Environmental Protection Agency August 11, 2017 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is requesting comments on and will hold public hearings for the State of Idaho's National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) program application (to be referred to as the ``IPDES program application'' or the ``application''). The Governor of the State of Idaho submitted the application to the EPA Region 10 Administrator pursuant to section 402 of the Clean Water Act (CWA or `the Act'). With this submission, the Idaho Department of Environmental Quality (IDEQ) seeks approval to administer the Idaho Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (IPDES) program regulating discharges of pollutants into waters of the United States under its jurisdiction. The State's request includes an implementation plan to transfer from the EPA to IDEQ the administration of specific program components in four phases over a four-year period beginning July 1, 2018, or upon program approval, whichever is later. If the EPA approves the IPDES program, IDEQ will administer this program, subject to continuing EPA oversight and enforcement authority, in place of the NPDES program now administered by the EPA. The EPA will retain permitting authority over all facilities that are located within a tribal reservation and/or facilities that discharge to tribal waters. Today, the EPA is requesting comments on the State's application and providing notice of public hearings that will be held at locations throughout the state. At the close of the public comment period, the EPA will review all the public comments received and will either approve or disapprove the State's request for program approval. If approved, the NPDES program authority will begin to transfer from the EPA to IDEQ on or after July 1, 2018, with the final program phase being transferred to IDEQ on or after July 1, 2021.