TMDL for Coeur d'Alene Basin to be Released

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the State of Idaho Division of Environmental Quality will soon release the Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) for the Coeur d'Alene River Basin.

The pollution budget for the basin, which includes waters of the Coeur d'Alene River, Couer d'Alene Lake and the Spokane River above the Idaho-Washington border, sets the amount of cadmium, lead and zinc contamination that can be introduced into basin waters under water quality standards.

According to the The Spokesman-Review, a draft version of the TMDL drew criticism from Coeur d'Alene residents and businesses during an earlier 120-day public comment period, while conservationists called for quicker release of the final version. Holly Houston, a spokeswoman for the mining industry, called the draft limits unattainable for mines.

(Source: The Spokesman-Review)