From: mining@teleport.com

Sent: Mon Mar 21 15:54:02 2011

To: ToxicsRuleMaking

Subject: ODEQ Ptroposed TMDLs

Importance: Normal

I am writing to express my deep concern and informed opposition to ODEQs proposed rule making with regard to changes to Oregon Water Quality Standards, which are already among the most stringent in the nation. The proposed changes will affect farmers, ranchers, forestry, mining and put extreme economic hardship on Oregon business (personally my husbands small business). I am a voting and taxpaying citizen of Salem, the State of Oregon and the United States of America. I am also a devoted lover of the magnificent natural resources of the State of Oregon. I enjoy fully the high quality of Oregon's waterways for hydration, personal cleanliness and recreation.

I am baffled and deeply disturbed by what appears to be nothing less than a direct attack, by ODEQ and the national EPA, on citizens who enjoy and utilize Oregon's streams for recreation, fishing, farming and small scale mining. It seems that ODEQ is dead set on excluding the owners of public lands, we the people, from such stated enjoyment by whatever scheme of rule making or backdoor legislation that will work.

A prime focus of ODEQ has been directed toward recreational in-stream mining using imagination, innuendo, lobbying by third party extremist and "science" that wouldn't fly in a high school chemistry class to justify their strong arm tactics. The behavior of the ODEQ is shameful, abusive, totally unwarranted and constitutes bureaucratic bullying of those citizens, so afflicted by this constant harassment. The obvious goal of ODEQ is, by overt restrictions and threat of financial ruin, to exclude Oregon citizens from participating in a recreational endeavor that causes no identifiable degradation to the water quality and in fact removes from the watershed heavy metals including mercury and lead!

I speak for myself and all those I know who are involved in small scale placer mining in Oregon waterways. There are no greater lovers of our natural resources or any who want to protect our water quality more than we do. We pick up the cans and trash we encounter and remove the discarded fishing line and hooks left by others. We are good stewards of Oregon lands and streams yet come under constant persecution by some who can't stand the thought of humans "interfering with nature".

The proposed rule making, along with the ridicules inclusion of recreational in-stream placer mining under NPDES permitting criteria, will cause serious financial harm to some and to the thousands of Oregon citizens, who enjoy these activities, a total denial of rights to access and utilization of recreational resources otherwise available, defend able and appropriate under CWA and Best Practices. Our in-stream activities do not introduce or create any point source or non-point source toxic pollutants into the waterway and we challenge ODEQ and EPA to prove that it does. Do any of you get out from behind the desk and actually know how to mine?

We, the Oregon practitioners of in-stream recreational small scale mining, offer our assistance and stand ready to participate in any discovery program that uses respected scientific protocols and controls to determine the exact nature of environmental impact in-stream activities might have on fish and water quality, whereas no such data exists to date. Then, we will be happy to work on mitigating whatever, if any, problems are identified. ODEQ and the citizens of the State of Oregon will be better served if we all work together, in a pardner ship, towards a common goal. Discrimination, exclusion and abusive restrictions acted out towards one group of citizens, based on speculation and outside pressure, is unethical and constitutes an infringement of the Civil Rights of those citizens so afflicted and acted upon, when caused by the very agencies ordained to protect those very rights.

Thank you,

Joan Frick 1307 Talbot Rd SE Jefferson, OR 97352 mining@teleport.com