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News Release 487
DEPARTMENT HOLDS MEETING ON
STREAM USE DESIGNATIONS IN POPLAR BLUFF
Volume 36-487 |
Contact: Sarah Garoutte |
(For immediate release) |
573-522-9913 |
JEFFERSON CITY, MO., AUG. 15, 2008 -- Missouri Department of Natural Resources staff held a meeting in Poplar Bluff this week to discuss the department's recommendations for swimming use designations and water quality criteria on area streams and rivers.
At the meeting, department representatives met with local residents to discuss the department's recommendations on several waters in the southeast region of Missouri. The department is investigating whether these area streams have depth sufficient to support swimming and other recreational activities. At the meeting, residents presented information about where they swim and recreate in area streams. The department will use this information in its evaluation of recreational uses for these streams.
Other topics of discussion at the meeting included the following:
- Discharge of raw sewage is a violation of state and federal statute and will not be allowed.
- Not requiring pollutant controls for bacteria due to a stream not being designated for whole body contact recreation does not exempt a facility from the requirements of the federal Clean Water Act or Missouri Clean Water Law. The current conditions of the facility State Operating Permit must continue to be followed and enforced.
- Where recreational uses such as whole body contact recreation are not designated, sewer agencies and other facilities will still be required to meet federal and state wastewater discharge requirements that protect other applicable designated uses, such as secondary contact recreation, aquatic life protection, livestock and wildlife watering or drinking water supply.
The Department of Natural Resources is committed to protecting the public who recreate in our streams while at the same time being careful not to cause small communities or ratepayers to pay higher fees to protect uses that do not exist. Residents can submit information to the department until Aug. 31 detailing their use of southeast Missouri streams. To review the UAA information available on-line and submit comments via the stream use survey, visit www.dnr.mo.gov/env/wpp/wqstandards/uaa/uaa_county.htm or send comments by
mail to UAA Coordinator, Department of Natural Resources, Water Protection Program, P.O. Box 176, Jefferson City, MO 65102-0176.
For more information about the designation process or the department's Water Protection Program, visit www.dnr.mo.gov/env/wpp/index.html or call 573-751-1300 or 800-361-4827.
For news releases on the Web, visit www.dnr.mo.gov/newsrel. For a complete listing of the department's upcoming meetings, hearings and events, visit the department's online calendar at www.dnr.mo.gov/calendar/search.do.
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