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Department of Ecology News Release - November 4, 2009
09-262
YAKIMA – A draft state water quality standards certification for operations at the existing Leavenworth National Fish Hatchery on Icicle Creek in Chelan County is available for review and comment from the Washington Department of Ecology (Ecology).
The federal Clean Water Act, Section 401 water quality certification, grants the state the authority and opportunity to address environmental and regulatory concerns related to federal decisions. The 401 certification review is designed to determine whether a federal project complies with state water-quality standards and other relevant state regulations protecting the environment.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) is authorized to capture, spawn and rear spring Chinook salmon at the hatchery as mitigation for the construction of Grand Coulee Dam on the Columbia River. The USFWS is seeking to renew its federal wastewater discharge permit, known as a National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit. The state 401 water quality review certifies that hatchery operations and the draft NPDES permit proposed by the US Environmental Protection Agency meet state standards.
If granted, the certification includes conditions designed to avoid, minimize or compensate for the effects a project will have on aquatic resources. The draft certification for the hatchery includes limits and treatment requirements for wastewater discharges, and monitoring and reporting requirements pertaining to water temperature and fish habitat in Icicle Creek affected by hatchery operations.
Any future construction or new proposals would require additional environmental review and permitting consideration.
The draft permit is available online at: ftp://www.ecy.wa.gov/2009_November_LNFW_401/2009_Nov_Draft_LNFH_401.pdf and ftp://www.ecy.wa.gov/2009_November_LNFW_401/2009_Nov_Draft_LNFH_401_Table_1.pdf
People may submit written comments to the Department of Ecology, Attn: Robert F. Barwin, 15 W. Yakima Ave, Suite 200, Yakima, WA 98902. Comments also may be submitted by email: robert.barwin@ecy.wa.gov. For more information, call (509) 457-7140.
All comments must be received by Ecology by 5 p.m. on Dec. 18, 2009.
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Media Contact: Joye Redfield-Wilder, 509-575-2610; jred461@ecy.wa.gov
Copyright © Washington State Department of Ecology. See http://www.ecy.wa.gov/copyright.html.
