Public comment requested on changes to the New Hampshire Draft 2014 303(d) List of Impaired Surface Waters

Dear Stakeholder:

Changes made to the Draft 2014, 303(d) List of Impaired Surface Waters are now available for review and comment on the New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services (NHDES) website at: http://des.nh.gov/organization/divisions/water/wmb/swqa/index.htm.

Comments will be accepted until 4 pm on February 24, 2017.  Guidance for submitting comments is also included on the website mentioned above.

The term “303(d) List” is short for the list of impaired and threatened waters (stream/river segments, lakes) that the Clean Water Act (CWA) requires all states to submit for EPA approval every two years on even-numbered years. The states identify all waters that do not meet state water standards and, where required, pollution controls are not sufficient to attain those standards.  The list also establishes priorities for the development of pollution cleanup plans – also known as Total Maximum Daily Load studies (TMDLs). In addition, EPA policy allows states to remove waterbodies from the list if there is cause to do so.

Reviewers are encouraged to read the Consolidated Assessment and Listing Methodology (CALM) for documentation of definitions and details regarding how this list was developed.  The 2014 CALM is available on the NHDES website at http://des.nh.gov/organization/divisions/water/wmb/swqa/index.htm.

Should you have comments on the changes to the draft 303(d) List, please be sure to submit them in accordance with the guidance provided on the website.

Thank you,

Matt

Matthew A. Wood, Water Quality Specialist, NH Dept. of Environmental Services, PO Box 95, 29 Hazen Drive Concord, NH 03302 Tel (603) 271-8868 • Fax (603) 271-7894 matthew.wood@des.nh.gov

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