KANSAS
DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH & ENVIRONMENT
BILL GRAVES, GOVERNOR
Clyde D. Graeber, Secretary
For Immediate Release
Contact: Don Brown, 785-296-1529
KDHE Seeks Additional Public Input on Water Quality Standards
The Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE) will hold public hearings on proposed changes to the Surface Water Quality Standards on May 11, 12, and 13, 1999. The meetings will be in Hays, Wichita, and Topeka. The department is proposing changes to the standards after receiving substantial public input and comment over the past three years.
Public meetings were initially conducted by the department to receive input from various stakeholders on water quality issues. In May 1997 the Kansas Special Commission on Surface Water Quality was created and held 22 stakeholder meetings across the state between August 1997 and June 1998. The final report and recommendations of the commission were submitted to the Governor and the Legislature on June 30, 1998. KDHE held three public hearings on the commission's report in August 1998 to receive further feedback concerning the commission's recommendations.
The culmination of all the public input has resulted in KDHE proposing several substantial changes to the Surface Water Quality Standards. In addition, some of the proposed changes are in response to federal requirements set forth by the EPA. Included in the proposed regulations are revisions to the State's anti-degradation policy, revisions to atrazine, chloride, and ammonia water quality criteria, and an expanded version of the State's Surface Water Implementation Procedures.
In order to give citizens an opportunity to comment on the standards, hearings will be held in three locations across the state. The first public hearing will be held in Hays on May 11 at the Fort Hays State University Memorial Union, Black and Gold Room. The hearing will begin at 6:30 p.m. On May 12, a second hearing will be held in Wichita in the City Council chambers, located at 455 N. Main beginning at 7:00 p.m. The final hearing will be held in Topeka at the Kansas Technology Enterprise Corporation offices, located at 214 SW 6th Ave., Suite 100, beginning at 7:00 p.m. Written and verbal public comments will be received by KDHE during the hearings. Public comments may also be submitted to KDHE until 12:00 a.m., May 14, 1999.
A draft of the proposed Surface Water Quality Standards and supporting documents can be downloaded from the Internet at http://www.kdheks.gov/water/ .
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