The next Water Quality Control Commission public meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, June 11th, 2013. (The regular May meeting has been canceled.) The location will be in Room 322 of the New Mexico Capitol Building, 490 Old Santa Fe Trail, Santa Fe, New Mexico. The draft agenda for that meeting will be available here approximately ten (10) days prior.
Andrew Knight and Kathryn Becker NMED/OGC; Dal Moellenberg and TJ Trujillo, Gallagher & Kennedy; Bruce Fredrick and Jonathan Block, NMELC; Tannis L. Fox, NM Attorney General; William Olson; Louis W. Rose, Montgomery and Andrew, P.A.; Tracy Hughes, High Desert Energy Environment; John Indall, Comeau, Maldegen, Templemen and Indall.
The evidentiary record in WQCC 12-01 (R) is closed.
The post-hearing process is roughly this: we expect the transcripts to be completed by June 1. When they are completed, the Administrator will prepare and post a "notice of transcript filing" that will include a firm deadline forty-five days out for the parties' post-hearing submittals. We expect that deadline to be on or before July 15. All submittals will be posted on this page, and are exected to include written closing argument, a proposed statement of reasons, and a final rule proposal for the Commission to consider. We expect the Commission to deliberate on all proposals at its regular meeting on August 13, 2013.
The Coalition's Motion to Dismiss Petition was denied by the Commission on January 8, 2013.
The proposed amendments will proceed to hearing on July 9, 2013.
The duties and powers of the WQCC include adoption of a comprehensive water quality management program and continuing planning process, the administration of loans and grants from the federal government, the adoption of water quality standards, and the adoption of regulations "to prevent or abate water pollution in the state or in any specific geographic area or watershed of the state...or for any class of waters." Under this [State Water Quality] Act, water is defined as all water, including water situated wholly or partly within or bordering upon the state, whether surface or subsurface, public or private, except private waters that do not combine with other surface or subsurface water [§ 74-6-2.H, NMSA 1978]. More...
The basic authority for water quality management in New Mexico is provided through the State Water Quality Act (§§ 74-6-1 et seq., NMSA 1978). This law establishes the Water Quality Control Commission (WQCC, commission) and specifies its duties and powers. The commission is the state water pollution control agency for this state for all purposes of the federal Clean Water Act and the wellhead protection and sole source aquifer programs of the federal Safe Drinking Water Act [§ 74-6-3.E, NMSA 1987]. More...
All questions regarding the Commission should be directed to:
Pam Castaneda, Administrator New Mexico Environment Department 1190 S. St. Francis Drive, N2153
P.O. Box 5469
Santa Fe, New Mexico USA 87502
E-mail: Pam.Castaneda@state.nm.us