Source: NCDEQ, 5/17/21
The Department of Environmental
Quality’s (DEQ) Division of Water Resources will conduct an online public
hearing July 20, 2021, on proposed revisions to the 15A NCAC 02B .0200 and
.0300 Surface Water Quality Standards and Classifications. Written public comments
are being accepted through August 3, 2021. Federal and State laws require the Environmental Management
Commission (EMC) to review North Carolina surface water quality standards every
three years and include a review of existing water quality standards, EPA
National Recommended Water Quality Criteria, and other scientific information
and, if necessary, proposed revisions to the standards based on new or updated
ecological, health and toxicological information. What: N.C. Surface Water Standards
Public Hearing When: 6 p.m., Tuesday, July 20,
2021 (attendees and participants may join starting at 5:45 p.m.) Where: To help prevent the spread of
COVID-19, the public hearing will be held remotely. To Join: WebEx link Event Number: 185-803-7435 WebEx Password: ncdwr Join by Phone: +1-415-655-0003 Access Code: 185-803-7435 Please register to
join and indicate whether you wish to speak during the hearing. The federal Clean Water Act (CWA) requires that states adopt Surface
Water Quality Standards to protect surface waters from the deleterious
effects of pollution. Surface waters are protected based on their established "uses".
Each surface water in the state receives a water body classification that
defines the uses that apply and the WQS established to protect those uses.
These uses include the protection of aquatic life, protections for recreation
in and on the water, the protection of water supplies, and protections for
human consumption of fish tissue. The proposed changes and revisions include updates to standards
for cadmium, cyanide, Selenium, 1,4-Dioxane and other technical corrections.
The proposed changes and revisions are available here. Comments are also being accepted on water quality standard
variances, the fiscal note prepared for this proposal, and other water quality
standard topics not addressed by this action such as adoption of recreational E.
coli standards statewide and adoption of other published EPA National Recommended Water Quality Criteria. For additional information on these proposed changes, please visit the Division of Water Resources’ Water Planning webpage. All comments must be received by August 3, 2021 to be considered
in the review of the proposed changes. Written comments may be submitted by
email to 15ANCAC02B_SWTriRev_Comments_2021@ncdenr.gov or
by mail to: Christopher Ventaloro NC DEQ-DWR Planning Section 1611 Mail Service Center Raleigh, NC 27699-1611 After considering all of the comments received, a Hearing Officer’s recommendation will be presented to the EMC, tentatively scheduled for the EMC’s regularly scheduled meeting in November 2021. If approved by the EMC in November, the proposed effective date for these amendments is January 1, 2022.
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