From: Katja and Marshall Kohler Gause

Sent: Mon Mar 21 18:52:27 2011

To: ToxicsRuleMaking

Subject: Clean Water Standards

Importance: Normal

To: the State of Oregon Department of Environmental Quality

Concerning: Rule making for Toxics in our Water

I am writing to implore the Oregon DEQ to maintain stringent clean water standards that prevent pesticides from entering our rivers, streams and lakes. Storm water discharge from cities should not be exempt from pesticide discharge standards and a greater number of dangerous pesticides and herbicides need to be prevented from entering our water – especially current-use ones and those that are aerial sprayed by the lumber industry like glyphosate, atrazine, 2,4-D, Triclopyr.

Pesticides that enter our waterways contaminate our fish, threatening our food supply – one of our greatest natural resources. In Oregon we are blessed with an abundance of wonderful fish that we are fortunate enough to eat fresh from the source. We are the envy of much of the rest of the nation in this regard and we eat a lot of this wonderful food resource. Toxic standards need to be based on this reality and set at 175 grams of fish consumed per day. You must maintain accurate and strict water quality standards to protect the public health and the long-term viability of Oregon and the Northwest's cherished Eco-system.

There is no benefit we can derive from the use of toxic pesticides that is more important than our water supply, our food supply, and our health. We can not be lax in our standards; we cannot have a Background Pollutant Concentration Allowance for toxics in our water supply. I implore you to maintain standards consistent with or, better yet, far above those of the Clean Water Act. Oregon should model the highest standard in protecting our water and natural environment, not cut corners at the expense of our most valuable resources.

Sincerely,

Marshall Gause

2520 Van Buren

Eugene, OR

97405