And now:Ish <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> writes: >From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] >Date: Mon, 11 Jan 1999 17:05:31 EST > >Return-Path: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> >Received: from rly-zd03.mx.aol.com (rly-zd03.mail.aol.com [172.31.33.227]) by > air-zd05.mail.aol.com (v56.12) with SMTP; Mon, 11 Jan 1999 15:15:41 > -0500 >Received: from vortex.wildrockies.org (vortex.wildrockies.org > [206.230.42.166]) > by rly-zd03.mx.aol.com (8.8.8/8.8.5/AOL-4.0.0) > with SMTP id PAA24317; > Mon, 11 Jan 1999 15:12:15 -0500 (EST) >Received: from wildrockies.org by vortex.wildrockies.org with SMTP; Mon, > 11 Jan 1999 13:10:07 -0700 >X-Sender: [EMAIL PROTECTED] >Message-Id: <v04020a12b2c0066f3fa2@[206.230.42.166]> >Date: Mon, 11 Jan 1999 12:54:13 -0700 >To: "Wild Rockies Alerts" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> >From: Wild Rockies InfoNet <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> >Subject: EPA Disapproves MT Water Quality Standards >Sender: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> >Precedence: Bulk >Mime-Version: 1.0 >Content-type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1 > >NEWS RELEASE > >FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: >January 6, 1999 > >CONTACT: >Rob Ament, American Wildlands (406) 586-8175 >Steve Mashuda, Earthjustice Legal Defense Fund, (406) 586-9699 > > >EPA Tells State To Clean Up Its Water Quality Standards > >American Wildlands, Pacific Rivers Council, Montana Environmental Information >Center, and Northern Plains Resource Council learned this week that the U.S. >Environmental Protection Agency has disapproved portions of Montana's water >quality standards. In a 30-page letter from EPA to Governor Marc Racicot, EPA >disapproved almost a dozen water quality standards that fail to provide the >minimum protections required by the Clean Water Act. Although EPA's action >addresses only a portion of Montana�s water quality rules, this is the first >time since 1989 that EPA has formally passed judgment on any of the extensive >changes made to Montana's water quality laws. > >"We're pleased that EPA is stepping up to the plate closing the countless >loopholes that weaken Montana's water quality protection laws," stated Rob >Ament, Associate Director of American Wildlands. "Montana must now begin to >protect its waters." > >Among the standards that EPA disapproved are: (1) rules that exempt coal and >uranium prospecting, oil and gas drilling and production, and mineral >exploration from scientific and public review; (2) standards that allow >polluters to foul even the State�s most treasured waters, such as those >flowing through National Parks and Wilderness areas; and (3) provisions >that exempt activities such as pesticide application and sewage treatment >from compliance with water quality laws. > >EPA's action comes after the conservation groups, represented by Earthjustice >Legal Defense Fund, filed a lawsuit in July, 1998 challenging EPA's failure to >insure that Montana�s water quality standards adequately protect the State's >waters. > >"While this first round of disapprovals doesn't address all of the problems >with Montana�s water quality standards, it�s a step in the right direction," >said Earthjustice Legal Defense Fund attorney Steve Mashuda. "Under federal >law, the State now has 90 days to correct the standards that EPA disapproved." > >"Because many of the illegal standards were enacted by the legislature, EPA's >disapproval gives them a narrow window of opportunity to get it right," stated >Kristen Boyles of Pacific Rivers Council. > >"Previous legislatures wouldn't listen to reason when they weakened these >standards in the first place- many of the standards disapproved by EPA were >enacted in the face of strong objections from citizens' groups," added Paul >Hawks of Northern Plains Resource Council. "You can bet we'll be keeping a >very close eye on the legislature's attempt to fix the standards disapproved >by >EPA." > >BACKGROUND > >Water quality standards set the basic levels of protection for all rivers, >lakes, and streams in each state. Because Montana bases water pollution >prevention and clean-up on these standards, the standards themselves must meet >minimum requirements that protect human health and aquatic life. Once Montana >adopts water quality standards, EPA must review them to ensure that they meet >the minimum protections required by the Clean Water Act. > >State water quality standards must contain at least three elements. First, >the State must establish "designated uses" (such as fishing, swimming, or >protection of aquatic life) for all of the State's waters. Second, the State >must develop specific water quality criteria, based on sound science, designed >to ensure the preservation of the designated uses. The criteria may be >expressed in either numerical (such as �no more than 18 micrograms of arsenic >per liter�) or narrative values (such as �waters shall be free of floating >debris�). Third, the State must develop strong antidegradation rules designed >to prevent further deterioration of its waters. > >The Clean Water Act allows States to develop and implement water quality >standards. However, EPA retains a watchdog role, ensuring that State water >quality standards comply with the requirements of the Clean Water Act. This >watchdog role includes the Clean Water Act�s requirement that EPA review and >approve or disapprove each new and revised State water quality standard before >it takes effect. > --END-- > >************************************************************************ >List-Subscribe: <mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]> >List-Unsubscribe: <mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]> >News Submissions or Problems: <mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]> >This list is a public service provided by WIN: http://www.wildrockies.org > <<<<=-=-=FREE LEONARD PELTIER=-=-=>>>> If you think you are too small to make a difference; try sleeping in a closed room with a mosquito.... 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