---
> From: Susan Heathcote <[log in to unmask]>
> Subject: Fw: EPA UPDATE: Decision on Iowa's 2002
> Section 303(d) List
> Date: Tue, 15 Jul 2003 09:03:40 -0500
>
> EPA Region 7 has finally completed their review of
> Iowa's 303(d) list and
> issued their response.  In general, EPA is proposing
> to add back 20 lakes
> that were proposed for delisting.  We consider this
> a partial success since
> the Council had identified 34 waterbodies that we
> thought should definitely
> not be delisted because of evidence of impairment
> and 49 waterbodies that
> should remain on the list pending further
> verification of
> impairment/non-impairment status.  The Council also
> identified 40 additional
> lakes with evidence of nutrient impairment and 24
> water bodies with other
> impairments (bacteria, nitrate, or atrazine) that we
> believed should have
> been considered for inclusion on the Iowa list.
>
> Additional information should be available on the
> EPA website by tomorrow
> and EPA plans to hold a 30 day comment period to
> close on August 18.  If you
> have any questions, let me know.  Stay tuned for
> further updates.
>
> Susan Heathcote
> Research Director
> Iowa Environmental Council
> 711 East Locust Street
> Des Moines Iowa,  50309
> 515/244-1194 (phone)
> 515/244-7856 (fax)
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: <[log in to unmask]>
> Sent: Monday, July 14, 2003 6:22 PM
> Subject: EPA UPDATE: Decision on Iowa's 2002 Section
> 303(d) List
>
>
> > U.S. ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
> > REGION 7
> > 901 N. 5th STREET
> > KANSAS CITY, KANSAS 66101
> >
> > Dear Interested Citizen:
> >
> > The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has
> announced its
> > decision identifying additional water
> quality-limited (i.e., impaired)
> > water body segments and associated pollutants in
> Iowa to be listed
> > pursuant to Section 303(d)(2) of the Clean Water
> Act.
> >
> > Because of your interest in this issue, we have
> attached the text of a
> > general Fact Sheet below, which includes
> background information and a
> > summary of EPA's decision on Iowa's 2002 Section
> 303(d) List.
> >
> > EPA is providing the public the opportunity to
> review its decision.
> > Please see the "Next Steps" section of the Fact
> Sheet below for more
> > details about the public comment period, as well
> as the related EPA Web
> > site.
> >
> > If you have any questions about our decision or
> the public comment
> > period, please see the contact information under
> "Next Steps."
> >
> > Working together we can keep our waters clean.
> >
> > Sincerely,
> >
> > Leo J. Alderman
> > Director
> > Water, Wetlands, and Pesticides Division
> >
> >
> > EPA REGION 7 FACT SHEET
> >
> > EPA's DECISION ON IOWA's 2002 SECTION 303(d) LIST
> > Impaired Waters
> > July 2003
> >
> > Section 303(d) of the Clean Water Act:
> >
> > Under Section 303(d) of the 1972 Clean Water Act
> (CWA), states,
> > territories, and authorized tribes are required to
> develop lists of
> > impaired waters every two years, for which
> existing technology-based
> > pollution controls are not stringent enough to
> attain or maintain state
> > water quality standards.
> >
> > The law requires that these jurisdictions
> establish priority rankings
> > for waters on the lists and develop total maximum
> daily loads (TMDLs)
> > for these waters.  A TMDL specifies the maximum
> amount of a pollutant
> > that a water body can receive and still meet water
> quality standards,
> > and allocates pollutant loadings among point and
> nonpoint pollutant
> > sources.
> >
> > By law, EPA must approve or disapprove 303(d)
> lists and TMDLs
> > established by states, territories, and authorized
> tribes.  If a
> > submission from a state, territory, or authorized
> tribe is inadequate,
> > EPA must establish the list or the TMDLs.  EPA
> issued regulations (i.e.,
> > TMDL provisions) in 1985 and 1992 that implement
> Section 303(d) of the
> > Clean Water Act.
> >
> > Background on Iowa's 2002 Section 303(d) List:
> >
> > Iowa submitted its 2002 Section 303(d) List to EPA
> on December 19, 2002.
> > EPA has determined that Iowa's list of impaired
> water bodies still
> > requiring TMDLs partially meets the requirements
> of Section 303(d) of
> > the CWA.
> >
> > In turn, EPA is partially approving and partially
> disapproving Iowa's
> > 2002 Section 303(d) List.  EPA's decision document
> and supporting
> > documentation was provided to the state on July
> 11, 2003.
> >
> > Summary of EPA's Decision:
> >
> > EPA is adding back 20 water bodies and associated
> pollutants of concern
> > to Iowa's 2002 list of impaired waters.
> >
> > Iowa removed 20 lakes from their impaired waters
> list, based on two
> > years of collected data and interim water quality
> threshold values.
> > Those 20 lakes are part of an ongoing lake study.
> >
> > To account for year-to-year variability, EPA
> believes a minimum of three
> > years of data is preferred to accurately assess
> lake water quality.
> >
> > Due to the lack of three years of lake study data,
> Iowa identified
> > relatively high interim threshold values for use
> in determining which
> > lakes to include on their 303(d) list.
> >
> > EPA believes it is appropriate for Iowa to review
> the third year of data
> > and refine the threshold values prior to removing
> those lakes from the
> > 303(d) list.  Consequently, EPA has added those
> lakes back to Iowa's
> > 2002 Section 303(d) List.
> >
> > EPA is also approving Iowa's listing of 136 water
> bodies and delisting
> > of 71 water bodies.
> >
> > Next Steps:
> >
> > EPA is giving the public the opportunity to review
> its decision to add
> > back waters to Iowa's 2002 Section 303(d) List.
> >
> > The list and supporting information (including the
> PDF version of this
> > Fact Sheet) will be available by July 16 on our
> Web site at:
> > www.epa.gov/region07/water/tmdl.htm or can be
> requested by mail or phone
> > from Paul Schwaab, Water Resources Protection
> Branch, EPA Region 7, 901
> > N. 5th Street, Kansas City, KS 66101, (913)
> 551-7581 or toll-free at
> > (800) 223-0425.
> >
> > A public notice will be published July 16, 2003,
> in newspapers serving
> > the following cities and their surrounding areas:
> Sioux City, Council
> > Bluffs, Des Moines, Mason City, Cedar Rapids, and
> Burlington.  The list
> > and supporting information will also be available
> for public review
> > starting July 16 at main libraries in those
> communities.  (See Web site
> > above for addresses and phone numbers of libraries
> serving as
> > Information Repositories.)
> >
> > The public comment period ends August 18, 2003, 30
> days after the date
> > of the public notice (since August 16 falls on a
> weekend).  EPA will
> > consider written public comments in reaching its
> final decision on the
> > additional water bodies and pollutants identified
> for inclusion on
> > Iowa's final list.  Written comments must be
> submitted to Paul Schwaab
> > (at the address above) on or before August 18,
> 2003.
> >
> > For more information, please contact Martin
> Kessler, EPA Region 7, at
> > (913) 551-7003 or toll-free at (800) 223-0425.
> >
> >
>
>
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