Spokane river discharge permits receiving a lot of attention

June 14, 2011

The past week has seen a number of articles and editorials related to Spokane County efforts to receive a draft discharge permit, technically called a National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit. Ecology issues NPDES permits to regulate the discharge of pollutants into the state’s surface waters.

A draft permit is also being issued for Inland Empire Paper, and final permits for the City of Spokane, Kaiser and Liberty Lake Water and Sewer District are expected soon.

Permits reflect the waste load allocation each discharger must meet to comply with the Dissolved Oxygen clean-up plan (called a Total Maximum Daily Load, or TMDL) issued last spring by Ecology. Of particular interest in the last week is the ability of the County, as a proposed new discharger into the river, to meet PCB standards set forth in the Clean Water Act.

Below are links to the Spokane Tribe of Indians letter concerning permits, and related articles and editorials published by the Spokesman Review.

Spokane Tribe of Indians Letter, May 27th
Tribe’s river PCB complaint jeopardizes treatment plant, June 7

Guest opinion, County, Ecology ignored treatment plant permit warnings, June 11

Treatment plant delay won’t help environment, June 12

County will get draft sewage permit, June 14

Guest Opinion, County plant will help river, June 18