The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has proposed water quality standards for the State of Kansas to replace standards that the agency disapproved in 1998.
The proposals include: all discharges to stream segments for which continuous flow is sustained primarily through the discharge of treated effluent shall protect the States' designated uses; scientifically defensible design flows approved by EPA shall be used to implement the State's acute and chronic aquatic life criteria; implementation procedures for use when applying the States' antidegradation policy to determine whether to allow a lowering of surface water quality by point sources of pollution where nonpoint sources also contribute the pollutant of concern to that body of water; an aquatic life use for one stream segment and a primary contact recreation use for 1,292 stream segments and 164 lakes.
EPA also proposes that water quality standards in Kansas apply to all privately owned surface waters in Kansas that are waters of the U.S.; and numeric human health criteria for alpha- and beta-endosulfan.
The EPA is accepting public comments until September 1.
(Source: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency)
