WSR 03-20-116

DEPARTMENT OF ECOLOGY


[ Filed October 1, 2003, 10:04 a.m. ]


Ecology to Rewrite and Reissue Sand and Gravel General Permit


     The Washington State Department of Ecology (ecology) is beginning a process to update and reissue the Sand and Gravel General Permit. Ecology issued the current permit on June 25, 1999, and it will expire on August 6, 2004. Ecology plans to release a revised draft permit for public comment in April 2004 and reissue the permit by July 7, 2004.

     This Sand and Gravel General Permit authorizes discharges to waters of the state of Washington subject to the conditions developed in accordance with the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES), the Clean Water Act, and state law governing wastewater discharges. The permit covers discharges of process water, stormwater, and mine dewatering water from sand and gravel operations, rock quarries, and similar mining facilities, including stockpiles of mined materials, concrete batch operations and hot mix asphalt operations throughout the state of Washington. Currently, nine hundred thirty-six facilities are covered under this general permit.

     Facilities under permit range from small portable rock crushing operations to large integrated sand and gravel mines that manufacture concrete. The wastewater discharges from the facilities covered under this permit are almost always intermittent or batch discharges. There is a high variation of wastewater quality, quantity, and receiving water impacts from site to site. Potential water quality impacts may include one or more of the following characteristics: Excessive suspended solids and turbidity, elevated pH, elevated dissolved solids, petroleum products, elevated biochemical oxygen demand (BOD), or elevated nitrate concentration.

     Additional information on the Sand and Gravel General Permit, including updated information on the reissuance of the permit, can be found on ecology's sand and gravel web page http://www.ecy.wa.gov/programs/wq/sand/index.html.

     Anyone who has questions or comments on the reissuance of the Sand and Gravel General Permit or would like to be placed on a mailing list of interested parties should contact Jeff Killelea at (360) 407-6127, jkil461@ecy.wa.gov, or Department of Ecology, P.O. Box 47600, Olympia, WA 98504-7600, Attn: Jeff Killelea.

     Ecology is an equal opportunity agency. If you have special accommodation needs or require information in an alternative format, please contact Jeff Killelea at (360) 407-6127 or TDD (only) (360) 407-6006.

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