blooms. The color is caused by blooms of cyanobacteria, which can be
harmful to both people and pets. Last October, EPA and the state began a
process to limit phosphorus entering the Charles River by establishing a
new “Total Maximum Daily Load” (TMDL) for discharges of phosphorus into
the lower Charles River. A TMDL determines how much of a pollutant can
be put into a body of water before it has harmful effects. EPA and
MassDEP developed and approved the new limits using extensive data
collected in the Charles over several years.

Among the significant sources of phosphorus to the river are
impermeable surfaces such as roadways, rooftops and parking lots where
phosphorus and other nutrients collect. Rainfall scours these pollutants
from these surfaces and the resultant stormwater discharges into the
Charles. Both EPA and MassDEP are developing approaches that would limit
the discharge of phosphorus in order to tackle the algae problem in the
River.

Since 1995, the Charles River Initiative has featured coordinated
efforts between EPA, state and local governments, private organizations,
and environmental advocates, working together to improve the health of
the lower Charles River. As this work continues, the goals of a river
that is healthy and supports many recreational activities becomes closer
to an everyday reality. The Charles River Swimming Club, established to
promote competitive swimming in the river had 67 participants in its
race last summer, and has another race scheduled for June 15 of this
year.

More information: EPA’s Charles River Initiative
(epa.gov/region1/charles)