Proposed Rules - Withdrawn February 1, 2012

Water Quality Standards (OAC 3745-1)

On February 1, 2012, Ohio EPA withdrew the proposed Water Quality Standards rules package from JCARR.

• News release

Water Quality Standards (OAC 3745-1)

Notice: The Antidegradation rule (OAC 3745-1-05) was revise filed on January 26, 2012.  Revisions were made to paragraph (C)(2)(a).  See the rule below for revised language.

The proposed rules, public notice, fact sheet and letter to interested parties are available below under "Available documents".

Background

At this time the Agency is soliciting comments on proposed rules addressing water quality standards.  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 antidegradation rule; 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.

Proposed rule changes include new beneficial use designations for aquatic life and recreation. The proposed rule changes also include: statewide application of human health criteria based on maximum contaminant levels; new and revised aquatic life criteria for six chemicals; inclusion of updated Ohio River Valley Water Sanitation Commission Pollution Control Standards; nutrient design standards for new wastewater treatment plants; and separation of antidegradation requirements for dredge and fill projects into a new rule in OAC Chapter 3745-32. See the fact sheet below for more information.

For additional information about Ohio EPA's water quality standards program, visit the Ohio EPA Water Quality Standards Program web page.

Available documents

• Public notice [PDF 15K]
• Letter to interested parties [PDF 83K]
• Fact sheet [PDF 374K]
• Response to comments on draft water quality standards rules [PDF 1,396K]
• Response to comments on draft antidegradation rule [PDF 1,016K]
• Summary of comments on topics not included in proposed rulemaking [PDF 1,097K]
• Draft Common Sense Initiative Business Regulation Impact Assessment form [PDF 352K]  - In preparation of implementation Senate Bill 2, Ohio EPA has prepared a draft Business Regulation Impact Assessment form for review and comment.  The deadline for comments on the draft form is 5:00 p.m. on February 1, 2012.
• Revised version of the Primary Headwater Habitat Field Evaluation Manual

Proposed Rules
For an amended rule text to be deleted is struck out and new text is underlined. For a new rule, all text is underlined. For a rescinded rule, text is left unchanged and “To Be Rescinded” is at the top of the first page of the rule.

Download all the proposed rules to be rescinded here [PDF 125K] or download individual rules below.
Download all the proposed amended and new rules here [PDF 963K] or download individual rules below.

See all currently effective rules in Chapter 3745-1 here.
See draft versions of the rules here. 

For additional information or to submit comments

Please submit any comments you have on the proposed rules in one of the following manners.

If you would like further information about this rulemaking, please contact Dan Dudley at dan.dudley@epa.state.oh.us or (614) 644-2876.

Water Quality Standards (OAC 3745-1)

* Adobe Acrobat Reader is required to view the [PDF] publications.  If you do not have Adobe Acrobat Reader, click here to download it for free.