Re: Request for Approval of Amendments to New Hampshire Surface Water Quality Standards

The State of New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services Robert R. Scott Commissioner December 13, 2019 Dennis Deziel, Regional Administrator EPA New England, Region 1 5 Post Office Square - Suite 100 Boston, MA 02109-3912 Re: Request for approval of amendments to New Hampshire Surface Water Quality Standards Dear Mr. Deziel: On January 20, 2018, the New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services (NHDES) made a 1 request to EPA to approve adopted amendments to the state's surface water quality standards • One of those amendments, regarding the dissolved oxygen (DO) saturation standard, was precipitated by a change in state law. Senate Bill (SB)127, effective September 8, 2017, amended State statutes (RSA 485-A:2, A:6 and A:8) regarding dissolved oxygen standards. NHDES submitted a request to EPA to add this amended statute to our approved state surface water quality standards per the requirements of 40 CFR § 131.6 and § 131.20(c ). This letter is to withdraw that request. Since submitting our request, NHDES and EPA Region 1 have been in detailed communication. A request for more information was sent by EPA to the state on July 3, 2019. NHDES responded to this letter on October 23, 2019, to which EPA replied on November 7, 2019. At the same time, NHDES has been in close communication with stakeholders and legislators regarding this issue. What is clear from all of these communications is that the issue of changing the DO saturation standard is much more complicated than originally thought. To this end, NHDES is working with the legislature to add more flexibility to the state's ability to set surface water quality standards for dissolved oxygen. House Bill 496 (as amended) was voted out of the NH Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee by unanimous vote on November 21, 2019. This bill will be taken up by the full legislature in January 2020. The bill would give NHDES the flexibility to modify surface water quality standards to address stakeholder concerns while, at the same time, addressing the issues raised by EPA with the current request. Therefore, NHDES respectfully withdraws our request for EPA approval of the amendment to the New Hampshire Surface Water Quality Standards relative to dissolved oxygen saturation per 40 CFR § 131.5. NHDES will revisit the issue of dissolved oxygen and may resubmit a new request for amendment at a later date. 1 On June 25, 1999, NHDES submitted documents required to satisfy the Clean Water Act Water Quality Standards docket. The submission included RSA 485-A: 1 through A:4, RSA 485-A:8 and RSA 485-A: 11, a list of Class A waters and surface water quality regulations (which were titled Env-Ws 430 in 1999 but are now titled Env-Wq 1700). On July 1, 1999, EPA acknowledged that the June 25, 1999 submittal was "complete and current". www.des.nh.gov 29 Hazen Drive• PO Box 95 • Concord, NH 03302-0095 (603) 271-3503 • TDD Access: Relay NH 1-800-735-2964 December 13, 2019 Page 2 of 7 Related to the change in statute in SB 127, NHDES also removed impairments for dissolved oxygen saturation as part of our submission to EPA in 2018 in fulfilment of Section 303(d) of the Clean Water Act. On August 8, 2019, NHDES submitted its 303(d) list to EPA for approval. As described in the document entitled, "Impairments Removed (i.e. Delisted) from the 2018 303(d) List of Threatened or Impaired Waters (i.e. Category 5)", NHDES proposed to change the status of a number of assessment units from Category 5 to Category 3-PNS (or 3-ND) for dissolved oxygen saturation that supports aquatic life use. The list of assessment units is attached to this letter. NHDES now respectfully requests that EPA remove these impairment removals from further consideration at this time. We will forward via email an updated 303d spreadsheet which will reflect this modification. The 2018 Section 305(b) and 303( d) Consolidated Assessment and Listing Methodology (CALM) describes in detail how surface water quality assessment decisions were made in fulfillment of 40 CFR 130.7(b)(6). The CALM will be changed for 2020 to reflect the above request and status of the DO saturation criteria at the time that the 2020 list is generated. Should you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact me at (603) 271-0677 or tbomas.o·don van t, ,de .. nh.g , or Ted Diers at (603) 271-3289 or led.dier @d .11h.g,ov. Sincerely --~~- ~~=--~ Director, Water Division cc ( electronically distributed): Ken Moraff, EPA Ted Diers, NH DES Mel Cote, EPA Gregg Comstock, NH DES Ken Edwardson, NHDES Ralph Abele, EPA Allen Brooks, NH DOJ December 13, 2019 Page 3 of7 2018 - IMPAIRMENTS REMOVED DUE TO STATUTE CHANGES In 2017, S8127 amended three sections of RSA 485 with regards to dissolved oxygen water quality criteria. As a result of these changes to RSA 485-A:6, XIV, NHDES assigned the following dissolved oxygen saturation determinations to Category 3. Town(s) - Primary Town Assessment Unit Name Assessment Unit ID 2016 2018 Listed First COLD BROOK - MILL BROOK NHIMP600020901-03 FREEDOM 5-P 3-PNS COCH ECO RIVER - CITY DAM 1 NHIMP600030603-01 ROCHESTER 5-M 3-PAS PISCASSIC RIVER NHIMP600030708-03 NEWMARKET 5-M 3-PAS OYSTER RIVER - MILL POND DAM NH IM P600030902-04 DURHAM 5-M 3-PNS BEARDS CREEK NHIMP600030902-06 DURHAM 5-M 3-PAS CAINS BROOK - NOYES POND NH IM P600031004-06 SEABROOK 5-P 3-PNS KNOWLES POND - TR WILLIAMS BROOK NH IM P700020203-01 NORTHFIELD 5-M 3-PNS CONTOOCOOK RIVER DAM NH IM P700030101-02 JAFFREY 5-P 3-PNS CONTOOCOOK RIVER NHIMP700030101-03 JAFFREY 5-M 3-PAS SOUHEGAN RIVER - GOLDMAN DAM NH IM P700060906-07 MILFORD 5-M 3-PNS NASHUA RIVER - MINE FALLS DAM POND NHIMP700040402-02 NASHUA 5-P 3-PNS POWWOW RIVER- POWWOW POND NHIMP700061403-04 KINGSTON, EAST 5-P 3-PAS KINGSTON, NEWTON ASHUELOT RIVER DAM POND NHIMP802010301-02 KEENE 5-P 3-PNS MIDDLE PEA PORRIDGE POND NH LAK600020303-06 MADISON 5-M 3-PAS BEARCAMP POND NH LAK600020601-01-01 SANDWICH 5-M 3-PNS LEAVITT BAY NHLAK600020804-01-02 OSSIPEE, EFFINGHAM, 5-M 3-PAS FREEDOM WILLAND POND NH LAK600030405-03 SOMERSWORTH, DOVER 5-M 3-PNS BAXTER LAKE NHLAK600030602-01 FARMINGTON, ROCHESTER 5-M 3-PAS FRESH CREEK POND NH LAK600030608-01 DOVER, ROLLINSFORD 5-M 3-PNS ONWAY LAKE NH LAK600030703-03-01 RAYMOND 5-M 3-PNS COLCORD POND N HLAK600030804-01 EXETER 5-M 3-PNS SWAINS LAKE NH LAK600030903-03 BARRINGTON 5-M 3-PNS EEL POND NHLAK600031002-01 RYE 5-P 3-PNS TAYLOR RIVER REFUGE POND NHLAK600031003-02 HAMPTON, HAMPTON 5-M 3-PNS FALLS SQUAM LAKE NH LAK700010501-04-01 HOLDERNESS, CENTER 5-M 3-PNS HARBOR, MOULTONBOROUGH, SANDWICH WHITE OAK POND NHLAK700010501-05 HOLDERNESS 5-M 3-PNS LITTLE SQUAM LAKE NHLAK700010502-01-01 HOLDERNESS, ASHLAND 5-M 3-PNS WAUKEENA LAKE NH LAK700010701-05 DANBURY 5-M 3-PNS LAKE WENTWORTH NHLAK700020101-05-01 WOLFEBORO 5-M 3-PNS GARLAND POND NHLAK700020103-03 MOULTONBOROUGH 5-M 3-PNS LAKE WAUKEWAN NHLAK700020108-02-01 MEREDITH, CENTER 5-M 3-PNS HARBOR, NEW HAMPTON LAKE WINONA NH LAK700020108-02-02 CENTER HARBOR, NEW 5-M 3-PNS HAMPTON INLET TO PAUGUS BAY THROUGH SOUTH NH LAK700020110-06 LACONIA 5-M 3-PNS December 13, 2019 Page 4 of 7 Town(s) - Primary Town Assessment Unit Name Assessment Unit ID 2016 2018 Listed First DOWN WICWAS LAKE N HLAK700020201-04 MEREDITH 5-M 3-PAS CHESHIRE POND NH LAK700030101-02 JAFFREY 5-M 3-PNS POOLPOND NHLAK700030101-12 RINDGE 5-M 3-PNS POWDER MILL POND NH LAK700030107-03 HANCOCK, BENNINGTON, 5-M 3-PNS GREENFIELD HALFMOON POND NH LAK700030201-02 WASHINGTON 5-M 3-PNS HIGHLAND LAKE NH LAK700030201-03 STODDARD, WASHINGTON 5-M 3-PNS ISLAND POND NHLAK700030202-02-01 STODDARD 5-M 3-PNS KEZAR LAKE N HLAK700030303-03-01 SUTTON 5-M 3-PNS PLEASANT LAKE NHLAK700030402-02-01 NEW LONDON 5-M 3-PNS ADDER POND NH LAK700030403-01 ANDOVER 5-M 3-PNS BRADLEY LAKE NHLAK700030403-02 ANDOVER 5-M 3-PNS WALKER POND NH LAK700030506-02 BOSCAWEN, WEBSTER 5-M 3-PNS MELENDY POND NH LAK700040401-01-01 BROOKLINE 5-M 3-PNS POTANIPO POND NHLAK700040401-02-01 BROOKLINE 5-M 3-PAS LYFORD POND NHLAK700060201-02 CANTERBURY 5-M 3-PNS NEW POND NHLAK700060201-03 CANTERBURY 5-M 3-PNS TUREE POND NH LAK700060301-01 BOW 5-M 3-PNS KIMBALL POND NHLAK700060302-06 CANTERBURY 5-M 3-PNS HILLS POND NHLAK700060401-04 ALTON 5-M 3-PNS HALFMOON LAKE NHLAK700060402-03 ALTON, BARNSTEAD 5-M 3-PNS LONG POND NH LAK700060502-07 NORTHWOOD 5-M 3-PNS PLEASANT LAKE N HLAK700060502-09-01 DEERFIELD, NORTHWOOD 5-M 3-PNS DEERING RESERVOIR NHLAK700060601-01 DEERING 5-M 3-PAS MASSABESIC LAKE NH LAK700060702-03 AUBURN, MANCHESTER 5-M 3-PNS CRYSTAL LAKE NHLAK700060703-02-01 MANCHESTER 5-M 3-PAS HOLT POND NHLAK700061001-06 MERRIMACK, NASHUA 5-M 3-PNS CANOBIE LAKE NHLAK700061102-02 WINDHAM, SALEM 5-M 3-PNS CAPTAIN POND NHLAK700061102-03-01 SALEM 5-M 3-PNS SEAVEY POND NHLAK700061102-08 WINDHAM 5-M 3-PNS KENDALL POND NH LAK700061203-04 LONDONDERRY 5-M 3-PNS RAINBOW LAKE N HLAK700061203-05 DERRY 5-M 3-PNS LONG POND NHLAK700061205-02-01 PELHAM 5-M 3-PNS OTTERNICK POND NHLAK700061206-02 HUDSON 5-M 3-PNS GREAT POND NH LAK700061403-06-01 KINGSTON 5-M 3-PNS TUXBURY POND NHLAK700061403-10 SOUTH HAMPTON 5-P 3-PNS MOORE RESERVOIR NHLAK801030202-01 LITTLETON, DAL TON 5-M 3-PNS ROUND POND NHLAK801030502-04 LYMAN 5-M 3-PNS LOWER MOUNTAIN LAKE NH LAK801030505-03 HAVERHILL 5-M 3-PNS MASCOMA LAKE NH LAK801060105-04-01 ENFIELD, LEBANON 5-M 3-PNS STOCKER POND NHLAK801060401-02 GRANTHAM 5-M 3-PNS BAPTIST POND NHLAK801060402-02 SPRINGFIELD 5-M 3-PNS LITTLE SUNAPEE LAKE NHLAK801060402-04-01 NEW LONDON, 5-M 3-PNS SPRINGFIELD SUNAPEE LAKE NHLAK801060402-05-01 SUNAPEE, NEW LONDON, 5-M 3-PNS NEWBURY December 13, 2019 Page 5 of 7 Town(s) - Primary

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