In October, 2006, the Scientific and Technical Advisory Committee (STAC) to the Chesapeake Bay Program published its recommendations for the use of the cumulative frequency diagram approach (CFD) for defining water quality criteria and to determine water quality criteria attainment (STAC 2006). In May, 2009, the Chesapeake Bay Program and its Water Quality Steering Committee requested that STAC convene a panel to review several proposed modifications in the application of the CFD approach to the benthic index of biotic integrity (Weisberg et al. 1997). The STAC review panel consisted of a subset of the original CFD panel (Mary Christman, Frank Curriero, and Elgin Perry), added Paul Jacobson and was coordinated by Doug Lipton from STAC.
The STAC panel met in Annapolis, MD, on August 17, 2009. Rich Batiuk and Jeni Keisman from the Chesapeake Bay Program presented technical materials and responded to queries from the review panel. The panel was provided in advance a briefing document (Application of Reference Curves for Dissolved Oxygen Criteria Assessment: Chesapeake Bay Program Office Review and Recommendations Briefing Document June 4, 2009). Additional documents provided included a technical memorandum from the Virginia and Maryland Associations of Municipal Wastewater Agencies (V/MAMWA) prepared by Clifton Bell of Malcolm Pirnie Inc dated June 18, 2009, and the Chesapeake Bay Program response to that memo dated July 13, 2009.