Gov Delivery Message

The Oregon Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) has initiated rulemaking 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. Some of the criteria were disapproved due to errors or lack of clarity, while others were disapproved based on more substantive issues. The objective of this rulemaking is to revise criteria where the remedies are straightforward (e.g. correction of 11 pesticides and selenium criteria). DEQ also proposes to consolidate the effective aquatic life toxics criteria that are currently contained in three tables into one table. In addition, this rulemaking intends to correct typographical errors associated with the Human Health Toxics Rulemaking adopted in 2011.

DEQ anticipates that the proposed rule amendments will be published for public comment in September 2013 and will be proposed for Environmental Quality Commission adoption in December 2013. EPA must then approve the adopted rules before they become effective for Clean Water Act programs.

For more details on the proposed revisions, including meeting materials from the Advisory Committee meetings, please see DEQ's Corrections and Clarifications to Toxics Water Quality Standards Rulemaking 2013 webpage. You may also contact Andrea Matzke at 503-229-5384 or by email.