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 a New Modification to the Permit for Review and Comment

Submitting Written Comments

Ecology will accept written comments on the permit and NOI modifications until 5 p.m., March 7, 2012. Ecology will only accept comments on the modifications. The rest of the permit/NOI language is not open for review or comment. Modified areas of the permit are clearly identified by a yellow text box adjacent to the modification. Ecology prefers modification comments be submitted by email to kathy.hamel@ecy.wa.gov. Emailed comments must contain the commenter’s name and postal address. Comments should reference the specific modification when possible. You must send email comments before 5 p.m., March 7, 2012. Written comments must be postmarked no later than 5 p.m., March 7, 2012.

Submit written comments to:
Kathy Hamel
Washington State Department of Ecology
P.O. Box 47600
Olympia, WA 98504-7600

Hearing and Workshop

Ecology will hold one public workshop and hearing on the modifications to the permit and NOI. The purpose of the workshop is to explain the permit modifications, and answer questions in order to facilitate meaningful testimony during the hearing. The purpose of the hearing is to provide an opportunity for people to give formal oral testimony and comments on the proposed modifications to the permit and NOI. Written comments will receive the same consideration as oral testimony. The public workshop and hearing will begin at 1 p.m. on March 5, 2012 and conclude when public testimony is complete.

Workshop and Hearing - March 5, 2012 at 1 p.m. MAP
Lacey Timberland Library, 500 College Street SE, Lacey, Washington 98503

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

Permit (Effective March 18, 2011)
Fact Sheet
Response to Comments
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.