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- Hot Topics!:
IRON &
MANGANESE IN DRINKING WATER
To
better understand the effects of iron and manganese in our drinking water
please refer to this Government Report.
NUTRIENT
RULEMAKING
NUTRIENTS
REGULATION UPDATE JULY 2012
There has been a significant amount of action in
regards to the Nutrient Rulemaking issue. A Nutrients Regulation Update
is available to access the most current information/updates regarding the
Nutrient Rulemaking issue. Despite
strong objections raised by Lower Fountain (they submitted a Pre Hearing Statement
regarding the Nutrients Regulations 31 and 85) and several wastewater
service entities about the need for regulations, the Colorado Water Quality
Control Commission adopted final regulations at its June 11, 2012
meeting. The regulations adopted
include an amendment to Regulation
31 (adding new Section 31.17 establishing strict “interim values” for
nutrients) and a new Regulation 85
(addressing, e.g., numeric limits for nutrients that apply beginning July
1, 2013 and including a monitoring requirement). Please take the time to access all this
information and keep informed about this important issue. A letter was sent to Congressman
Mike Coffman from the United States Environmental Protection Agency
Region 8 Re: Congressman Coffman’s Letter of Proposal of the adoption of
nutrient regulations by the Colorado Department of Public Health and
Environment. The letter includes
answers to Congressmen Coffman’s questions regarding nutrient regulations.
COLORADO WATER
QUALITY CONTROL DIVISION (WQCD)
The Colorado Water Quality Control Division
(WQCD) is developing state water quality standards for lakes, reservoirs,
rivers and streams for total phosphorus and total nitrogen. EPA is strongly pushing all states to
adopt soon very stringent numeric nutrient standards. This is despite the States’ difficulties
in finding strong scientific basis for setting these standards. While nutrients problems cannot be
ignored, state standards should be what are precisely necessary, without
wasting local financial or energy resources. The anticipated costs of treatment are in
the billions. These costs affect all
wastewater dischargers, storm water dischargers, farmers, cattlemen, water
diverters and managers. For more information about NUTRIENT RULEMAKING and THE NUTRIENT COALITION please
access these links. For more
information regarding THE POTENTIAL COST OF
NUTRIENTS REGULATION please
access this link. Because of the potentially extreme economic consequences
the proposed regulation could have on this community the District Board
encourages you to take an active interest in supporting reasonable nutrient
standards and become better informed on this important issue.
The United State Environmental Protection Agency
distributed a memorandum regarding “Working in Partnership with States to
Address Phosphorus and Nitrogen Pollution through Use of a Framework for
State Nutrient Reductions. This
Memorandum was sent to the Regional Administrators, Region 1-10, the State
Water Programs Directors, the Great Water Body Programs Directors, the
Directors of the Authorized Tribal Water Quality Standard Programs and the
Interstate Water Pollution Control Administrators. The Memorandum
was written by Nancy K. Stone, Acting Assistant Administrator of the United
States Environmental Protection Agency.
A Letter
was sent by the Colorado Nutrient Coalition to Mr. Steven Gunderson,
Executive Director, of the Water Quality Control Division requesting a
Meeting to Discuss Key Colorado Nutrient Coalition Concerns. The Colorado Nutrient Coalition is
working diligently on this nutrient issue and is supporting reasonable
nutrient standards. Mr. Steven Gunderson replied to Colorado Senator
Brandon Shaffer and Speaker of the Colorado House Fran McNulty regarding Passage
of House Joint Resolution on Cost-effective Nutrient Regulations (HJR-1025). A Letter
was sent by the United States Environmental Protection Agency (Nancy K.
Stoner, Acting Assistant Administrator) to Herschel T. Vinyard, Secretary,
of the Florida Department of Environmental Protection, addressing Florida’s
stance on the proposed nutrients standards.
The U.S. House of Representatives Committee on
Transportation and Infrastructure had a Hearing
on “Running Roughshod Over States and Stakeholders: EPA’s Nutrients
Policies”. This Hearing took
place on June 24, 2011. H.R. 2018 was submitted
“To Amend the Federal Water Pollution Control Act to preserve the authority
of each State to make determinations relating to the State’s water quality
standards, and for other purposes”.
On March 12, 2012, there will be a Public Rulemaking
Hearing before the Colorado Water Quality Control Commission. The Hearing will take place at the
Florence Sabin Conference Room, Department of Public Health and Environment/4300
Cherry Creek Drive South in Denver, Colorado 80246. Public participation is encouraged.
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