Final Issuance of the Irrigation System Aquatic Weed Control NPDES General Permit
Purpose of the Permit: The permit covers the discharge of pesticides used in irrigation systems in Washington state to control plant and algae growth. Under the Washington State Water Pollution Control Act, a permit is required to discharge pollutants that alter the biological or chemical characteristics of a water body. The permit addresses these legal requirements and regulates the discharge of pollutants to protect water quality. The new permit includes changes for endothall (Cascade and Teton) and fluridone. The effective use of endothall enables less use of the more toxic acrolein.
Ecology issues a general permit in place of a series of individual permits for similar permitted activities. Individual activities that receive coverage under the general permit must comply with the terms and conditions of the permit.
Public Notice Process and Comments: Ecology accepted written comments on the draft permit from February 15, 2012, to March 30, 2012. Ecology held one public hearing and workshop on the permit March 27, 2012, in Yakima, Washington. The comments and ecology's response to comments and other permit documents are available on-line at www.ecy.wa.gov/programs/wq/pesticides/irrigation/irrigation_index.html.
Copies of the Permit: You may request copies of the permit, response to comments, and fact sheet by contacting Laurie Morgan at the address below. The documents are also available on-line at www.ecy.wa.gov/programs/wq/pesticides/irrigation/irrigation_index.html.
Ecology Contact: Laurie Morgan, Department of Ecology, P.O. Box 47600, Olympia, WA 98504-7600, Laurie.Morgan@ecy.wa.gov.
Entities Covered by Permit: The new permit will continue to cover entities that are covered by the current permit. The following entities are covered under the current permit:
1. Cascade Irrigation District
2. Columbia Irrigation District
3. East Columbia Basin Irrigation District
4. Ellensburg Water Company
5. Icicle and Peshastin Irrigation District
6. Kennewick Irrigation District
7. Kittitas Reclamation District
8. Naches-Selah Irrigation District
9. Quincy-Columbia Basin Irrigation District
10. Roza Irrigation District
11. Selah-Moxee Irrigation District
12. South Columbia Basin Irrigation District
13. Sunnyside Valley Irrigation District
14. Union Gap Irrigation District
15. Wenatchee Reclamation District
16. Westside Irrigating Company
17. Yakima-Tieton Irrigation District
New or currently nonpermitted entities may obtain coverage under the permit by submitting a completed permit application to ecology.
Your Right to Appeal the Permit: You have a right to appeal this permit to the pollution control hearing[s] board (PCHB) within thirty days of the date of receipt of this notice. The appeal process is governed by chapters 43.21B RCW and 371-08 WAC. "Date of receipt" is defined in RCW 43.21B.001(2).
To appeal you must do the following within thirty days of the date of receipt of this permit issuance notice:
| • | File your appeal and a copy of this notice with the PCHB (see addresses below). Filing means actual receipt by the PCHB during regular business hours. |
| • | Serve a copy of your appeal and this notice on ecology in paper form - by mail or in person. (See addresses below.) E-mail is not accepted. |
| Street Addresses | Mailing Addresses |
| Department of Ecology Attn: Appeals Processing Desk 300 Desmond Drive S.E. Lacey, WA 98503 |
Department of Ecology Attn: Appeals Processing Desk P.O. Box 47608 Olympia, WA 98504-7608 |
| Pollution Control
Hearings Board 1111 Israel Road S.W. Suite 301 Tumwater, WA 98501 |
Pollution Control Hearings
Board P.O. Box 40903 Olympia, WA 98504-0903 |