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MIAMI RIVER COMMISSION 
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Miami, Fl. 33149
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  e-mail: mrc@rsmas.miami.edu

The agencies of the Stormwater subcommittee submitted the Water Quality Improvement Report’s second quarterly report for the action items they are listed as the lead agency for.  The agencies provided the following comments:

Department of Environmental Resource Management (DERM) - Dr. Susan Markley and Tim McIntosh stated they had been working on developing water quality targets with Trish Stone, South Florida Water Management District (SFWMD), and Mike Self, Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP).  Dr. Markley stated the targets would not be proposed for regulatory purposes, only as goals.  The draft proposed water quality target  (non-regulatory) goals, will be on the Wednesday, September 4, 2002 Stormwater subcommittee agenda for discussion.

The FDEP and Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) are working on creating the regulatory total maximum daily load levels (TMDL’s) for every water body in the State of Florida.  The TMDL’s are not the water quality target goals, which the Stormwater subcommittee is developing, as set forth in the MRC’s Water Quality Improvement Report.  The EPA and SFWMD representatives stated the TMDL’s will recognize the working river nature of the Miami River, and only focus on a few variables such as oxygen, nutrients, and coliform.  The FDEP and EPA stormwater subcommittee representatives will keep the rest of the subcommittee updated regarding their study of the Miami River’s TMDL’s.

Miami-Dade Water and Sewer Department (WASD) – Mr. Rod Lovette provided the written WASD’s 2^nd quarter Water Quality Improvement Report.  Lovette stated that

the County received federal grant money to do a dye flood study, and they are in the process of defining the target area, which will include Wagner Creek.  WASD found an illegal hook up in downtown Miami on Flagler Street. A three-year-old restaurant’s sanitary system was illegally hooked to the stormwater lateral instead of the sanitary sewer lateral. City of Miami building inspectors were responsible for approving the lateral hook up.  The problem has been rectified.  Augustin Socarra, DERM, stated he has been working with WASD regarding having properties with septic tanks connect to sewer system laterals.  Socarra will provide the stormwater subcommittee with an updated list as to the fact that that all properties on South River Drive have been connected, and list the properties pending sewer system hook-up which have been notified in writing, and those pending notification.

City of Miami Public Works Department – Jose Lago, provided the City’s written 2^nd quarter “Water Quality Improvement Plan” action item progress report, and pointed out the following:  Significant progress is being made towards bringing several major stormwater system retrofitting projects to fruition.  Upon completion of the pending stormwater system retrofitting projects, all stormwater systems will have water quality boxes, in accordance with National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) law requirements.  Lago met with Lea Oberlin and Michael Self, FDEP, regarding the proposed Wagner Creek Phase IV and V projects.  The FDEP has requested the City submit revised plans, including removing less trees, before a permit will be issued.  FDEP has granted the City a time extension to revise the Wagner Creek phase IV & V projects, in order to make them more environmental mitigation projects, and less strictly conveyance capacity related.

South Florida Water Management District (SFWMD) – Ms. Trisha Stone provided the SFWMD’s 2^nd quarter “Water Quality Improvement Report” progress report.  Stone noted the SFWMD is working on budgeting $25,000 for the Miami River Clean-Up Vessel, and $35,000 for additional e-coli testing as set forth in the Plan.

Florida Department of Environmental Education – Mr. Michael Self e-mailed the MRC a detailed 2^nd quarter report on July 1, but was unable to attend the stormwater meeting.

The Stormwater subcommittee agreed that the third quarterly report, for the period between July 3, 2002 and September 4, 2002, are due prior to the Wednesday, October 2, 2002 stormwater subcommittee meeting.  The stormwater subcommittee will not hold a meeting during August 2002.

Brett Bibeau, Miami River Commission, thanked the agencies for their detailed 2^nd quarterly reports.  Bibeau stated several large and funded sections of the approved Miami River Greenway are completing design drawings.  Therefore, Bibeau urged the stormwater subcommittees to meet with the MRC’s Greenway’s subcommittee in order to coordinate any stormwater and sanitary sewer system projects within the Greenways development area.  Clearly projects requiring tearing up the street surface should be fully coordinated.  Furthermore, Bibeau noted the area of South River Drive beneath the First Street Bridge is still flooding from stormwater system overflows.

The meeting adjourned.

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