Water Quality Standards Workshops

Department of Ecology News Release -  Jan. 3, 2001
Communities to talk about proposed changes to protect water quality
OLYMPIA - Anyone who is interested in the quality of water in Washington's
lakes, rivers and marine waters is invited to participate in workshops this
month to review and comment on draft proposals for changing some of the
state's water quality standards.
The state Department of Ecology (Ecology) has spent nearly a decade working
with people around the state to identify potential changes to the standards,
many of which have not been changed since about 1980.
The water quality standards place limits on how much pollution is allowed in
a waterway, and they are based on the federal Clean Water Act and
regulations from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
According to Megan White, who manages Ecology's water-quality program, the
goal is to do a better job of protecting streams, lakes and marine waters
from pollution, high temperatures and overall degradation or harm.
"We have some significant changes proposed, and we want to hear further from
citizens about how to improve the health of our state's waters," said White.
Three of the most significant proposals include changes to the state's
criteria for temperature, dissolved oxygen and bacteria; revising the
classification system for waterways so that it is better aligned with the
actual uses in a particular lake or stream; and establishing procedures for
determining when degradation or harm would be allowed or prohibited to
waterways determined to be of high quality.
The workshops this month provide an opportunity for the public to give
additional guidance that will be used to further refine the proposed
regulations. The workshops are scheduled for 6:30-8:30 p.m.
MT. VERNON Monday, Jan. 8, at the Skagit Co. PUD, 1415 Freeway Dr.
BELLEVUE Tuesday, Jan. 9, at Ecology's Northwest Regional Office, 3190 160th
Ave. S.E.
LONGVIEW Thursday, Jan. 11, at Cowlitz Co. PUD, 961 12th Ave.
WENATCHEE Tuesday, Jan. 16, at the Public Library Auditorium, 310 Douglass
St.
KENNEWICK Wednesday, Jan. 17, in the Benton Co. PUD Auditorium, 2721 W.
10th.
SPOKANE Thursday, Jan. 18, at Spokane Falls Community College, Student Union
Bldg. No. 17, 3410 W. Fort George Wright Dr.
PORT ANGELES Monday, Jan. 22, at the Vern Burton Center, 308 E. 4th.
In recent years, scientists have learned more about identifying what is
needed to make a river or lake healthy for fish and other aquatic life. In
addition, technology has advanced about how to measure both the health and
harm in those waterways.
White said the standards are important, because Ecology makes decisions
about issuing wastewater discharge permits to industries and local
wastewater-treatment plants, taking enforcement actions and doing water
cleanup work based on whether a particular lake, river or stream is meeting
the water quality standards.
Drafts of the proposal will be available at the workshops, on the Internet
at www.ecy.wa.gov/programs/wq/swqa/index.html
  or by contacting Ann
Kahler, (360) 407-6404. Written comments may be submitted by Feb. 16 to Mark
Hicks, Dept. of Ecology, P.O. Box 47600, Olympia, Wash., 98504-7600, or
e-mailed to him at   mhic461@ecy.wa.gov.
The department will review all comments and expects to issue a formal
proposal for new standards sometime this spring.

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