Aquatic Plant and Algae Management General Permit

The Aquatic Plant and Algae Management General Permit (permit) is a joint National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) and State Waste Discharge General Permit. The permit covers the discharge of products used to control aquatic plants and algae in Washington lakes. The permit also allows treatment of nuisance emergent plants along roadsides and ditch banks.

Announcing the Final Issuance of the Modified Permit

Permit (effective 05/04/2012)
Response to Comments (04/04/2012)
Fact Sheet Addendum (02/01/2012)

Public Notice Process

Ecology accepted written comments on the permit and NOI modifications from February 1, 2012 until 5 p.m., March 7, 2012. Ecology held one public hearing and workshop on the permit March 5, 2012 in Lacey, Washington. Ecology received one public comment letter.

Purpose of the Permit Modification

The modification adds four new Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) reduced-risk herbicides to the permit. Information about these four herbicides is found in Ecology’s recent Environmental Impact Statement for Penoxsulam, Imazamox, Bispyribac-sodium, flumioxazin, and Carfentrazone-ethyl - Addendum to the Final Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement. Ecology updated Table 3 in the permit to include the new herbicides and added a sign template for each new chemical.
Ecology updated Table 2 – Listed Adjuvants based on new information from the Washington State Department of Agriculture about which adjuvants met their criteria for aquatic toxicity.
Ecology added a sign template for nutrient inactivation products and clarified that Permittees do not need to post signs for continuous alum treatments.
Ecology added a statement about treatment timing windows and included a checkbox for applicants to request a timing window change to the NOI.

Current Permit Documents

Current Permit
Fact Sheet (09/01/2011)
Response to Comments (02/16/2011)
Small Business Economic Statement
Washington Fish and Wildlife Timing Table
Discharge Management Plan Template and SEPA Addendum (for new applicants with treatment areas of five or more acres) (Word Form)
Discharge Management Plan Template (for permittees with continuing coverage with treatment areas of five or more acres) (Word Form)
Conversion Table (Excel) - End of year reporting must be in pounds of active ingredient. Use this table to convert the amount of product used into pounds of active ingredient.