From the San Francisco Bay Regional Water Board:
The California Regional Water Quality Control Board, San Francisco Bay Region (Water Board) will conduct a public hearing to present a tentative resolution to adopt the 2018 Basin Plan Triennial Review list of prioritized projects. The purpose of the Triennial Review is to examine and update the focus of Water Board planning efforts. Section 13240 of the Porter-Cologne Water Quality Control Act and section 303(c)(1) of the federal Clean Water Act require the Water Board to review the Water Quality Control Plan for the San Francisco Bay Basin (Basin Plan) at least once every three years to keep pace with changes in regulation, technology, policies, and the physical environment within the region. The Basin Plan is the master policy document that contains descriptions of the legal, technical, and programmatic bases of water quality regulation in the San Francisco Bay Region, including water quality standards.
The public hearing on the Basin Plan Triennial Review will be held at the Water Board’s regular monthly meeting:
DATE: Wednesday September 12, 2018
TIME: 9 a.m.
LOCATION: Elihu M. Harris State Building, Main Auditorium; 1515 Clay Street; Oakland, California 94612
STAFF CONTACT: Richard Looker; 1515 Clay Street, Suite 1400; Oakland, CA 94612 (510) 622-2451 (ph) (510) 622-2460 (fax) email: rlooker@waterboards.ca.gov
Written comments from the public on an initial list of candidate basin planning projects were accepted from April 20 to June 8, 2018. Water Board staff also conducted a public workshop on May 21, 2018. During the workshop and comment period, the public had the opportunity to comment on the Triennial Review process and the Basin Plan, as well as recommend basin planning issues for investigation. Following a review of all comments received through that process, Water Board staff prepared a report describing a prioritized list of basin planning projects (including Total Maximum Daily Loads) that may be pursued over the next three years and that could ultimately result in Basin Plan amendments.
The 2018 Basin Plan Triennial Review staff report and list of priority projects is available at the Water Board website:
http://www.waterboards.ca.gov/sanfranciscobay/basin_planning.shtml#triennialreview
SUBMISSION OF WRITTEN COMMENTS: Written comments from the public and interested parties on the staff report and prioritized list of basin planning projects will be accepted for thirty (30) days, until 5:00 p.m. on August 20, 2018. Additionally, all evidence, written testimony and exhibits proposed to be offered at the hearing must be submitted in writing to the Water Board staff contact no later than 5 p.m. on August 20, 2018 in order to be considered by the Water Board. Non-evidentiary policy statements to be made at the hearing need not be submitted in advance.
Prior to the hearing, Water Board staff will post on its website the tentative resolution (that includes the prioritized list of basin planning projects), any proposed changes to the staff report, and written responses to all comments received during the public comment period. Any changes in the date of the hearing, the availability of responses to comments, or any other updates will also be noticed on the above website.
The public hearing will be conducted in accordance with 23 Cal. Code of Regs. § 649.3. Time limits may be imposed on oral testimony at the public hearing; groups are encouraged to designate a spokesperson. All exhibits presented at the hearing, including charts, graphs, and other testimony must be left with the Water Board. They will become part of the administrative record.
A map and directions to the hearing are available online at:
http://www.waterboards.ca.gov/sanfranciscobay/about_us/directions.shtml
The location of the hearing is accessible to persons with disabilities. Individuals who require special accommodations are requested to contact the Water Board’s Executive Assistant Brandy Stone, (510) 622-2399, Brandy.Stone@waterboards.ca.gov, at least five (5) working days before a meeting. TTY users may contact the California Relay Service at 1-800-735-2929 or voice line at 1-800-735-2922.
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