Crowd turns out for public meeting at BYC on phosphorus in lake

The Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy held an informational meeting at the Belleville Yacht Club on Aug. 13 to discuss its work at setting a new Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) for Phosphorus in Ford and Belleville Lakes.
Sarah Holden, an environmental quality specialist, led the meeting before the crowded meeting room at the BYC, explaining how the existing TMDL was developed in 1996 and updated in 2004.
After a law suit brought by Dexter, Ann Arbor, Chelsea and Loch Alpine, last October a circuit court directed the state to review and revise the TMDLs.
“I’m hoping this is the end,” said Gary Kohlhepp from EGLE. He said after they adopt the new plan, they can go back and issue permits and do compliance checks.
The details related and maps shown by Holden are all on the EGLE web site: http://www.michigan.gov/waterquality .
Holden said algal toxin were found in some of the algae blooms in the last couple of years in Belleville Lake.
She said people should avoid thick scums and that neither Ford nor Belleville lakes currently meet water quality standards.
“We propose 30 micrograms per liter of phosphorus for both lakes,” Holden said of the new standards. “This level helps prevent severe algal blooms.” She noted currently Ford Lake’s TMDL is 50 and Belleville Lake’s is 30.
Holden said phosphorus does not go away. She said a plant may take up the phosphorus but then is released when the plant deteriorates. Also, Ann Arbor takes drinking water from Barton Pond. She said 26% of the existing load of phosphorus from upstream is lost before entering Ford Lake.
Most of the Belleville Lake load comes from Ford Lake, Holden said.
She said the new standards will ask for large cut backs on five wastewater treatment plants.
She said they will be accepting written comments on the plan through Sept. 2 and, by court order, the document must be submitted to the EPA by Oct. 3.
Pete Creal of the BYC, who set up the meeting there, asked how they can be assured the EPA will accept the TMDL as proposed.
“Green algae are out there today,” Creal said of Belleville Lake, noting a bottle of the green water was presented to Holden before the meeting.
“I don’t know how people can be assured we don’t make revisions,” Holden said.
“If we hear from one side or another, changes might be proposed,” Kohlhepp said. “Do you feel phosphorus reductions are needed?” he asked the crowd and it roared out, “Yes!” He encouraged them to make written statements.
Dave Frankling of Harmony Lane asked if anyone was monitoring spraying on lawns and whether there is phosphorus in the fertilizer. He said, “It is disgusting, what’s in the water. It’s dirty, it needs to be less, less, less.”
Holden said there are exceptions for new turf grass and golf courses statewide. “There is no rule they cannot sell phosphorus fertilizer in the state,” she said.
Rick Lawson, watershed manager for the Huron River Watershed Council, said he appreciated them looking into this and based on comparison with former and current situations, there is no room for new sources.
Andrea Dorney, technical operations manager of the City of Dexter’s Water and Sewer Utilities, said the City of Dexter just spent $5.5 million in an attempt to meet the present TMDL and now, after spending all that money, they will be just shy of the new TMDL requirement.
“We’re trying,” she said, noting there is a way to control phosphorus, but blue green algae control is not the same. She said this proposed TMDL doesn’t address the latest studies.
“Blue green algae is a not a new thing,” Holden said. “It’s hard to figure out what triggers a bloom … phosphorus, temperature … still water.”
Dorney said they can reduce oxygen at the dams by the way the water is released and Holden said the local dams are doing that.
A man said reducing the TMDL isn’t fixing the problem in a permanent way.
When Dorney made her way to her seat after her comments, the audience applauded her.
Andrew Salmon from the BYC and Belleville Water Ski Club asked how they monitor the water and he was told the state monitoring schedules. Dorney called out that the wastewater treatment plants monitor daily.
Jack Ridenour said he spends a lot of time in the water. He said the state is asking them to accept these new levels, but he has heard no costs or if it is feasible.
“We don’t develop cost estimates, but it’s possible,” Holden said.
Ridenour continued, “Can it be done? … Anyone can put up a number … but is it possible?”
Kohlhepp said it’s an ongoing thing and it’s feasible to get there, but not next year.
Another representative from EGLE said Dexter and two others contested and ended up going to circuit court. “Yes, they contested their permits!” he said.
“Put up a number? … I can’t accept that,” Ridenour said and the crowd applauded.
Randy Priest of the BYC and City of Belleville Planning Commission said the 30 assigned to Belleville Lake “puts us on the cusp. You should shoot a little bit lower.”
Dennis Brooks said he is keeping his dogs out of the lake, but he waters his lawn with lake water. “Is it safe for my dogs on the lawn?” he asked.
Holden said algal cells are at the top of the water and the intake for the lawn or garden water should be lower.
“It’s not a broad-spread concern,” she said.
Kohlhepp said the intake could be a little below the surface and be OK. “If there’s a surface scum, I would say don’t water during that time … If the water is clear … in the vast majority of cases, it’s OK … I’d err on the side of caution.”
Belleville City Councilman Jesse Marcotte, who lives on the lake, questioned the opposition from the wastewater treatment plant, and Dorney said it was because it was a major expenditure.
“Belleville Lake is a major piece of our economy,” Marcotte said. “It’s the largest lake in Wayne County. Our slogan is ‘Downtown on the Lake.’ Without water quality … there is a stigma.”
He said people considering moving here might decide they shouldn’t be here.
“Our property taxes will decline because they are afraid to swim in our lake,” Marcotte said. He said the City of Ann Arbor should stop using old technologies. He said in Ann Arbor they dumped 3,000 gallons of sewage in the river in July alone and there’s been other sewage. But, he sees from Mlive, that two-cycle engines have been banned in Ann Arbor, including leaf blowers and weed whips.
“I would be glad to sponsor a resolution at the city council to support TMDL reductions in Ford and Belleville lakes,” Marcotte said to applause.
“It doesn’t do any good to make rules without enforcement,” said Van Buren Township Trustee Sherry Frazier. She said they have been looking at this since the 1990s and, “Are we going to have an algae bloom this summer?”
“There’s an algae bloom on the lake right now,” Holden said. “No one can predict these things.”
“The room is filled,” Frazier said. “There is a lot of concern about Belleville Lake.”
“There is some improvement,” Kohlhepp said. “This TMDL will push it down. I think we’re getting there slowly.”
“How can they set rules with no enforcement?” Frazier asked.
Kohlhepp said for Dexter, Ann Arbor, Chelsea and Loch Alpine, the limits never became effective because they went to circuit court.
“We’re following the process and will pass the TDML and go back and issue permits — NPDES — and have compliance checks,” he said.
Dorney said Ann Arbor spent $118 million on its wastewater treatment plant and, “They’re still not there.”
A man who said he uses aerators in the winter to keep ice from his dock, asked if he could use them in the summer to keep toxins away? Kohlhepp said he would have to apply for a permit. He said it was tried on the other side of the state and there were mixed results. Some were happy, some unhappy, some stopped.
Chuck Johnson asked if the 5′ drawdown on the lake water planned would have any impact on phosphorus levels and Holden said she wasn’t sure. Johnson was told the drawdown has been cancelled for this year.
Another person said in the presentation there were a lot of unknowns and is there any evidence of what is the best way to go? What others are doing?
Holden said other states are working on phosphorus levels, as far as state rules. She said the issue is nationwide and it’s a slow process.
“No one has a silver bullet?” asked a man.
“I wish,” Kohlhepp said. “We still have lakes where it’s a recurring problem.”
A BYC member asked about why there are spikes in the algae and the signs that say they can’t eat the fish. There have been PFAS in the lake for quite a while, he said.
Holden said they only monitor the water from April through September. She said the TMDL is only addressing the phosphorus and the goal is not being met.
Submit written comments to Holden at [email protected] .