State officials announced a pair of proposals for the state to meet water quality standards for two of Montana’s most common pollutants.
In the first proposal, the Board of Environmental Review developed maximum regional levels for nitrogen and phosphorous, both in the top 10 for pollutants in Montana’s streams and rivers. The two account for 17 percent of all impaired waters in Montana. Nitrogen and phosphorus are the primary causes of excess algae growth, which can impact the health of streams by lowering oxygen levels.
In the second part of the proposal, the Department of Environmental Quality explained how the state will meet the standards over the next two decades.
Many smaller municipalities around the state cannot meet current standards for nitrogen and phosphorous, and upgrading them all at once would be cost prohibitive, said Paul Driscoll, public information officer for DEQ. DEQ proposes a gradual implementation of new standards to alleviate economic impacts.
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The agency expects new technologies to drive down costs and make new standards feasible, he said.
In 2008, DEQ created a working group comprised of large and small municipalities, wastewater engineers, environmental advocacy groups and industries such as railroads and oil and gas to develop implementation plans for the new standards. The group met more than 20 times to craft the proposal, a DEQ news release said.
The 2009 Legislature gave DEQ the ability to grant variances for those polluters unable to meet standards on time, the press release added.
DEQ will hold a public hearing about the implementation including a public comment period at 10 a.m. March 24, followed by a public hearing by the board concerning the new standards at 2 p.m. Both hearings are in Room 111 of the Metcalf Building, 1520 E. Sixth Ave.