Comments will be taken for 60 days
The Kentucky Division of Water (DOW) has opened a 60-day comment period on the draft 2014 list of impaired waters, as required by the Water Pollution Control Act of 1972.
The 2014 impaired waters list is based primarily on results from monitoring performed between April 2010 and March 2012 in the Green River and Tradewater River basin management units (BMUs). Monitoring and assessment was performed on 384 stream segments, representing 2,185 stream miles in the Green River BMU and 75 stream segments, totaling 346 stream miles in the Tradewater River BMU. Publicly accessible reservoirs (lakes) were monitored and assessed from those two BMUs of focus. The report also incorporates assessment data and results from monitoring that occurred during this reporting cycle outside of the BMUs of focus, thus providing a statewide update of monitoring results.
Section 305(b) of the Act requires each state to monitor, assess and report on the quality of water resources relative to designated uses established in accordance with Kentucky’s water quality standards. Kentucky law requires the Energy and Environment Cabinet (EEC) to provide a summary of assessed water bodies and segments that are listed on the 303(d) table and require a Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL), which is a daily maximum allowance for each identified pollutant. Also included are waters that are proposed for removal from the 303(d) list for either cause or use. The provision also includes a post review and comment period of 30 days prior to the EEC’s submission to the U.S. EPA for review and approval as required by the Clean Water Act.
Section 303(d) of the Act requires a state to identify those waters that do not or are not expected to meet state water quality standards. It also requires a state to develop a priority ranking for these waters, taking into account the severity of the pollution and the designated uses of the water (i.e., fishing, swimming and/or water supply).
For each body of water included in the list, the state must develop a TMDL that will allow the stream to meet water quality standards. The 303(d) list is available for public comment and may be viewed on the DOW website at http://water.ky.gov/Pages/PublicNotices.aspx.
Links to the summaries of new listings can be found in the Draft 2014 New Listings tab in the Draft 2014 303(d) list Excel file, as well as on the Kentucky Water Health Portal http://watermaps.ky.gov/WaterHealthPortal/.
Comments on the draft list may be sent to alicia.jacobs@ky.gov or mailed to Alicia Jacobs, Division of Water, 200 Fair Oaks Lane, Frankfort, KY 40601. Comments received by email or mail must be dated or postmarked no later than July 13, 2015. For further information, please contact Jacobs at 502-564-3410.
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