Announcing the Draft Sand and Gravel General Permit for Review and Comment
Purpose of the Permit: The purpose of the sand and gravel general permit is to control the discharge of pollutants from sand and gravel mining operations and related facilities into waters of the state. This general permit provides coverage for discharges of process water, stormwater, and mine dewatering water associated with sand and gravel operations, rock quarries and similar mining activities, including stockpiles of mined materials, concrete batch operations, and hot mix asphalt operations. The permit authorizes wastewater discharges to waters of the state of Washington subject to the permit conditions.
Copies of the Draft Permit: You may download a copy of the permit and fact sheet at http://www.ecy.wa.gov/programs/wq/sand/index.html; or you may request a copy of the permit or fact sheet from Julie Robertson at (360) 407-6575 or by e-mail at julie.robertson@ecy.wa.gov.
Ecology Contact: Gary Bailey, Washington State Department of Ecology, P.O. Box 47600, Olympia, WA 98504-7600, phone (360) 407-6433, fax (360) 407-6426, e-mail gary.bailey@ecy.wa.gov.
Submitting Written and Oral Comments: Ecology will accept written and oral comments on the draft permit and fact sheet until 5 p.m., February 24, 2010. Ecology prefers comments to be submitted by e-mail. E-mailed comments must contain the commenters name and postal address. Comments should reference the specific permit and specific text when possible.
Submit written comments to Gary Bailey, Sand and Gravel General Permit Comments, Washington State Department of Ecology, P.O. Box 47600, Olympia, WA 98504.
Submit comments by e-mail to gary.bailey@ecy.wa.gov.
Written comments must be postmarked no later than 5 p.m., February 24, 2010. You must send e-mail comments before 5 p.m., February 24, 2010. You may provide oral testimony at the public hearing.
Hearing and Workshop: The public hearing and workshop on the permit is scheduled to be held in Lacey, Washington. At the workshop ecology will explain the draft permit and answer questions. A hearing will immediately follow the workshop. The hearing will provide the opportunity for formal oral testimony and comments on the proposed permit.
Workshop and Hearing: February 22, 2010, at 1 p.m., at the Lacey Timberland Regional Library, 500 College Street S.E., Lacey, WA 98503.
Issuing the Permits: After ecology receives and considers all public comments, it will issue the final permit. If public comments cause a substantial change in the permit conditions from the original permit, another public notice of draft and comment period will occur. Ecology expects to issue the permit in the summer of 2010.