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EPA for adoption. He stated that the DEP will collaborate with stakeholders on management <br /> issues and other issues in terms of timing and implementation. <br /> Johanna Hunter recognized the Cape Cod Commission,stakeholders and towns for the <br /> efforts in dealing with the issues of the 208 Plan. She noted that real threat to the Cape is <br /> nutrients and that these pollution issues are a problem that crosses boundaries and is not the <br /> type of thing that stops at town borders.She pressed that it is really important for all the <br /> stakeholders to act together, and that there is a history of local activism and involvement <br /> concerning environmental issues on the Cape, citing the adoption of the original 208 Plan on <br /> Cape Cod in 1978.She also noted that there is an urgency to act because the Cape is at a tipping <br /> point and updating the 208 Plan is an important step in addressing these problems. She briefly <br /> summarized the Conservation Law Foundation lawsuit and settlement, DEP and EPA's role in <br /> the future of the 208 Plan, and milestones and respective obligations with respect to the <br /> settlement and finalization of the plan,including designation of WMA's. She noted that the <br /> final 208 Plan update should use a combination of tested,traditional and pilot approaches. She <br /> noted that the settlement with CLF provides a good opportunity for Cape Cod,and that the Cape <br /> is one of the highlights of New England in terms of having an opportunity to make real change <br /> in these water issues. She cited EPA's involvement with addressing phosphorus issues in Lake <br /> Champlain as another example in New England of successes with water quality improvements. <br /> Christopher Killian noted that this is a very hopeful time for the pollution issues that people <br /> on the Cape are concerned about. He explained that the Conservation Law Foundation(CLF)is <br /> an environmental law advocacy organization based out of Boston,with offices throughout New <br /> England. He stated that CLF's members and supporters wanted to see action in terms.,of finding <br /> a framework in the Clean Water Act that could be brought forward that required action to clean <br /> up the bays. Kilian went into details about the Clean Water Act that is the subject of the lawsuit <br /> that CLF brought against the EPA and how it pertains to Cape Cod. He stated that CLF's core <br /> argument is that all sources of pollution on the Cape are subject to permitting jurisdiction of the <br /> federal Clean Water Act. He argued that the Section 208 planning process should to be used. He <br /> stated that CLF is happy that their argument about regulations and permitting could be put on <br /> hold while we give the 208 planning framework a chance to work. He stated that the settlement <br /> agreement is essentially creating a window of opportunity to give the 208 planning process a <br /> chance. He said that in the end they don't want a plan that collects dust on the shelf;he said that <br /> the worst outcome here on the Cape would be a failure to take advantage of this opportunity,go <br /> back to litigation on these issues and not take any action to move forward on these issues. <br /> Discussion of Section 208 and the Process for Identifying and Convening Waste <br /> Management Agencies Among Speakers,Agencies'staff and Town Officials <br /> Paul Niedzwiecki introduced the following speakers for the discussion panel: Bethany Card <br /> and Assistant Commissioner of MassDEP, Gary Moran,Deputy Director of MassDEP,Kristy <br /> Senatori, Deputy Director of the Cape Cod Commission and Erin Perry, Special Projects <br /> Coordinator at the Cape Cod Commission. Johanna Hunter of the US EPA and Christopher <br /> Page 3 of 7 <br />