Tennessee Water Programs Receive National Recognition at Green Development Conference

Nashville, Tenn. – Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation Commissioner Jim Fyke accepted an award from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency today at the Green Development Conference being held at the Sheraton Music City hotel in Nashville.  Environment and Conservation, EPA and the Kentucky Department of Environmental Protection are sponsors of the conference.

The award presented by EPA is for national leadership in Environment and Conservation’s application of EPA’s Assessment Database.  The database is designed to track water quality assessment data, including information on whether rivers, streams and lakes are meeting their classified uses for things such as recreation and drinking water, as well as the causes and sources of stream impairments.
Effective use of the database also helps the department more efficiently prepare water quality reports as required by the federal Clean Water Act, such as the 303 (d) List and the 305 (b) Report.

“I’m pleased our staff in the department’s Division of Water Pollution Control have received this recognition for their hard work in collecting and effectively organizing and tracking water quality data,” said Fyke.  “The information helps us to focus our attention on those water bodies in Tennessee that are impaired and in need of restoration.”

EPA and Environment and Conservation also partnered at the conference to designate the UT Institute for a Secure and Sustainable Environment and the Cumberland River Compact as the first Center of Excellence for Watershed Management in Tennessee.  EPA’s Region 4 Centers of Excellence for Watershed Management Program works with colleges and universities from across the Southeast to provide hands-on, practical products and services for communities to identify watershed problems and solve them.

“I commend UT’s Institute for a Secure and Sustainable Environment and the Cumberland River Compact for their work in protecting Tennessee watersheds,” said Environment and Conservation Deputy Commissioner Paul Sloan.  “A Tennessee Center of Watershed Excellence can be an important resource for local governments and stakeholders’ groups who recognize the need for using a comprehensive watershed approach to resource management.”

More information about priority watersheds in the Southeast can be found on EPA’s Web site at www.epa.gov/region4/water/watersheds/priority.html.

The Green Development Conference runs through Tuesday and features expert presenters from across the country and is designed to promote dialogue and exchange among state and local officials, developers, architects and contractors on aspects of green development and its contribution to the efficient use and quality of state waters.  More information about the conference is available at www.tn.gov/environment by clicking on the “Green Conference” icon.