Code of Colorado Regulations
1000 - Department of Public Health and Environment
1002 - Water Quality Control Commission (1002 Series)
5 CCR 1002-32 - REGULATION NO. 32 - CLASSIFICATIONS AND NUMERIC STANDARDS FOR ARKANSAS RIVER BASIN
Section 5 CCR 1002-32.21 - STATEMENT OF BASIS, SPECIFIC STATUTORY AUTHORITY AND PURPOSE: SEPTEMBER 7, 1993 RULEMAKING HEARING
The provisions of 25-8-202(1)(a), (b) and (2); 25-8-203; 25-8-204: and 25-8-402, C.R.S. provide the specific statutory authority for adoption of these regulation amendments. The Commission also adopted in compliance with 24-4-103(4), C.R.S., the following statement of basis and purpose.
BASIS AND PURPOSE:
On November 30, 1991, revisions to "The Basic Standards and Methodologies for Surface Water", 3.1.0 (5 CCR 1002-8), became effective. As part of the revisions, the averaging period for the selenium criterion to be applied as a standard to a drinking water supply classification was changed from a 1-day to a 30-day duration. The site-specific standards for selenium on drinking water supply segments were to be changed at the time of rulemaking for the particular basin. Only one river basin, the South Platte, has gone through basin-wide rulemaking since these revisions to the "Basic Standards". Through an oversight, the selenium standards was not addressed in the rulemaking for this basin and has since become an issue in a wasteload allocation being developed for segments 15 and 16 of the South Platte. Agreement on the wasteloads for selenium is dependent upon a 30-day averaging period for selenium limits in the effected parties permits. Therefore, the parties requested that a rulemaking hearing be held for the South Platte Basin to addressing changing the designation of the 10 ug/l selenium standard on all water supply segments from a 1-day to a 30-day standard. The Water Quality Control Division, foreseeing the possibility of a selenium issue arising elsewhere in the state, made a counter proposal to have one hearing to change the designation for the selenium standard on all water supply segments statewide. The Commission and the parties concerned with South Platte segments 15 and 16 agreed that this would be the most judicious way to address the issue.
The change in the averaging period may cause a slight increase in selenium loads to those segments which have CPDS permits regulating selenium on the basis of a water supply standard. However, these segments are only five in number and the use will still be fully protected on the basis that the selenium criterion is based on 1975 national interim primary drinking water regulations which assumed selenium to be a potential carcinogen. It has since been categorized as a non-carcinogen and new national primary drinking water regulations were promulgated in 1991 that raised the standard to 50 ug/l.
The Commission also corrected a type error in the TVS for Silver by changing the sign on the exponent fro the chronic standards for Trout from + 10.51 to - 10.51.
