EPA Seeking public comment on revisions

Intro: The EPA examined Missouri waters to determine where its efforts need to be focused.

Abigail Grimmett (GRIMM-IT) has more from the state capital.

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OutCue: SOC The EPA declared there are 61 waters not in compliance with the Clean Water Act and 42 to be delisted from the 2004/2006 Missouri Impaired Waters list. Chief of the Region 7 EPA Water Quality Management Branch John DeLashmit said monitoring water quality is important for all Missourians.

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Description: It's a way for the state to identify and show EPA the places where they need to work and it focuses on the waters that are not meeting what we call the designated uses.

DeLashmit said designated uses in this case pertain to swimming, fishing, and habitat for aquatic life. The EPA is holding a 60-day public comment period and will make a final decision regarding the list shortly thereafter. Reporting from the state capitol, I'm Abigail Grimmett.

Intro: The EPA is proposing to add more lakes and streams to the Missouri's Impaired Waters List, citing mercury, oxygen levels, and E. Coli as causes.

Abigail Grimmett (GRIMM-IT) has more from Jefferson City.

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OutCue: SOC Though Missouri requested to have waters removed from the list,the EPA examined submitted data and determined 135 waters not listed did in fact contain pollutants. John DeLashmit, EPA Region 7 Chief of the Water Quality Management Branch said comments from environmental groups, the DNR, and the general public will provide more information for the EPA to consider.

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Description: The comments definitely have an impact on our decision and frequently we do make changes to our decision.

DeLashmit said once the 60-day public comment period is over on November 24, the EPA will begin to make its final decisions regarding the impaired waters.Reporting from the State Capitol, I'm Abigail Grimmett.

Intro: The EPA found 19 streams, lakes and rivers containing mercury, which the Missouri Department of Natural Resources failed to include on its impaired waters list.

Abigail Grimmett (GRIM-IT) has more from Jefferson City.

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OutCue: SOC The Department of Natural Resources says the streams lakes and rivers weren't listed because the pollutant sources weren't apparent at the time.

However, the EPA Chief of Water Quality for the Missouri region, John DeLashmit says the data examined did show evidence of the pollutant.

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Description: We are tasked to use all existing and readily available data to make an assessment decision. When a state has a standard and in this case mercury has a fish tissue standard...

In it's review, the EPA found 135 bodies of water containing bacteria, chloride, metal, sediments and low oxygen levels that were left off the list.

Now that the streams, lakes and rivers have been identified the state is required to conduct studies to determine how much of the pollutants they can contain and still comply with the Clean Water Act.

Reporting from the State Capitol, I'm Abigail Grimmett.

Intro: The EPA found 135 impaired waters not reported by the Department of Natural Resources. Abigail Grimmett (GRIMM-IT) has more from the State Capitol. RunTime:0:04
OutCue: SOC In its review of the 2004-2006 impaired waters list, the EPA discovered waters containing E. Coli were not listed. District 7 EPA Chief of Water Quality, John DeLashmit said the bacteria data submitted by DNR did not comply with Clean Water Act.

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Description: The state had submitted a bacteria criteria to us for their whole body contact B waters and we were unable to approve it...

After this assessment, the DNR must conduct Total Maximum Daily Load studies.

The TMDL studies will help determine how much pollutant the waters can contain and still comply with the Clean Water Act.

The EPA is expecting more issues to be addressed once Missouri's 2008 list is submitted.

Reporting from the State Capitol, I'm Abigail Grimmett.