ADEQ Triennial Review and State Rulemaking Draft Preamble for Public Comment | Request for Comments by October 13, 2023

 

ADEQ Triennial Review and State Rulemaking Draft Preamble for Public Comment Request for Comments by October 13, 2023 The federal Clean Water Act requires that, at least every three years, each state must review and, if necessary, update its water quality standards for surface waters.  This process is called a Triennial Review (TR).  The TR process helps to ensure that water quality standards are up-to-date and protective of Arizona’s surface waters.  It also provides opportunities for public input and involvement in the water quality management process.  On July 28, 2023, ADEQ published a TR Notice of Docket Opening in the Arizona Administrative Register  | View Notice of Docket Opening > As noted in a virtual public meeting on August 23, 2023, we are combining the Clean Water Act requirements of the TR with a state rulemaking to adopt revisions for criteria applied to human health-related standards and technical corrections to waterbody descriptions.  A link to the draft preamble to a Notice of Public Rulemaking (NPRM) is provided below.  Included in this draft preamble is the data and information we used to review criteria and make recommendations for revisions.  Please carefully review the draft preamble and provide input by October 13, 2023. View/download draft preamble > Provide input by email to waterqualitystandards@azdeq.gov > View/download Aug. 23, 2023 public meeting presentation  > We are always open to engagement to address questions and concerns. Please contact Jonathan Quinsey, ADEQ legal specialist, with additional requests for information related to the draft preamble | Email > For questions specific to an active permit, please contact the ADEQ Surface Water Protection permits unit | Email > Please note that there is another request for TR input by the Colorado River Basin Salinity Control Forum (the Forum) for the water quality criteria benchmarks for salinity in the Colorado River. As a member of the Forum, ADEQ adopts the recommended criteria through rulemaking.  The Forum’s recommendation is to maintain the current standard, which is already in Arizona rules. No change is being proposed for this standard in Arizona rules at this time. Currently, the Colorado River is meeting the criteria. The report is also attached to this email.  The Forum is accepting comments through September 15, 2023.  Send your comments to Don Barnett, the Forum Executive Director | Email>  Please cc waterqualitystandards@azdeq.gov on any comments submitted to the Forum to ensure ADEQ can include them in the state Triennial Review.  About ADEQ Under the Environmental Quality Act of 1986, the Arizona State Legislature established the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality in 1987 as the state agency for protecting and enhancing public health and the environment of Arizona. For more information, visit azdeq.gov.

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