--- > 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. > > > > > > ==^================================================================ > This email was sent to: [log in to unmask] > > EASY UNSUBSCRIBE click here: > http://topica.com/u/?a2iVGD.a2TyNd.Y3dpbnRl > Or send an email to: > [log in to unmask] > > TOPICA - Start your own email discussion group. > FREE! > http://www.topica.com/partner/tag02/create/index2.html > ==^================================================================ > > > __________________________________ Do you Yahoo!? SBC Yahoo! DSL - Now only $29.95 per month! http://sbc.yahoo.com - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - To get off the IOWA-TOPICS list, send any message to: [log in to unmask]