Triennial Review of Water Quality Standards

Overview

The West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) is required by the federal Clean Water Act (CWA) to conduct a comprehensive review of the state water quality standards every three years (the "Triennial Review"). This review allows input from all interested stakeholders, and unlike most other states all revisions must be approved by the state legislature before final approval from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

See Also


2022 Triennial Review

  • April 2022
    DEP solicited public input on potential revisions to the state's Water Quality Standards Rule (47CSR2). The agency accepted submissions from March 15, 2022 to April 15th 2022 and the following comments were received:
    Triennial Review Comments 2022

2017 Triennial Review

  • September 2015
    DEP solicited public input on potential revisions to the state's Water Quality Standards Rule (47CSR2). The suggested revisions were to include a revision to a current standard, additional standard(s) and/or deletion of a standard(s), and submissions needed to clearly state the revision being proposed and include sound scientific justification for the revision.

    The agency accepted submissions throughout Septemer 2015, and the following comments were received:

    Triennial Review Comments 2015
  • November 2015
    DEP held a Public Meeting on November 17, 2015 to discuss Triennial Review comments, and received further public imput in the form of presentations of scientific justification for recommended revisions to water quality standards.

  • January 27, 2016
    DEP held a public meeting to discuss alternative applications for Category A.

  • February 19, 2016
    At the request of an industry representative, DEP held a public meeting to accept additional comments on 2017 Triennial Review.

  • May 11, 2016
    DEP held a public meeting which included a discussion of DEP's draft changes to the WV WQS rule, “Requirements Governing Water Quality Standards,” 47 CSR 2, for Triennial Review. Language to be proposed by DEP was presented and discussed at this meeting.

  • June 16, 2016
    DEP filed notice with Secretary of State, commencing a forty-five day public comment period to accept oral and written comments on proposed revisions to the WQS rule.

  • August 9, 2016
    A public hearing was held on August 9 to accept final oral and written comments to the WQS rule.

  • August 26, 2016
    DEP filed an Agency-Approved rule with the Secretary of State and the Legislative Rule-Making Review Committee.