EPA Seeks Public Comment on Proposed Changes to List of Impaired Waters for Missouri

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Region 7

901 N. Fifth St., Kansas City, KS 66101

Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska, and Nine Tribal Nations

EPA Seeks Public Comment on Proposed Changes to List of Impaired Waters for Missouri

Contact Information: Kris Lancaster, (913) 551-7557, lancaster.kris@epa.gov

Environmental News

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

(Kansas City, Kan., July 12, 2012) - EPA has released its proposed decision on Missouri’s 2012 list of impaired waters. EPA is approving Missouri’s listing of 253 waters as impaired, and the removal from the list of 66 water bodies. The Agency is requesting public comment on its proposed decision to restore a total of 10 water bodies and corresponding pollutants to Missouri’s 2012 impaired waters list.

“We look forward to receiving feedback on the proposed modifications to Missouri’s Impaired Waters List,” said Karl Brooks, regional administrator. “Transparency and public involvement are important components of this process and we need to hear from those that are affected by our decisions."

The Missouri Department of Natural Resources submitted its 2012 impaired waters list to EPA for review and approval. The Clean Water Act and federal regulations require EPA to review the state’s list to determine if the state reasonably considered existing and readily available water quality-related data and information, and reasonably identified waters to be listed.

EPA is proposing to restore several water bodies that were excluded from listing or removed from Missouri’s list. These proposed additions to the list include waters found to be impaired by sediment, bacteria, ammonia and other pollutants.

The 60-day public comment period on EPA’s proposed decision begins today. The comment period ends September 12, 2012.

EPA’s decision letter is available at www.epa.gov/region7/newsevents/legal. A link to the public notice, which describes how to submit comments, is available on the EPA Region 7 website at www.epa.gov/region7/public_notices. Additional supporting documentation is available upon request by contacting Carol Taylor-Curth, Water Quality Management Branch, EPA Region 7, 901 N. 5th Street, Kansas City, Kan., 66101, taylor-curth.carol@epa.gov, (913) 551-7638 or (800) 223-0425.

EPA will consider written public comments in reaching its final decision on the additional water bodies identified for inclusion on Missouri’s final 2012 impaired waters list.

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News Release from EPA - NJ Impaired Waters

EPA Approves New Jersey’s List of Polluted Water Bodies

Sewage Pollution Continues to be a Major Problem in New Jersey

Contact: John Martin (212) 637- 3662 martin.johnj@epa.gov

(New York, N.Y. – February 28, 2012) The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has approved the 2010 list of waters in New Jersey that are considered either impaired or threatened by pollutants. An impaired water body is one that does not meet federal water quality standards even after pollution controls have been put in place. A threatened water body is one that is expected to be impaired within two years. The list helps establish priorities for addressing threats from water pollution.

“Identifying and prioritizing the state’s most seriously polluted waters are important steps in our work to reduce water pollution,” said Judith Enck, EPA Regional Administrator. "New Jersey faces serious water quality challenges including the need to reduce pollution from combined sewer systems that allow raw sewage to flow into waterways when it rains. By upgrading old infrastructure and implementing green infrastructure strategies, New Jersey communities can improve water quality.”

The Clean Water Act requires states to assess the quality of their waters and to report their findings to the EPA every two years. The list is compiled by the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection and is a valuable tool for reaching the Clean Water Act goal of “fishable and swimmable” waters for all of New Jersey.

The list specifically includes impaired waters for which the development of budgets for the amount of water pollution allowed is necessary. The budgets define the maximum amount of a pollutant that a water body can receive and still meet water quality standards. They are developed by states and approved by the EPA once the agency determines that the budget will allow the water body to achieve water quality standards.

The most common pollutants causing impairment in New Jersey water bodies include PCBs (8.33%), dissolved oxygen (8.19%), phosphorus (7.86%), pH (7.62%), and arsenic (6.89%). New Jersey’s 2010 list identifies 2,112 instances in which a pollutant is causing an impairment of a water body that keeps it from supporting its “designated use” for drinking water, swimming and recreation, fishing or other activities specified by the state.

The list also notes the most common sources of water pollutants, which include urban/stormwater runoff, combined sewer overflows from systems that capture both domestic sewage and stormwater, and air pollution, including acid rain. A pollutant may come from more than one source.

In 2010, new pollutants were included for waters in the basins of the Hudson River, the Passaic River, the Raritan River, the Delaware Bay, and others. The EPA will continue to work with state and local governments to ensure that impaired waters are cleaned up.

A complete list of impaired waters in New Jersey is available at: http://www.epa.gov/region02/water/waterbodies

Follow the EPA Region 2 on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/eparegion2 and visit our Facebook page, http://www.facebook.com/eparegion2

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