Speak out for strong water quality standards!

Last Friday U.S. EPA announced that they will initiate a rulemaking on targeted changes to the national water quality standards regulations, with a draft rule planned for summer 2011. As part of launching this effort, EPA announced two “listening sessions” on August 24 and 26. Watershed leaders should consider attending. Western watershed leaders should particularly consider speaking out. Our priorities in terms of uses to protect and appropriate water quality criteria can be quite different from those of eastern advocates.

Why should you care? The federal water quality standards regulation sets the stage for water quality standards development and implementation in your state and watershed. Water quality standards are critical to protecting and restoring your watershed – standards drive everything from pollution discharge limits to restoration goals for Total Maximum Daily Loads.

Still not sure if you care about water quality standards? Learn more about standards in Lesson 1 of our online Clean Water Act course.

Issues the U.S. EPA is considering addressing in their rulemaking include:

• Antidegradation implementation methods
• Administrator’s “determination” of when a revised or new standard is needed
• Designated uses
• Variances
• Triennial reviews (particularly regarding public comments and input, among other things)
• A list of issues related to recent court decisions

The upcoming listening sessions are your chance to learn more about what EPA is planning and to speak directly to EPA about how these issues could help or harm your favorite river. There will be public comment opportunities when the draft rule is released but -- as is true with so much in life -- it is important to get involved early.

These are call-in sessions so no travel is required…just your time and patience on the phone. Pre-registration is NOT required, but will help EPA plan for enough phone lines. You can pre-register at the second link below.

• To learn more visit: http://www.epa.gov/waterscience/standards/rules/wqs/

• To learn how to call in for a listening session and/or to submit written comments (and to pre-register) visit: http://www.epa.gov/waterscience/standards/rules/wqs/listening.html

• Can’t make it to either session? Written comments are also being accepted at http://www.epa.gov/waterscience/standards/rules/wqs/listening.html#written