[Posted courtesy of Maven's Notebook]
The State Water Resources Control Board is seeking public comment on proposed provisions to Part 2 of the Water Quality Control Plan for Inland Surface Waters, Enclosed Bays, and Estuaries that would add new beneficial uses for fish and establish statewide fish tissue mercury water quality objectives to protect the health of those who consume fish.

The proposed provisions would add tribal and subsistence fishing as beneficial uses, and establish five statewide mercury water quality objectives for sport fish, tribal subsistence fishing, subsistence fishing, and prey fish.  The program of implementation includes provisions for municipal and industrial discharges, stormwater discharges, discharges from mining sites, and nonpoint source discharges, as well as discharges from dredging activities and wetlands restoration projects.

The provisions, draft staff report, and draft SED will be available today at the State Water Board’s mercury webpage.

In order to more fully discuss the proposed provisions with the public and aid in the preparation of written comments, staff will be holding a workshop on January 9th from 9am to 4pm to discuss the provisions in detail.  Staff will be presenting information in two separate presentations: the morning presentation will be on the proposed water quality objectives, and the afternoon presentation will cover the proposed beneficial uses.

The public hearing for the proposed provisions will be held on February 7th at 9am.Written comments must be received by noon on Friday, February 17th.

• For the meeting notice, click here.
• For more information on the statewide mercury program, click here.
• For more information on mercury and methylmercury, click here.