Legislative Notice

Dear Senator Dingfelder and Representative Bailey:

Attached is an Invitation to Comment fact sheet pursuant to ORS 183.335(15), requiring notice of a proposed Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) rulemaking.

DEQ proposes to make corrections and clarifications to its water quality standard rules for toxics. DEQ is conducting this rulemaking in response to EPA’s Jan. 31, 2013 disapproval of a number of toxics criteria that Oregon adopted in 2004 to protect aquatic life. DEQ also proposes to consolidate the effective aquatic life toxics criteria that are currently contained in three tables into one table, and to correct typographical errors associated with the Human Health Toxics Rulemaking adopted in 2011. Parties affected by this proposal generally include industrial and municipal dischargers that have toxics monitoring requirements and discharge to waters of the State.

DEQ expects to recommend these amendments to the Environmental Quality Commission at its Dec. 11-12, 2013 meeting. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) must then approve the adopted rules before they become effective for Clean Water Act programs. Following EPA approval, the amendments become effective on April 18, 2014. If you have questions or need additional information, please contact me.

Sincerely,

Andrea Matzke, MPH

OR DEQ | Water Quality Standards & Assessment | 503-229-5384