1. Water quality is main topic at EPC Mason City meeting
WATER QUALITY IS MAIN TOPIC AT EPC MASON CITY MEETING
MEDIA CONTACT: Jerah Sheets at 515-313-8909 or Jerah.Sheets@dnr.iowa.gov.
MASON CITY – A contract for water quality monitoring, a plan for state revolving loan funds and a petition that asks for water quality standards for lakes are on the Sept. 17 agenda of the Iowa Environmental Protection Commission.
Commissioners will be asked to approve a contract with the U.S. Geological Survey. The contract would provide DNR with stream flow data at 20 of Iowa’s 128 stream gages, water sampling and analysis at nine big river sites, and groundwater monitoring of nine shallow wells.
Commissioners will learn about the process to review a Petition for Rulemaking that asks commissioners to adopt numeric water quality standards for 159 public lakes. The EPC has 60 days to review the petition. A presentation from Ralph Rosenberg, director of the Iowa Environmental Council, is scheduled for 11 a.m. Commissioners are expected to make a decision to approve or deny the petition at the Oct. 14 meeting.
The meeting will start at 10 a.m. in the Historic Park Inn Hotel, 15 W. State St. in Mason City. Public participation is scheduled for 10:30 a.m. Appointments for referrals to the attorney general are scheduled at 1:30 p.m. regarding North Central Iowa Regional Solid Waste Agency and at 2 p.m. concerning Sioux-Preme Pack Company. The meeting is open to the public.
Sept. 16, a tour of the Landfill of North Iowa will precede the Sept. 17 meeting. The landfill is located at 15942 Killdeer Avenue, Clear Lake. The tour will start with lunch at 11:30 a.m. and a welcome at 1 p.m., adjourning by 5 p.m. Commissioners will have dinner at the Quarry Restaurant, 10 S. Federal Avenue in Mason City at 6 p.m.
On Sept. 17, commissioners will also meet with Mason City business leaders from 7:30 to 9:30 a.m. at the Mason City Chamber of Commerce, 9 N. Federal Avenue.
The complete agenda follows:
· Approval of Agenda
· New Commissioner Oath of Office
· Approval of Minutes
· Director’s Remarks
FY 15 Budget Request
Contract – United States Geological Survey – Cooperative Agreement
Solid Waste Alternatives Program – Agreement Recommendations
Adopted and Filed - IAC 567 – Amendments to Chapter 135: Technical Standards and Corrective Action Requirements for Owners and Operators of Underground Storage Tanks
Clean Water and Drinking Water State Revolving Loan Fund – FY 2014 Intended Use Plans – Second Quarter Update
Water Supply: Water Use & Allocation Annual Permit Fee
Contract Amendment – Source Water Protections Technical Assistance
Petition for Rulemaking
· Referrals to the Attorney General - North Central Iowa Regional Solid Waste Agency (Fort Dodge) – Solid Waste
· Referrals to the Attorney General - Sioux-Preme Packing Co. (Sioux County) - Wastewater
· Monthly Reports
· General Discussion
· Items for Next Month’s Meeting
o Oct. 14 – Windsor Heights
o Nov. 19 – Polk County
Find more information on the EPC agenda items at www.iowadnr.gov/InsideDNR/BoardsCommissions.aspx.
The members of the commission are Mary Boote, Des Moines, chair; Max Smith, Knoxville, vice-chair; Nancy Couser, Nevada, secretary; Cindy Greiman, Garner; Chad Ingels, Randalia; Brent Rastetter, Ames; Bob Sinclair, Sigourney; Gene Ver Steeg, Inwood. The director of the DNR is Chuck Gipp.