Watershed Protection Plan - Lower Rio Grande Valley Development ...

ELEMENTS OF THE ARROYO COLORADO WATERSHED PROTECTION PLAN
the requirements of TPDES storm water regulations,
the ACW Protection Plan can benefi t from the
development of SWMPs for small MS4s in the Arroyo
Colorado watershed. The ACW Partnership will ensure
the SWMPs for UAs in the Arroyo Colorado watershed
are consistent with the goals of the ACW Protection
Plan, that adequate information is disseminated and
that resources are shared to achieve mutually benefi cial
goals.
In addition to the work of the TPDES Storm
Water Task Force, the TCEQ is funding important
demonstration projects in the Rio Grande Valley to
implement and showcase composting technology for
reducing fertilizer and pesticide use by businesses
and private citizens. The project, known as Texas
Greenscapes, is being funded with a Federal CWA
§319 grant and has the objective of reducing pollutants
in urban storm water runoff. A detailed description of
the Texas Greenscapes project is included in the E&O
section of this document.
The Storm Water Task Force is committed to
incorporating as many measures that will reduce
pollutant loading to the Arroyo Colorado as possible
into the individual SWMPs. Because pollution control
requirements typically found in Phase II SWMPs for
small MS4s are largely tailored to each specifi c storm
water system, quantifying the pollutant load reductions
to the Arroyo Colorado resulting from implementation
of the phase II SWMPs is not possible prior to the
development of these plans. Consequently, the ACW
Partnership made no attempt to include these load
reduction calculations in the ACW Protection Plan.
Working with the ACW Partnership, TAMUK and the
Storm Water Task Force will incorporate the issues of
concern associated with the ACW Protection Plan into
the urban runoff protection plans being developed by
the Task Force.
Industrial Practices
Two fertilizer storage and distribution facilities
located along the tidal segment of the Arroyo Colorado
(Wilbur-Ellis and Agriliance, LLC) have agreed to
institute management practices to minimize the amount
of dry fertilizer lost to the Arroyo Colorado during
barge off-loading operations. Beginning in 2006,
both companies will install tarp enclosures around
the conveyor hoppers on the docks to catch spillage.
This measure is estimated to reduce spillage of dry
fertilizer into the Arroyo Colorado by 50%. In addition
to this measure, the companies have revised their
Standard Operating Procedures to include the following
provisions:
1) All bulk dry load-out will be performed on
contained concrete surfaces. The surfaces will
be swept free of any spillage on a daily basis
when operating and prior to any signifi cant
rainfall.
2) All bulk dry loading by rail will be controlled to
keep the material in maintenance pit areas.
These areas will be cleaned on a daily basis
when operating and prior to any signifi cant
rainfall.
3) All liquid fertilizer unloading from barges will be
controlled by facility personnel who are familiar
with emergency shutdown procedures.
4) All fertilizer reacting (involving anhydrous
ammonia and super phosphoric acid) will be
performed on a concrete pad with containment.
The process will be controlled to prevent spillage.
5) All liquid fertilizer volumes will be well monitored
and controlled throughout the load-out process.
Wilbur-Ellis and Agriliance, LLC have plans to
build new containment systems for fertilizer loading
operations in 2007. The companies are also working
with the TCEQ to learn how to further minimize the
spillage and runoff of pollutants from these facilities into
the Arroyo Colorado.
In addition to the fertilizer transport and storage
operations, a signifi cant volume of raw sugar is shipped
out of the Rio Grande Valley from the Port of Harlingen.
Raw sugar, alone comprises 80%-90% of annual northbound
shipments from the Rio Grande Valley through
the GIWW to points north of the Lower Laguna Madre
(TCPS 2001).
January 2007 87 Arroyo Colorado Watershed Protection Plan