As a member of Audubon International’s Signature or Classic Sanctuary certification track, you are aware that all members (certified and those in the process of becoming certified) are required to conduct water quality testing in accordance with the Water Quality Monitoring section of your property’s Natural Resource Management Plan (NRMP) or Golf Course Management Plan (GCMP). In many instances, the NRMP or GCMP requires that sampling and testing take place quarterly and include surface water, ground water and sediments at a number of locations on and around the property.
As you also know, these water quality monitoring programs were based on the original risk assessment of chemicals your property proposed to use when the NRMP or GCMP was originally prepared. Once your property has been certified as a Signature or Classic Sanctuary and has collected a significant amount of water quality data, these testing needs may change.
Recognizing the cost of water quality testing, and the fact that different chemicals may now be used, we have prepared this Guidance Document to establish a policy for addressing modifications to, and reductions in, water quality testing. They are as follows:
I. Modification of Testing Analytes:
A) Members who are no longer using the same chemicals identified in their NRMP or GCMP, can request a modification to both your chemical list and water quality monitoring plan by identifying the chemicals you are currently using and conducting an Aquatic Environmental Impact Quotient (EIQ) risk assessment.
B) Members still utilizing the chemicals that were on their original chemical list can request a modification of testing analytes from your monitoring plans by completing an Aquatic EIQ risk assessment (Aq. EIQ) on these original chemicals. In some instances, you may be able to eliminate some testing analytes from your monitoring plans that could result in an overall cost savings.
II. Environmental Impact Quotient (EIQ):
The EIQ was developed by members of the New York State Integrated Pest Management Program (NYSIPM) in 1992 as a way to evaluate pesticides. The EIQ calculator assigns a score to each active ingredient in a chemical based on the rate you apply it. The EIQ focuses on 3 areas of impact/safety:
1) Worker – Acute and chronic toxicity to humans
2) Consumer – Food residues, chronic toxicity to humans, leachability to groundwater
3) Ecological – Aquatic and terrestrial non-target toxicity (fish, bees), runoff potential, persistence
Aquatic Environmental Impact Quotient (Aq. EIQ):
Audubon International has worked with Cornell University to establish a rating of an active ingredient’s ability to leach and its aquatic toxicity, referred to as the Aquatic Environmental Impact Quotient.
For an active ingredient to be deemed necessary to test, it must score a minimum of 25 in the Aquatic Environmental Impact Quotient. This indicates a high potential to leach, and a high risk of aquatic toxicity to aquatic species.
Completing your EIQ Assessment
Audubon International offers a spreadsheet that will calculate both your EIQ and Aquatic EIQ for each application. Please visit your member-only resources section of the website to access and download this spreadsheet.
REMINDER: Your EIQ list (both traditional EIQ and Aquatic EIQ) is now a requirement of the Annual Reporting process and will be reviewed annually with your submission.
III. Sampling locations:
As a reminder, your testing locations should be based on topography, hydrology, and water flow and include an:
- upgradient and downgradient surface water sample
- upgradient and downgradient ground water sample (if applicable)
If you are testing beyond these requested locations, please contact AI, to discuss a reduction or change in sampling locations.
IV. Reduction in Monitoring:
Many members are conducting monitoring on a quarterly basis in accordance with their NRMP/GCMP and regularly submit test results with their annual reports. We review these test result summaries to determine if there are any significant changes to surface water, ground water or sediment quality as a result of property operations.
In an effort to reduce the cost of monitoring, while also ensuring there is no reduction in water quality, Audubon International will allow current members to reduce sampling to 2x/year beginning in 2021 once an Aquatic EIQ chart has been submitted and reviewed.
If you are a new member, you must conduct water quality testing at least 4x/year for the first year. After construction is complete, you may reduce testing as indicated above.
After completing two years of reduced monitoring that includes updated water quality analysis based on EIQ ratings, Audubon International will review the data and additional testing may be required if significant fluctuations in water quality are present.
