Item 2D - 2005 Leg.Policies Doc - Laserfiche WebLink

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The City opposes any efforts to change State water quality standards through the legislative process. The DEQ has established a comprehensive process for evaluating current water quality standards and proposing new or changed standards which involves all stakeholders as well as recognized technical experts. This process, followed by opportunities for the public to comment, has led to the Environmental Quality Commission adopting changes to several water quality standards. Future changes to water quality standards, including beneficial use designations, should be obtained through a similar collaborative process, and not achieved through legislative action. 2. POLLUTION SOURCE EQUITY Since Congressional passage of the Clean Water Act (CWA) in 1972, cities and industries which discharge effluent from a ;;point source" have been under EPA jurisdiction. Authority to discharge from a point source (for example, a sewage treatment plant) requires a National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) Permit. Although this focus on point sources has significantly improved the nation's water quality, substantial water pollution continues to result from unregulated ~non-point" sources (i.e., water pollutants with diffuse origins). In its re-authorization of the CWA in 1987, Congress addressed part of this problem by requiring cities and certain industries to treat storm water run-off through a series of ;;best practices." The 1987 language called for implementation in two phases based on city population. Phase I called for cities with a population of 100,000 or more to obtain NPDES Storm water permits. By 1995, all Phase I communities in Oregon had received their NPDES permit. The EPA is now moving into Phase II, which requires all cities with a population exceeding 50,000 to obtain a stormwater permits. The agency has also authorized Oregon's DEQ to extend the requirement to any city it deems appropriate. Officials from Oregon cities have acknowledged their responsibility for maintaining and improving water quality and have developed measures to reduce discharges from city facilities. Over the next 10 years, for example, Oregon's Phase I cities and Corvallis will spend more than $10 billion on measures to reduce storm water pollutants. While urban areas are a significant source of storm water pollutants, it is estimated that non-point sources are responsible for more than half of the pollutants in water systems. However, regulatory requirements focus almost exclusively on discharges from point source and urban runoff. If the objective is to remove pollutants from Oregon's waterways, then all sources of non-point source discharges need to assume an equitable share of responsibility. Local taxpayers should not be expected to continue funding water clean up while rural non- point sources are exempt from responsibility. Recommendations: City of Eugene Legislative Policies, 2005 Session 46