Formal WA State Draft Water Quality Standards Rule available for public review: Human Health Criteria & Implementation Tools

The Washington State Department of Ecology proposes to adopt amendments to Water Quality Standards for Surface Waters of the State of Washington – Chapter 173-201A WAC.  This rule making addresses two specific areas of the water quality standards:  (1) Development and adoption of new human health criteria, and (2) Revision and expansion of some of the tools in the standards that help in implementation.  Ecology has published the rule proposal on its website on January 12, 2015.  The public comment period on the draft rule and the Draft Environmental Impact Statement for the rule is open through midnight March 23, 2015
 
Information on the rule making, including documents, details about public hearings and webinar opportunities, and other related information, can be found on Ecology’s website at:
 
You can learn more about the proposed standards and provide comments at the following public hearings.
 
                        2426 N. Discovery Pl., Spokane Valley 99216
                        6 p.m. open house; 6:30 p.m. presentation with Q&A session, followed by public hearing. This is an in-person-only public event.
March 4          Yakima Convention Center
                        10 N. 8th St., Yakima 98901
                        6 p.m. open house; 6:30 p.m. presentation with Q&A session, followed by public hearing.  This is an in-person-only public event.
 
March 12        Ecology Headquarters Building
                        300 Desmond Drive, Lacey 98503   
                        Two sessions – you may attend either session in person or online by webinar.
 
                        Session 1:  1:30 p.m. open house; 2 p.m. presentation (webinar begins) with Q&A session, followed by public hearing.
                       
                        Session 2:  6:30 p.m. open house; 7 p.m. presentation (webinar begins) with Q&A session, followed by public hearing.
 
You may provide comments at a public hearing or you may provide them in writing through one of the following methods:
 
·       By Email: swqs@ecy.wa.gov
·       By Fax:  360-407-6426
·       By Mail:
Cheryl Niemi
Washington State Department of Ecology
Water Quality Program
P.O. Box 47600, Olympia, WA  98504-7600.
 
For more information, contact Cheryl Niemi at (360) 407-6440 or by email at swqs@ecy.wa.gov.
 
The proposed changes to the water quality standards are tied to toxics-reduction legislation Gov. Inslee is proposing to address toxics that enter the environment from unregulated, everyday sources, such as consumer products. Find out more by going to this website: http://www.ecy.wa.gov/water/standards/index.html

State Literature Review: Toxics Atmospheric Deposition in Eastern Washington

At the request of Ecology’s Eastern Regional Office Water Quality Program, a literature review was conducted to determine possible contributions of air deposition to the loading of toxic chemicals to urban stormwater and wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) in Eastern Washington. This includes model ranges of percent loading contribution of PCBs to the City of Spokane stormwater.

Toxics Atmospheric Deposition in Eastern Washington: State Literature Review