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 This document describes the continued progress being made in
Illinois to reduce nutrient losses from multiple sources to
improve water quality not only in Illinois waterways, but also
in the Mississippi River and Gulf of Mexico.
“The report illustrates all facets of agriculture coming
together to promote best management practices,” said John
Sullivan, Department of Agriculture Director. “The next step is
transitioning more farmers from awareness of nutrient loss
practices to application.”
“The 2019 Biennial Report describes some the dramatic reductions
in total phosphorus discharges from some of the largest
wastewater treatment facilities in the state,” said Illinois EPA
Director John Kim. “We’ve already nearly met one of our 2025
goals of 25% reduction of phosphorus from the point source
sector, and we look forward to continued nutrient reductions.”
These reductions are being realized as a direct result of
investments by wastewater treatment facilities to meet more
stringent nutrient permit limits. Illinois officials expect to
see continued progress in meeting the long-term goal of 45%
reduction in nutrients as additional planned wastewater
treatment facility upgrades occur.
The Illinois NLRS was first released in 2015. The Strategy’s
goal is to reduce the amount of nitrogen and phosphorus in
Illinois waterways by 45%. Interim goals include reducing the
amount of phosphorus by 25% and nitrogen by 15% by 2025.
Implementation efforts are led by Strategy partners in the
Policy Working Group and other sector committees, guided by the
Illinois Department of Agriculture and Illinois EPA, with
assistance provided by the University of Illinois Extension. The
Illinois NLRS is part of a broader effort being implemented by
states in the Mississippi River Basin to reduce the amount of
nutrients entering the Gulf of Mexico, which causes a “dead
zone” of oxygen-depleted water.
During the reporting period of 2017-2018, the
agriculture sector invested more than $59 million in nutrient
loss reduction for research, outreach, implementation and
monitoring. These contributions have come from Agriculture Water
Quality Partnership Forum members and other agriculture related
organizations that are working toward reaching the goals set
forth in the Illinois NLRS. During that same period, over 84,000
people attended field days, conferences, or workshops to learn
about practices that can be implemented to reduce nutrient loss
from farm fields.
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The Illinois Department of Agriculture administers
the state-funded Partners for Conservation program in cooperation
with the states’ 97 Soil and Water Conservation Districts. The
program provides technical and financial incentives to Illinois
landowners for the construction or adoption of conservation
practices that reduce soil erosion and nutrient loading from
non-point agricultural sources and improve water quality. Popular
practices include conservation tillage, cover crops, grass
waterways, field buffers, streambank stabilization structures, and
various other similar practices.
Illinois EPA issues National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System
(NPDES) permits to wastewater treatment facilities (point sources)
to regulate the amount of pollutants that can enter Illinois
waterways. By the end of 2018, Illinois EPA had issued 65 NPDES
permits to wastewater treatment facilities limiting the total
phosphorus concentrations to 1.0 mg/L. The Agency expects the number
of permits with a total phosphorus limit to grow substantially in
the coming years. Data also shows some facilities without permit
limits are reducing their nutrient loads by optimizing existing
equipment. During the reporting period of 2017-2018, the point
source sector invested over $224 million dollars in nutrient removal
technologies and related activities.
The Illinois EPA, through its State Revolving Fund program, provides
low interest loans to point source projects addressing water quality
issues, including nutrient pollution. This program provided
$668,408,486 in loans from 2017-2018, with $176,191,342 specifically
spent on nutrient removal technologies. In addition, Illinois EPA’s
Section 319 grant program provides funding for nonpoint source
projects designed to achieve nutrient reduction and provides $3.5
million annually to projects mitigating agriculture and urban
stormwater runoff.
The Full Biennial Report is available at:
https://www2.illinois.gov/epa/topics/water-quality/watershed-management/excess-nutrients/Pages/nutrient-loss-reduction-strategy.aspx.
This Biennial Report will be updated again in 2021. The agencies and
organizations leading this effort will continue to collaborate and
invest in programs that meet the goals of the Illinois NLRS.
[Illinois Office of Communication and
Information] |
