Public comments invited on the plan to control nonpoint pollution
You are invited to review and comment on the draft plan. Ecology will host three public meetings on the statewide water pollution control plan. Ecology is looking for comment on the actions and strategies to improve water quality that are proposed in the plan.
Public Meetings: The purpose of the meetings is to explain and discuss the update of Washington's Water Quality Management Plan to Control Nonpoint Source Pollution. There will be time to answer your questions, and an opportunity for you to comment on the proposed plan. All meetings begin at 6:30 p.m.
Lacey: Tuesday, March 8, Auditorium, Washington Department of Ecology, 300 Desmond Drive.
Spokane: Wednesday, March 9, Commissioners Hearing Room, Spokane County Courthouse, 1116 West Broadway Avenue.
Ellensburg: Thursday, March 10, Hal Holmes Community Center, 201 North Ruby.
Public Comments: You are encouraged to comment during the public comment period. Written or verbal comments will be taken at the public meetings. You can also register comments by mail to Bill Hashim, Department of Ecology, P.O. Box 47600, Olympia, WA 98504-7600, phone (360) 407-6551, fax (360) 407-6426, e-mail bhas@ecy.wa.gov.
Review the WA Water Quality Management Plan to Control Nonpoint Source Pollution at http://www.ecy.wa.gov/programs/wq/nonpoint/nps_plan.html.
Fact sheet overview at http://www.ecy.wa.gov/biblio/0510019.html.
Written comments must be postmarked no later than Friday, March 18, 2005. Faxed and e-mailed comments must be received by midnight, March 18, 2005.
Ecology will submit the final plan to the United States Environmental Protection Agency after it considers all public comments. If you comment on the draft plan, you will receive the response to comments document.
What is Nonpoint Pollution and Why is It a Problem? Most pollution in Washington's waters comes from many different, hard-to-trace sources with no obvious point of discharge - we call this nonpoint pollution. Nonpoint water pollution is generated by a wide variety of land uses and activities such as construction, car washing, pet waste, and lawn fertilizers.
Purpose of Washington's Water Quality Management Plan to Control Nonpoint Source Pollution: The proposed plan describes how Washington state is addressing nonpoint source pollution. Although ecology is responsible for writing the plan, all state and local agencies have a role in implementing nonpoint source control methods to help solve this statewide problem. The plan identifies existing and future programs and actions that are needed to improve water quality.