USE ATTAINABILITY ANALYSIS FOR REFINING USES IN THE CHESAPEAKE BAY

A Use Attainability Analysis is being conducted to support new subcategories of designated uses for the Chesapeake Bay. The Chesapeake Bay deviates from traditional UAA applications due the need to consider numerous sources and jurisdictions and complex spatial ecological requirements. A flexible UAA approach has been adopted that relies on integrated and interdisciplinary modeling and analysis guided by a collaborative workgroup decision-making process. Various watershed modeling scenarios have been developed to help represent conditions associated with the UAA factors for determining attainability. Costs, screening level indicators of potential economic impacts, and cost-effectiveness are estimated to help characterize economic impacts and relative efficiency of these model scenarios. Repeated iterations of the analytical process are expected to facilitate decisions about acceptable allocations and highest attainable use boundaries.