PUBLIC NOTICE OF DRAFT DISCHARGE PERMIT AND 208 PLAN, PERMIT NUMBER AR0038237, AFIN 39-00031
In accordance with Ark. Code Ann. § 8-4-203(e), the Arkansas Department of Energy and Environment (E&E) Division of Environmental Quality (DEQ), Office of Water Quality, gives the following notice:
The City of Moro Sewer System operates a facility located at Highway 78 South, Moro, AR 72368 in Lee County. The facility is currently permitted to discharge treated municipal wastewater into Hog Tusk Creek, thence to Big Creek, and thence to the White River in Segment 4A of the White River Basin. The City of Moro Sewer System submitted an application May 22, 2023, with all additional information received by July 7, 2023, for the renewal of NPDES Permit No. AR0038237. The application has been reviewed by DEQ’s Office of Water Quality and has received tentative approval subject to the terms of this notice.
The 208 Plan, developed by DEQ under provisions of Section 208 of the federal Clean Water Act, is a comprehensive program to work toward achieving federal water goals in Arkansas. The initial 208 Plan, adopted in 1979, provides for annual updates, but can be revised more often if necessary. An update to the 208 Plan has been proposed to revise the instantaneous minimum DO limit from 3.0 mg/l to 4.0 mg/l during May through October. This change has also been incorporated into the draft discharge permit.
Citizens wishing to examine or obtain copies of the permit application, the draft permitting decision, the statement of basis, or the 208 Plan, may do so at E&E headquarters located at 5301 Northshore Drive, North Little Rock, AR 72118-5317. To request a copy of one or more of the documents, please call (501) 682-0972. For those with internet access, a copy of the proposed draft permit, as well as the publication date, may be found on DEQ’s website at: https://www.adeq.state.ar.us/water/permits/drafts_pn.aspx
Comments on the draft permit will be accepted in accordance with Pollution Control and Ecology Commission (PC&EC) Rule 8.208, codified at 8 CAR § 11-208. DEQ’s contact person for submitting written comments on the draft permit, or 208 Plan, or requesting a public hearing on the draft permit, or the proposed changes to the 208 Plan, is Ben Wilson at the above address and telephone number or by email at EE.WaterComment@arkansas.gov.
The period for submitting comments on the draft permit, or 208 Plan, and for requesting a public hearing, shall begin on the date of publication of the public notice and end at 4:30 p.m. (Central Time) on the 30th day after the publication date. If the last day of the comment period is a Saturday, Sunday, or legal holiday, the public comment period shall expire on the next day that is not a Saturday, Sunday, or legal holiday. For information regarding the actual publication date along with the actual date and time the comment period will end, please contact Ben Wilson at the above address and telephone number or by email at EE.WaterComment@arkansas.gov. Public notice, comments, and hearings will be conducted in accordance with Rules 6.104(A)(5) [40 C.F.R. §§ 124.10 through 124.12 by reference] and 8.207 through 8.210 (Administrative Procedures), codified at 8 CAR § 25-104 and 8 CAR §§ 11-207 through 210. All persons, including the permittee, who wish to comment on DEQ’s draft permitting decision must submit written comments to DEQ, along with their name and mailing address. A public hearing will be held when DEQ finds a significant degree of public interest. After the public comment period, DEQ will issue a final permitting decision. DEQ will notify the applicant and each person who has submitted written comments or requested notice of the final permitting decision. Any interested person who has submitted comments may appeal a final decision by DEQ in accordance with the PC&EC Rule 8, codified at 8 CAR Part 11.
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