Ohio EPA Sets Water Quality Standards Meeting
The agency's proposed changes in its water rules include clarifying exceptions from water quality standards that apply to pesticide application, construction activities, and dredging. Changes will be discussed at the Aug. 23 meeting in Columbus.
The Ohio Environmental Protection Agency will hold a public hearing Aug. 23 to take comments on proposed water quality standards that include criteria covering pesticides, dredged material, and E. coli. The hearing is scheduled to begin at 10:30 a.m. in the Ohio EPA Conference Center in Columbus, and the agency will accept comments on the proposed rules.
As part of its five-year rule review requirements, Ohio EPA has reviewed the purpose and criteria applicable to all water rules and is proposing these changes:
- adding criteria to cover harbor or navigation maintenance requirements to support a law banning open lake disposal of dredged material by 2020
- clarifying exceptions from water quality standards that apply to pesticide application, construction activities, and dredging
- making the E. coli count associated with a public health nuisance consistent with the value used for Ohio's water quality standards for secondary contact recreation
The proposed rules address the reasons water quality standards are needed in Ohio, what those standards should be, and how they are applied. For more information about the water quality standards and water quality certification rules, visit this page. Written comments should be mailed to Rules Coordinator, Ohio EPA Division of Surface Water, P.O. Box 1049, Columbus, OH 43216-1049 or emailed to dsw_rulecomments@epa.ohio.gov. The comment period ends at 5 p.m. on Aug. 23.