Introduction: The Washington State Department of Ecology (ecology) is hosting a series of public workshops and hearings on a proposal to reissue the sand and gravel general permit for wastewater discharges. The proposed permit would provide coverage for industries located in Washington state that discharge process water, mine dewatering water, and stormwater associated with sand and gravel operations, rock quarries, concrete batch plants, and asphalt batch plants. Under federal and state water quality law (Federal Clean Water Act and State Water Pollution Control Act), a permit is required for the discharge of wastewater.

The proposed general permit addresses these legal requirements and controls the discharge of pollutants to protect the water quality of ground and surface water in our state. A general permit is similar to an individual wastewater discharge permit except that it addresses a group of facilities as a whole. A single permit is developed that implements standard discharge treatment, monitoring, and reporting requirements for all permit holders covered under the general permit. Interested persons are encouraged to obtain a copy of the proposed permit and fact sheet and/or attend a workshop and hearing described below.

The proposed permit is similar to the current permit it will replace. The cost to small businesses will not significantly increase under the proposed permit. Based on data gathered under the existing permit, the proposed permit includes fewer pollutants to monitor but requires more frequent monitoring for turbidity in discharges to surface water. The revised permit adds coverage for portable facilities. Those facilities with activities designated by the following Standard Industrial Classification (SIC) codes are subject to coverage under the sand and gravel general permit:

•	0811 Timber Tracts (Sand & Gravel Point Source Activities)
•	1411 Dimension Stone
•	1422 Crushed and Broken Limestone
•	1423 Crushed and Broken Granite
•	1429 Crushed and Broken Stone, Not Elsewhere Classified
•	1442 Construction Sand and Gravel
•	1446 Industrial Sand
•	1455 Kaolin and Ball Clay
•	1459 Clay, Ceramic, and Refractory Minerals, Not Otherwise Classified
•	1499 Miscellaneous Nonmetallic Minerals, Except Fuels
•	2411 Logging (Sand & Gravel Point Source Activities)
•	2951 Asphalt Paving Mixtures and Blocks
•	3273 Ready-Mixed Concrete

General Permit Issuance: Ecology expects to issue the revised general permit on July 1, 1999. The final permit may incorporate some changes based on the comments received but if changes represent a substantial departure from the scope or conditions in the draft permit, another public notice of draft and comment period will ensue. When issued, a copy of the notice of issuance and ecology's responses to the comments will be sent to all persons who submitted written comment or gave public testimony.

How to Request Copies of the Proposed Permit: Contact Keith Johnson at the address noted below, by telephone at (360) 407-6442, by fax at (360) 407-6426, by e-mail at KJOH461@ecy.wa.gov, or downloaded from the Internet at http://www.wa.gov/ecology/wq/sand/.

Written Comments: Ecology is seeking public comment on the sand and gravel proposed general permit and fact sheet. When possible, comments should reference specific text followed by proposed modification or concern. Comments may address technical issues, accuracy and completeness of information, the scope of facilities proposed for coverage, adequacy of environmental protection and permit conditions, or any other concern that would result from issuance of this permit. If you wish to comment on the proposed permit, comments may be sent via the Internet from the sand and gravel web page listed above or you may send written comments to this address: Keith Johnson, Washington State Department of Ecology, Water Quality Program, P.O. Box 47600, Olympia, WA 98504-7600. Written comments must be postmarked by midnight, Tuesday, June 15, 1999. Comments may also be made by attending and testifying at a public hearing.

Public Workshop and Hearing: Four public workshops and hearings on the proposed permit are scheduled. The purpose of the workshop is to explain the general permit, answer questions, and discuss your ideas and concerns before formal testimony begins. The purpose of the hearing is to provide interested parties an opportunity to state - for the record - their opinions and comments on the proposed general permit. The information workshops will all begin at 1:30 p.m. and last until 3:00 p.m. The formal public hearing will begin at 3:00 p.m. The workshops and hearings will be held on the following dates at these locations:

June 7, 1999

Washington State Dept. of Ecology

Eastern Regional Office

North 4601 Monroe, Suite 202

Spokane, WA

June 8, 1999

Washington State Dept. of Ecology

Central Regional Office

15 West Yakima Avenue, Suite 200

Yakima, WA

June 11, 1999

Washington State Dept. of Ecology

Northwest Regional Office

3190 160th Avenue S.E.

Bellevue, WA

June 14, 1999

Washington State Dept. of Ecology

Southwest Regional/HQ Office

300 Desmond Drive

Lacey, WA

Ecology is an equal opportunity agency. If you have special accommodation needs, desire directions for meeting locations, or require the fact sheet and proposed permit in an alternative format, please contact Keith Johnson at (360) 407-6442 or TDD at (360) 407-6006.

© Washington State Code Reviser's Office