DEQ responds to concerns over Powder River Basin TMDL rules
By Joe Hathaway on Friday, June 14th, 2024 in More Top Stories Northeastern Oregon News
BAKER COUNTY — The Oregon Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) has responded to criticisms regarding its newly adopted rules for the Powder River Basin, saying the agency is committed to environmental justice and public involvement in the rulemaking process.
The new Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) regulations, approved by the Environmental Quality Commission (EQC), aim to address water quality impairments caused by excess bacteria. The DEQ attributes approximately 90% of the bacterial load in the basin to livestock and agricultural runoff, posing significant risks to public health, livestock, and wildlife.
Doni Bruland, Natural Resources Coordinator for Baker County, recently expressed disappointment with the EQC’s decision, stating that over 500 public comments were seemingly ignored.
“Our local community, the ones that this impacts the most, had absolutely no say in the rulemaking,” Bruland said. “There is the potential to lose our agricultural operations. The DEQ would never answer that question directly, but their rules talk about taking regulatory action.”
In response, DEQ Public Affairs Specialist Antony Vorobyov highlighted the extensive public process involved. “DEQ appreciates all comments on the Powder River Basin TMDL that were received throughout the public notice periods,” Vorobyov said. He says the DEQ held multiple public comment periods, extended deadlines, a public hearing, and an open house held to ensure community involvement.
Vorobyov emphasized that all public comments were reviewed and used to refine the rule documents, with responses provided publicly on the DEQ’s website. These documents were also made available to the EQC for review ahead of their decision.
The Powder River Basin, covering most of Baker County and parts of Union, Wallowa, Grant, and Malheur counties, has been plagued by bacterial contamination for over two decades, according to the DEQ.
The TMDL regulations include a comprehensive plan to reduce bacterial pollution in the Powder River Basin, with a timeline for achieving significant reductions in pollutant loads. The DEQ estimates that bacteria levels could be reduced by 50% within 10-15 years, aiming for full compliance with water quality standards in 20-30 years.
For more information on the new TMDL rules and the Powder River Basin Water Quality Improvement Plan, visit the DEQ’s website at ordeq.org/powder.
