Proposed Rules
Water Quality Standards (OAC 3745-1)
These rule revisions were adopted on December 15, 2009 and become effective on March 15, 2010. Go here for more information.
Comment deadline - 5:00 p.m. on September 10, 2009
The proposed rules, public notice, fact sheet, and letter to interested parties are available below under "Available documents."
| Note 1: This rulemaking consists of a few of the changes that were already made available for review in other draft rule packages, specifically the water quality standards rulemaking and the antidegradation rulemaking. Those two rule packages are part of four interrelated rule packages (water quality standards, 401 water quality certification, antidegradation, and stream mitigation).
Because of delays in completing the draft stream mitigation rule package, Ohio EPA has decided to peel a few time-sensitive items out of the water quality standards/antidegradation rule packages and proceed with targeted changes in a separate stand alone rulemaking. This separate stand alone rulemaking will proceed through the rulemaking process ahead of the remainder of the rule changes, which will continue to proceed but be linked to the stream mitigation rules as previously planned.
Note 2: The draft version of this stand alone rulemaking, made available for public comment in March 2009, also included revisions to rule 3745-1-31 (Lake Erie standards) that would restrict disposal of dredge material in Lake Erie. The Agency has decided to delay proposal of the rule 3745-1-31 revisions to allow more time to discuss them with stakeholders.
The substantive rule changes in this package are:
- Making submittal, public notice and public hearing requirements for Section 401 water quality certification projects consistent with Ohio Revised Code section 6111.30;
- Revising the definitions of the recreation use designations; and
- Removing fecal coliform water quality criteria and revising E. coli water quality criteria.
See the fact sheet below for more information about the draft rule changes.
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Background
Water quality standards are state regulations or rules that protect lakes, rivers, streams and other surface water bodies from pollution. They contain: beneficial use designations such as warmwater aquatic life habitat, public water supply and primary contact recreation; numeric levels and narrative statements (water quality criteria) protective of the use designations; and procedures for applying the water quality criteria to wastewater dischargers.
Water quality standards serve as: the water quality goals for water uses and cleanliness; the benchmarks to measure and report on meeting Clean Water Act goals; the water quality targets to meet when setting wastewater permit limits and total maximum daily loads.
For additional information about Ohio EPA's water quality standards program, visit the Ohio EPA Water Quality Standards Program Web page.
Available documents
Proposed Rules
Text to be deleted is struck out; new text is underlined.
See all currently effective rules in Chapter 3745-1 here.
For additional information or to submit comments
Please submit any comments you have on the draft rules in one of the following manners.
| By e-mail: melinda.harris@epa.state.oh.us |
By mail: Melinda Harris
Ohio EPA
Division of Surface Water
P.O. Box 1049
Columbus, Ohio 43216-1049 |
| By fax: (614) 644-2745 |
If you would like further information about this rulemaking, please contact Dan Dudley at dan.dudley@epa.state.oh.us or (614) 644-2876.