Daniel P. Hido, left, and Hannah L. Baldwin, right, of Babst Calland Clements & Zomnir.
There have been several notable developments recently regarding the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection’s (PADEP) water quality standards regulations at 25 Pa. Code Chapter 93. First, on Jan. 31, the Pennsylvania Independent Regulatory Review Commission (IRRC) approved updates set forth as part of PADEP’s triennial review of the state’s water quality standards. Second, significant changes to the water quality standard for manganese moved closer to becoming law when the Pennsylvania Environmental Quality Board (EQB), a 20-member independent board that reviews and adopts PADEP proposed regulations before publication for public comment, approved PADEP’s proposed rulemaking on Dec. 17, 2019. Finally, PADEP continues work on a final rulemaking with respect to several proposed Class A stream redesignations after receiving comments from the IRRC on June 6, 2019.
PADEP implements the Chapter 93 instream water quality standards by first setting designated uses of surface waterbodies in Pennsylvania, and then by implementing water quality-based effluent limitations in NPDES permits to achieve or maintain the instream water quality of the receiving water, where applicable. Thus, changes to the Chapter 93 water quality standards may result in new or revised effluent limits for any facility that holds an NPDES permit.
