Current through Vol. 41, No. 13, March 15, 2024
(a) Subsection B,
27A O.S. Supp 1998, Section 1-1-202 (enacted through Senate Bill 549), mandates
that each state environmental agency shall promulgate, by July 1, 2001, a Water
Quality Standards Implementation Plan for its jurisdictional areas of
environmental responsibility specifying how the agency utilizes and enforces
the Oklahoma Water Quality Standards for surface water and groundwater. The
Implementation Plan must be promulgated in compliance with the Administrative
Procedures Act and pursuant to Section 1-1-202. After initial promulgation,
each state environmental agency must review its plan at least every three years
thereafter to determine whether revisions to the plan are necessary. All
references to sections are to the original plan document, which is available
from the Oklahoma Department of Agriculture.
(b) The Water Quality Standards
Implementation Plan is to include eight elements for each jurisdictional area:
(1) Program Compliance with Antidegradation
Requirements and Protection of Beneficial Uses - General description of the
processes, procedures and methodologies utilized to ensure that programs within
the agency's jurisdictional areas of environmental responsibility comply with
anti-degradation standards and lead to maintenance of water quality where
beneficial uses are supported, removal of threats to water quality where
beneficial uses are in danger of not being supported, and restoration of water
quality where beneficial uses are not being supported.
(2) Application of Use Support Assessment
Protocols (USAP)-Procedures to be utilized in the application of use support
assessment protocols (found at OAC 785:46, Subchapter 15) to make impairment
determinations.
(3) Description of
Programs Affecting Water Quality - Description of the surface water and/or
groundwater quality-related components of pertinent programs within each
jurisdictional area.
(4) Technical
Information and Procedures - Technical information, databases, and procedures
to be utilized by the Oklahoma Department of Agriculture (ODA) in the
WQSIP.
(5) Integration of WQSIP
into ODA activities - Describe how the Water Quality Standards Implementation
Plan is and will be integrated into the water quality management activities of
the agency, including rules, program area policies and guidance, and
standardized methods of conducting business.
(6) Compliance with Mandated Statewide Water
Quality Requirements - Describe how ODA is or will be complying with mandated
statewide requirements affecting water quality developed by other state
environmental agencies, including, but not limited to, total maximum daily load
(TMDL) development, nonpoint source (NPS) pollution prevention programs,
Oklahoma Water Quality Standards (OWQS), OWQS implementation procedures, and
the Continuing Planning Process (CPP) document.
(7) Public and Interagency Participation -
Summary of written comments and testimony received relative to all public
meetings held for the purpose of providing public participation relating to the
WQSIP, and new rules related to the WQSIP.
(8) Evaluation of Effectiveness of Agency
Activities - Describe methods and means to evaluate the effectiveness of
activities conducted pursuant to the WQSIP to achieve Water Quality
Standards.
Added at 18 Ok Reg 3409,
eff 6-28-01 (emergency); Added at 19 Ok Reg 951, eff
5-13-02
