Comments sought on aquatic pesticides permit

Washington State Department of Ecology

Department of Ecology Press Release - December 7, 2005

05-292

Comments sought on aquatic pesticides permit

OLYMPIA - The Department of Ecology (Ecology) is inviting comments on a permit regulating the use of pesticides to control weeds in Washington's waters.

Aquatic pesticides include a wide assortment of chemicals that kill, attract, repel or otherwise control the growth of aquatic pests. Without the pesticide treatments, invasive colonies of aquatic plants can harm water quality, reduce fish habitat, block domestic and agricultural water supplies and interfere with boating and swimming.

"This new permit continues our commitment to protecting water quality from aquatic pesticides and simplifies the permitting process for applicators" said Dave Peeler, Ecology's lead water-quality manager.

Ecology previously addressed the treatment of noxious weeds in a permit separate from nuisance weeds and algae. The new permit will address all three. Ecology will also issue the new permit as a state permit; it was previously issued as a National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System permit under the federal Clean Water Act (CWA). However, the 9th Circuit Court recently ruled that aquatic pesticides are not covered under the CWA.

Other changes in the permit include:

Streamlined application process. Ecology is developing an on-line, electronic application that sends information directly into a database. To reduce errors, the application has fill-in fields with most information provided by Ecology. The new permit requires only one application for coverage per permit cycle (5 years); the old permit required new applications every year.
Reduced notification requirements. Under the new permit, permittees must submit pre-and post-treatment notifications weekly, in one form; the old permit required pre-treatment, post-treatment, and treatment cancellation notification on three separate forms, resulting in up to 20-25 submittals per day.
Streamlined posting requirements. The new permit provides templates for posting pre-treatment notices along private property and public access areas.
Reduced monitoring. The new permit requires monitoring only if applicators are conducting a nutrient inactivation project or treating a water body listed as impaired for low dissolved oxygen.

Comments on the proposed permit revisions will be accepted at three public workshops.

Jan. 9, 2006 - Centralia - 6 p.m. Centralia College, Washington Hall Room 109, 600 W. Locust 360.736.9391

Jan. 10, 2006 - Spokane - 5 p.m. Shadle Library, W. 2111 Wellesley Ave. 509.444.5390

Jan. 12, 2006 - Edmonds - 6 p.m. Edmonds Community College, President's Board Room, 20000 68th Ave W. 425.640.1459 (Corrected date from Jan. 10 to Jan 12, 2006; correction made on Dec. 9, 2005.)

For a copy of the proposed permit, contact Kelly McLain, Department of Ecology, P.O. Box 47600, Olympia, Wash., 98504-7600; (360) 407-6938; or kelm461@ecy.wa.gov .

The permit and related documents are also available online at http://www.ecy.wa.gov/programs/wq/pesticides/index.html .

Comments on the permit must be submitted to Ecology no later than Jan. 20. After considering comments, Ecology plans to issue the final permit on March 1.

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Contact: Glenn Kuper, Public information manager, 360-791-3177