By Mia Lamar

The Mystic River received a grade of "D" from US Environmental Protection Agency regulators last week,  marking the second year in row the river has barely passed agency standards. The report card announcement was made at the Mystic River Watershed Summit, a day-long event held by the EPA last Thursday in Boston.

The announcement was made before a packed assembly of state administrators, scientists, engineers and community advocates. Several speakers – including former state Senator Jarrett Barrios who is now president for the Blue Cross Blue Shield Foundation — spoke of their efforts working to clean up the Mystic River.

Another speaker, Howard M. Neukrug, from the Office of Watersheds for the City of Philadelphia, spoke of that city’s experience and challenges restoring a heavily urbanized watershed area. All spoke while the grade, tacked to a wall behind the speaker’s podium, remained covered from the audience’s view.

Finally, Robert W. Varney, Regional Adminstrator for EPA New England, stood to announce the river’s grade, an assistant unveiling the announcement, he joked, a la ‚ÄúVanna White.‚Äù Yet, as many expected, there was no cause for cheers. The Mystic River had been given a D grade. Again.

Varney was quick to acknowledge that though the grade was a disappointment, it was one based on “science and data.”

‚ÄúThis is not a political report card,‚Äù he said. ‚ÄúIt’s an environmental report card…and it’s important we have a report based on honesty and integrity.‚Äù

Among areas for concern, Varney cited the ‚Äúelusive‚Äù challenge of storm water contamination, and encouraged serious activism on the community level for tackling its effects on water quality. Illicit waterway connections were also cited as a ‚Äúhuge‚Äù problem. Glenn Haas, acting assistant commissioner for the Bureau of Resource Protection, told the crowd that with ‚Äúaging infrastructure, and a softening economy…this only becomes more difficult.‚Äù

There were some bright spots in Mystic River’s otherwise dismal report card.  Haas said the BRP has identified bacteria source monitoring as a major priority, hiring six additional employees in 2007 to specifically monitor the issue. He also commended the BRP’s particularly successful water monitoring equipment loan program.

CSO’s — combined sewer overflows that spill waste water into storm water drains when water levels rise — have been reduced dramatically, according to the MWRA’s Fred Laskey. The Mystic River’s water quality, reported this year as 46 percent swimmable and 79 percent suitable for boating, continues to improve. These efforts are far from over and Laskey said he expects a total $230 million investment in all Mystic River cleanup projects.

Here in Somerville, the city appears to be at the top of the class amongst Mystic River communities. Calling Somerville "aggressive" in river cleaning, Vithal Deshpande, Environmental Coordinator for the city, said the city has closed nine of its 11 CSO’s as of last year. When asked about Somerville’s approach to storm water clean up, Deshpande noted the city’s challenge as a downstream community, but said the city has taken a strong public education approach to minimize street debris that would exacerbate storm water pollution.