Timeline for Water Quality Standards Rule

Timeline for Water Quality Standards Rule

Timeline for Water Quality Standards Rule

I'm Lacy Gray with Washington Ag Today.

From 1:30 to 3:00 pm today the state Department of Ecology will be holding a public meeting at Ecology headquarters in Lacey to discuss the next steps in updating the state's water quality standards for toxics. The proposed updates have been developed in part based on fish consumption rates in the state. Earlier this month Governor Inslee announced proposed updates to the state's water quality standards to be more protective of those who consume 175 grams of fish per day. During a recent media conference Ecology Special Assistant Kelly Susewind discussed the timeframe under which new rules will be announced and developed.

SUSEWIND: The official draft rule that will begin the formal administrative procedures act process will be in early 2015. That's the one that actually triggers the clock that we have 180 days between that draft rule and a limit of time that we can issue a final rule. The Governor was very clear that he wants that time period to run over legislative session, but he also doesn't want people to have to wait until early 2015 to see specifics. So we are going to issue what we are calling a preliminary draft by the end of September that will include the rule, the rule language, the economic analysis, the small business impact analysis, and a draft scoping for an environmental impact statement. So basically, all the components of the rules will be there in a preliminary stage so that people can see the detail and not have to wonder what it looks like, but it won't be the official draft until early 2015.

We will have more on the what's being proposed for updating the state's water quality standards tomorrow. For further information visit Ecology's website at www.ecy.wa.gov.

That's Washington Ag Today.

I'm Lacy Gray on the Ag Information Network.

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