NOTICES

Public Meetings/Hearings on Draft Antidegradation Guidance

[31 Pa.B. 2746]

   The Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) is holding a series of three public meetings/hearings on its draft Antidegradation Implementation Guidance. This document describes procedures proposed for use in administering the antidegradation component of Pennsylvania's Water Quality Standards as required under the Federal Clean Water Act. The Guidance was developed by DEP's Bureau of Water Supply and Wastewater Management and is available on the DEP website at www.dep.state.pa.us (directLINK ''Water Quality Assessment and Standards'') or can be obtained by contacting Mary Houghton at DEP Office of Water Management, Bureau of Water Supply and Wastewater Management, Division of Water Quality Assessment and Standards, 10th Floor, Rachel Carson State Office Building, P. O. Box 8555, Harrisburg, PA 17105-8555, (717) 787-9637 or mhoughton@state.pa.us.

   The purpose of the Antidegradation Program is to protect existing and designated uses of all surface waters and to protect existing quality of High Quality (HQ) and Exceptional Value (EV) waters. This implementation guidance provides a general description of the program and its legislative history, an explanation of existing and designated uses and presents discussion on the following topics:

   1)  Processing of petitions, evaluations and assessments to change a designated use;

   2)  Qualifying as HQ or EV waters;

   3)  Protection of HQ and EV waters including nondischarge alternatives, nondegrading discharge alternatives and minimum technology-based standards (antidegradation best available combination of technologies);

   4)  Social or economic justification needed to lower water quality;

   5)  Nonpoint source controls; and

   6)  Public participation during implementation of antidegradation requirements.

   The public meetings/hearings will be held as follows:

July 17, 2001
Conley Resort Inn
740 Pittsburgh Road
Butler, PA 16002
(724) 586-7711

July 18, 2001
Clarion Inn
13015 Ferguson Valley Road
(Burnham/Yeagertown Exit off of 322)
Burnham, PA 17009
(717) 248-4961

July 19, 2001
Days Inn
1151 Bulldog Drive
Allentown, PA 18105
(610) 395-3731

   Each public meeting will begin at 6:30 p.m. on the date scheduled and will be followed by a public hearing that will begin no later than 7:30 p.m. During these public meetings, DEP will provide a short summary of the guidance and answer questions. The hearings will offer an opportunity for formal testimony.

   Persons wishing to present oral testimony at any of these hearings are requested to contact Mary Houghton at least 1 week in advance of the hearing to reserve a time slot. Oral testimony is limited to 10 minutes for each witness, and each organization is limited to one witness. Witnesses are requested to submit three written copies of their testimony to the chairperson at the hearing.

   Written comments may be submitted in place of or in addition to oral testimony and should include the name, address and telephone number of the person submitting them. Written comments will be accepted by postal or electronic mail at the addresses previously listed. Comments submitted by facsimile or voice mail will not be accepted.

   The comment period extends through July 31, 2001, and comments and testimony received by that date will be considered in the formulation of final guidance for the Antidegradation Program, which will be announced in the Pennsylvania Bulletin.

   Persons in need of accommodations as provided for in the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 should contact Mary Houghton at (717) 787-9637 or through the Pennsylvania AT&T Relay Service at (800) 654-5984 (TDD) or (800) 654 5988 (voice) to discuss how DEP may accommodate their needs.

DAVID E. HESS,   
Secretary

[Pa.B. Doc. No. 01-910. Filed for public inspection May 25, 2001, 9:00 a.m.]

---

No part of the information on this site may be reproduced for profit or sold for profit.

This material has been drawn directly from the official Pennsylvania Bulletin full text database. Due to the limitations of HTML or differences in display capabilities of different browsers, this version may differ slightly from the official printed version.

---