Los Alamos Reporter

Comment Period Open For NPDES Clean Water Act Certification For Seven Springs State Fish Hatchery

NEW MEXICO ENVIRONMENT DEPARTMENT NEWS

The Environmental Protection Agency’s public notice and associated federal comment period have been opened for the draft National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit for New Mexico Department of Game and Fish, Seven Springs State Fish Hatchery (NM0030112).

NPDES is the permit program that addresses water pollution by regulating point sources that discharge pollutants to U.S. waters.

Additionally, the state Environment Department has opened the simultaneous comment period for the Clean Water Act Section 401 Certification of the draft NPDES permit.

When EPA Region 6 drafts a National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit for a discharge into one of New Mexico’s surface waters, NMED has an opportunity to assure that the discharge will not negatively affect the receiving waterbodies. This is documented through the 401 Certification and is required in accordance with state regulations at 20.6.2.2001 NMAC. NMED can make the draft permit more stringent if based on state law or can make comments to EPA for consideration in the final permit. NMED also has the authority to deny certification if the permitting circumstances will not guarantee that the discharge will meet water quality standards. 

The draft permit, draft fact sheet/statement of basis and other associated information can be found at the following websites: https://www.env.nm.gov/surface-water-quality/public-notices/ and/or https://www.epa.gov/publicnotices/notices-search/location/New%20Mexico.

For this facility, if you have comments that you would like NMED to consider as the Clean Water Act Section 401 Certification is drafted, please send them to: Sarah Holcomb, Program Manager, NMED SWQB Point Source Regulation Section, PO Box 5469, Santa Fe, NM 87502, sarah.holcomb@state.nm.us, (505) 819-9734. For more information on the draft permit, contact David Valenta, NMED SWQB Point Source Regulation Section, PO Box 5469, Santa Fe, NM 87502 or email: daniel.valenta@state.nm.us, (505) 819-8112.

NMED SWQB will accept written comments until the end of the business day (5pm) on Monday, December 21, 2020.