Washington Water Quality Standards
Regional Water Quality Standards Information
WQS Home
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Recent Actions and Request for Comments in Washington
Washington Water Quality Standards 
Guidance for Pacific Northwest State and Tribal Temperature Water Quality Standards
Contacts
| Washington Department of Ecology |  | U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Region 10 |
P.O. Box 47600
Olympia, WA 98504-7600
Fax (360) 407-6426
Mark Hicks, mhic461@ecy.wa.gov,
(360) 407-6477 | | 1200 Sixth Ave, Suite 900
Seattle, WA 98101
Fax (206) 553-0165
Melinda McCoy, mccoy.melinda@epa.gov
(206) 553-6102 |
Recent Actions and Request for Comments in Washington
On July 9, EPA proposed to withdraw its 1992 federally promulgated marine copper and cyanide chronic aquatic life water quality criteria for Washington State, thereby enabling Washington to implement its current EPA-approved chronic numeric criteria for copper and cyanide that cover all marine waters in Washington State. Comments due by August 8, 2007.
On May 23, 2007, EPA Region 10 approved Washington's revisions to the marine chronic aquatic life cyanide criterion for waters outside of Puget Sound. Approval Letter and technical basis (PDF) (4pp, 183K)
EPA disapproves parts of Washington State's 2003 Revised Use Designations for Aquatic Life on March 22, 2006.
Washington Department of Ecology adopted new water quality standards on July 1, 2003. The new standards don't "go into effect" for Clean Water Act purposes until EPA takes action and approves them under Section 303(c) of the CWA.
On January 12, 2005 EPA formally approved several de minimis elements of Ecology's July 2003 water quality standard (WQS) revisions. The approved sections include those where only nonsubstantive formatting changes were made: the bacteria criteria and recreational uses, and sections that point directly to the code of federal regulations. EPA has also indicated they are not taking action on certain sections of the rule because the language is not considered a water quality standard. The letter to the department of Ecology from EPA describing the partial approval can be viewed at the following link: http://www.ecy.wa.gov/programs/wq/swqs/wqstandards-epaltr.pdf. Those sections of the WQS not yet approved must still follow the 1997 water quality standards. Questions on the partial approval should be directed to Kathleen Collins at collins.kathleen@epa.gov.