Public Input on Regulation # 2 - Make your views known !

[Half Ton]

The Public Listening Sessions regarding Regulation No. 2 are scheduled as follows:

Feb. 9 ADEQ, Commission Room, 5301 Northshore Dr., North Little Rock 2:00 p.m.
Feb. 15 Clarion Inn, 1255 S. Shiloh, Fayetteville 6:00 p.m.
Feb. 16 University of Arkansas Community College, 2005 White Drive, Batesville 6:00 p.m.
Feb. 21 Eugene Woods Civic Center, 212 W. Polk, West Memphis 6:00 p.m.
Feb. 23 Arkansas Oil and Gas Commission, 2215 W. Hillsboro, El Dorado 6:00 p.m.


GET INVOLVED AND HELP MAKE A DIFFERENCE:

The Arkansas Department of Environmental Quality (ADEQ) must review its water quality standards (Regulation No. 2) every three years. During this review process, ADEQ may make revisions, if necessary.



These revisions may include:

- Updating standards

- Revising standards that are difficult to interpret

- Adding appropriate new standards

- Correcting grammatical and typographical errors



Although public comments are accepted every review session, ADEQ is offering even more opportunities for the public to get involved during the 2013 review process. Public Listening Sessions will provide a platform for the public to:

- submit comments on Regulation No.2 prior to the initiation of the official triennial review process.

- learn about the Stakeholder Workgroups scheduled for later in 2012 and how they can potentially become a part of them.



Ultimately, the Public Listening Sessions, coupled with the Stakeholder Workgroups, will serve as an outlet for open communication between ADEQ and the public and will facilitate an appropriate revision of Regulation No. 2.



HOW TO PROVIDE INPUT:

Oral and written comments pertaining to Regulation No. 2 will be accepted at the Public Listening Sessions. Additional written comments may be sent to ADEQ following the guidelines below. All comments will be considered by the Stakeholder Workgroup; however it is anticipated that the Stakeholder Workgroup may not find it appropriate to incorporate all comments into Reg. No. 2 at this time.



WRITTEN COMMENTS SHOULD BE SENT TO:

Sarah Clem

Arkansas Department of Environmental Quality

Water Division, 5301 Northshore Drive

North Little Rock, AR 72118

E-mail comments should be addressed to: Reg2Listening-Comments@adeq.state.ar.us



IN ORDER TO BE CONSIDERED, COMMENTS MUST BE RECEIVED NO

LATER THAN 4:30 p.m., ON WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 29, 2012.



HOW TO OBTAIN MORE INFORMATION:

A complete copy of Regulation No. 2 is available on the ADEQ's web site or can be obtained by contacting Sarah Clem in the ADEQ Water Division; telephone, 501-682-0660; e-mail, clem@adeq.state.ar.us.

[waterhog]

this is great halfton keep up the good work

[Eric Esche]

Sticky?

[DeBo]

I will be attending the Feb. 9th session and have also been asked by ADEQ to be on a workshop team when the triennial review begins. As John has asked, please attend the session in your area and let us know your thoughts and suggestions. Thanks John for posting.

[Half Ton]

If anyone else happens to be going to one of these meetings to comment, or would like to make a written comment.....

Be sure to mention a specific regulation by number, rather than getting up and crying, giving unrelated emotional dialogue, or reading poetry about how much you like water.

Oh yea, try not to bash the ADEQ while your at it.

Not only do those statements do no good, but they waste a lot of time also.

I saw and heard a lot of comments that were rediculous or a waste of time and energy at the session that i attended. Which is too bad, because I think those people really do like water, water quality, and wild, scenic, extraordinary, ecologically sensitive waterbodies. However their statements were so far out and unrelated that they will do no good as they were.

[Half Ton]

and here is where you can find the regulation itself:

http://www.adeq.state.ar.us/regs/files/ ... 110926.pdf" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[DeBo]

Ah! I suspected that the Fayetteville session would be the interesting one. The Little Rock session was very peaceful with only a couple of brief statements by people who said that most of their commentary would be written.

These public hearings are very difficult for lay people. You work all day at your own job and you would like to make a difference on some of these issues but you just don't have time to sit down and try to understand a lengthy document laced with technical jargon and legalese and find something valid and insightful to say.

This is a serious problem that we face. Polluters have people on staff who are paid to go through regulations with a fine tooth comb looking for minute changes which can weaken standards and attend all the hearings making very specific and technical comments.

Most folks are just lucky enough to see a public notice somewhere, rush in and make an emotional plea for state regulators to, "Please, just please, take care of our water!"

I am sitting here right now trying to put together written comments that I can send in before the deadline. This will not be the last chance to comment and I have asked to be on the workgroup as the review moves forward. Thanks John for keeping us informed from Fayetteville. I will do the same from Little Rock.

[JohnG]

Triennial reviews happen every three years! So after this one version moves on toward approval or disapproval by the Arkansas Pollution Control and Ecology Commission, it will be time for thinking about the next review. I don't see the changes in Reg. 2 over time as as much a conflict of good and evil as of a conflict between the prepared and the reactive. Conservationists are too often reactive. It is possible for any group to start talking to ADEQ well ahead of the review, making suggestions, listening and building mutual understanding. One example would be to see if there are streams that are currently of better water quality than required in reg.2. Those could be changed to reflect their actual status and avoid potential degradation.

Reg. 15 on mining has public hearings coming up, and this should be of interest.

[DeBo]

I didn't want this topic to slide away without responding to JohnG. You are so correct in saying that the conservation community has always just been reactive. I am making a strong effort to correct that this time around. I have already met with staff at ADEQ and included some proactive statements in my comments and I am also urging members of the Arkansas Conservation Coalition to offer up constructive ideas for changes. I am hopeful that I will be part of the working group for the review. The whole of Reg 2 is going to be opened up this time and I think that it presents a great opportunity for us. I would even like to see the new language for adding an ERW tested.

I also agree that we need to start paying attention to the other regs and not be so narrowly focused on reg 2. I will be attending the upcoming hearing on reg 15 and will make comments on that as well.

[prophet]

I didn't want this topic to slide away without responding to JohnG. You are so correct in saying that the conservation community has always just been reactive. I am making a strong effort to correct that this time around. I have already met with staff at ADEQ and included some proactive statements in my comments and I am also urging members of the Arkansas Conservation Coalition to offer up constructive ideas for changes. I am hopeful that I will be part of the working group for the review. The whole of Reg 2 is going to be opened up this time and I think that it presents a great opportunity for us. I would even like to see the new language for adding an ERW tested.
I also agree that we need to start paying attention to the other regs and not be so narrowly focused on reg 2. I will be attending the upcoming hearing on reg 15 and will make comments on that as well.

a good offense is a good defense or something like that