Iowa Water Quality Standards Reviewed By EPA
Iowa, like so many other states having a large agricultural-based economy, has water quality
problems. With the amount of fertilizer used for crops and the quantity of manure created by animals, it isn't hard to understand why one top official at the Iowa Department of Natural Resources recently said that that there is a "fight between agriculture and water quality."
Despite this disadvantage, EPA has to regulate Iowa (and the other ag-based economies) just like all of the other states. To that end, EPA just concluded its review of Iowa's designated use changes to its Water Quality Standards and has, not surprisingly, found them wanting. Of the 127 use designations considered, EPA disapproved the proposed water changes for 57 water bodies while approving 69 water bodies.
In commenting on those sites that were disapproved, EPA explained:
EPA's review of many of Iowa's UAAs identified the following six recurring situations associated with the data submitted for the assessed water body segments: 1) instances where the depth data did not support removing the Class Al primary contact recreational use or depth data is discounted due to perceived "elevated flow"; 2) instances where a public comment indicated a Class Al primary contact recreational use is attainable, yet the state removed the Class Al use; 3) instances where there was no data to support a change in designated use; 4) instances where data collected outside the recreational season do not support removing the Class A 1 primary contact recreational use; 5) instances where the UAAs and/or supporting data contains significant errors making it difficult to review the recommendation; and 6) instances where a general use, rather than an aquatic life use, is recommended despite the presence of water. For these situations, the data and information provided in the submission were not adequate to provide the necessary scientific and technical rationale to support changing the designated use from Class Al to Class A2 or to remove an aquatic life use. Therefore, EPA must disapprove changing the designated use from Class Al to Class A2 for the waters listed in Tables EPA 3 -5.
The errors noted seem to be of the type that a little money could solve. Problem is, there's no money. Every Iowa DNR Director has lamented this fact for years. And with a newly elected Republican governor, operating in a farm state, with few funds, it will be interesting to see what a new DNR Director can do in the new year.
