Ecology home >
Water Quality >
Ground & Surface Water Quality Standards >
Surface Water Quality Standards >
Triennial Review Process for the Surface Water Quality Standards
Triennial Review Process for the Surface Water Quality Standards
Federal regulations require that states hold public hearings at least
once every three years to review applicable surface water quality standards and, as
appropriate, adopt new or modified standards. This process is called a triennial review.
The Triennial Review provides an opportunity to discuss the priorities and
commitments the agency makes with EPA and others regarding the surface water
quality standards. Ecology, then places activities (guidance development,
research needs or rulemaking) on schedules that match their complexity, rather
than trying to force them into a three-year cycle.
Overview of the Process
- The Department of Ecology (Ecology) conducts a triennial review every three years, as required by
federal rule.
- The review consists of public hearings held around the state.
- The review is not part of a rule-making proceeding, but instead is used:
- To provide a forum to discuss all issues of interest regarding the
water quality standards and their implementation.
- To discuss what new initiatives are being developed by EPA.
- To solicit suggestions for where guidance is needed to implement the
current standards.
Next Triennial Review
The next Triennial Review is being planned. Check back
to this web page for additional information. |
- To solicit suggestions for what new or revised criteria are needed
in the regulation.
- To discuss the progress with ongoing standards-related efforts.
- To formally modify the long-term strategy and timeline for
developing guidance and revising the surface water quality standards.
- Triennial reviews also include a discussion on waters where
non-Clean Water Act (CWA) uses are assigned, as required by federal rule.
Selection of Rulemaking Topics
- Topics are selected based on the goal of getting the greatest
environmental and/or administrative benefit.
- Topics are prioritized based on the expected environmental benefits,
technical complexity, available staff resources, federal mandates, and need
for change in the water quality standards guidance, rule, or process.
- A long-term list of prioritized topics will be maintained, with
commitments to implementing changes (rulemaking or otherwise). Those short-term (<1-5 years)
priorities will be built into the
Ecology and EPA Agreement (our commitments to EPA), based on our ability to
anticipate and commit staff resources.
- The long-term list of topics will be reviewed, and modified where
appropriate, during each Triennial Review.
This approach allows the topics that are chosen for new or revised guidance
or for
rulemaking to be based on the relative environmental value of each topic and
our ability to complete the project. For example, we may find that we can
complete four moderate-value projects in the same time as one large-value
project, and thus have greater overall benefits. This approach also allows
Ecology to consider the costs and benefits of an action and select the least
costly course of action. The purpose of making only short-term formal
commitments is to avoid over-commitment and to keep the process flexible
enough to respond to new priorities developed through the Triennial Review
process.
Contact us for more
information
Back to top of page
Last updated October
2009
Copyright © Washington State Department of Ecology. See http://www.ecy.wa.gov/copyright.html.
