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Home My WebLink AboutDWQ-2025-004340MINUTES UTAH DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY UTAH WATER QUALITY BOARD MASOB OR VIAZoom March 26, 2025 8:30 AM UTAH WATER QUALITY BOARD MEMBERS PRESENT Jim Webb Jill Jones Trevor Heaton Joe Havasi Michelle Kaufusi Michela Harris Rob Fehr DIVISION OF WATER QUALITY STAFF MEMBERS PRESENT John MackeyAlex HeppnerJenifer Robinson Emily CantonJudy EtheringtonPorter Henze James HarrisSkyler Davies Leanna Littler-WoolfDan Griffin Clanci HawksBenj Morris Eric CastrejonLindsay Cowels Haley SousaJeff Studenka Ken HoffmanJordan Bryant Samantha HeusserPaul Burnett Tessa ScheuerHarry Campbell Ben HolcombJake Vanderlaan Katie GarthDanielle Lenz John SchwarzDave Pierson OTHERS PRESENT & ONLINE Melissa ReynoldsSoren Simonson Rob Dubuc Mike Chandler Steve Jackson Mr. Webb, Chair, called the Meeting to order at 8:30 AM. ROLL CALL Mr. Webb took roll call for the members of the Board. APPROVAL OF MINUTES OF February 26, 2025 Meeting Motion:Jill Jones motioned to approve the meeting minutes.Robert Fehr seconded the motion.The motion passed unanimously EXECUTIVE SECRETARY REPORT Mr. Mackey addressed the Board with the following updates: Mr. Mackey introduced two new staff members in the Compliance and Enforcement section.Katie Garth and John Schwartz, introduced themselves to the Board. Mr. Mackey, spoke about a couple of items on the Federal front. With the new Administration, we have changes coming through as we will revisit Waters of the U.S. (WOTUS) This term is used by states to define the waterbodies they regulate, often including waters that are not considered WOTUS. Mr. Mackey addressed that the Supreme Court Ruled on San Francisco versus EPA. “This decision upholds the Clean Water Act’s critical role in protecting water quality and simply requires the EPA to fulfill its obligations under the Clean Water Act, as intended by Congress. This ruling makes clear that permitholders like San Francisco are responsible for what they discharge, and the EPA has the tools at its disposal to ensure water quality. But it’s not lawful to punish permitholders for things outside of their control, such as the end-result water quality of a shared body of water, where many other factors affect water quality. This is a good government decision that assures certainty in water quality permitting and that every permittee has predictable, knowable standards to protect water quality.” Mr. Mackey addressed on the State front, in 2025 Technology Based Effluent phosphorus limits come into effect this year. Nearly all mechanical plants are required to meet the one milligram phosphorus effluent limit. This year most of them went into effect, there were a couple of variances that extended into the year and there will be a couple other, mostly the larger projects that will come into compliance in 2026. Mr. Mackey noted that there are three metrics that the legislature asks us to report on and one is our metric that is an attempt to have a unified understanding of how well wastewater treatment plants are performing and we selected this a bit esoteric parameter that’s called Oxygen Consumption Potential. It basically includes carbon, phosphorus and nitrogen in a summation that we can look at the amount of this material the comes out of wastewater treatment plants. We have a goal set with the legislature for a reduction in Oxygen Consumption Potential. The full explanation of this metric is available on zoom recording link March 26, 2025 Meeting Recording Mr. Mackey and the Board discussed that April’s board meeting will fall during the Water Environment Association of Utah Annual Conference (WEAU), the Board decided to cancel April’s meeting since a large number of Water Quality’s staff and Board members attend this conference. Mr. Mackey informed the Board that the new Board Member Jeannie Simmons, from Cache Valley has been approved through the Governor’s Office and her Confirmation Hearing is on April 14, 2025 at 1:00om. She will be joining us for the May 28, 2025 meeting. FUNDING: Financial Status Report: Presented by Emily Canton. Ash Creek SSD Virgin Design Advance:Mr. Lischeske presented a funding request in the amount of $230,400 for the design of a reginal sewer lift station and force main connecting Virgin to Ash Creek’s collection system in La Verkan. Motion:Mr. Heatonmoved to approve the $230,400 Hardship Grant according to staff recommendations made in the packet including the special conditions.Ms. Jones seconded the motion.The motion passed unanimously. RULE MAKING: Request to initiate rulemaking: R317-17 Great Salt Lake Mineral Extraction Salinity Discharge Limits: Mr. Harris & Mr. Holcomb addressed the Board to formally approve the rulemaking. Motion:Ms. Kaufsimoved to initiate the rulemaking for R317-17Ms. Jones seconded the motion.The motion passed unanimously. COMPLIACNE & ENFORCEMENT: Request for Approval of Settlement Docket No. I23-14 for Claude H. Nix Construction Co.: Mr. Castrjon asked the Board to seek approval of the penalty in the amount of $25,000 for Claude H. Nix Construction. Motion:Ms. Jones motioned to approved the Administrative Settlement Docket No. I23-14 for Claude H. Nix Construction Co.Ms. Harris seconded the motion.The motion passed unanimously. WASTEWATER CERTIFICATION PROGRAM: Recommendation for Interim Appointment to the Utah Wastewater Certification Council for April 1, 2025 through January 31, 2027: Ms. Scheuer asked the Boards approval of Kyle Dean, Manager for the Wastewater Collection Division at Granger Hunter Improvement District, be appointed to serve the interim term representing Certified Wastewater Collection Operators. Motion:Ms. Jones motioned to approve the staff recommendation to approve Kyle Dean to serve the interim term on the Wastewater Certification Council.Ms. Harris seconded the motion.The motion passed unanimously. OTHER: PUBLIC COMMENTS Soren Simonson with the Jordan River Commission, let the Board know how appreciative of the good work that they all do. Mr. Simonson gave a huge thank you to the Division of Water Quality staff that has been working to organize a program series with the Utah County Stormwater Coalition. He noted that they just had the second of a three-part series yesterday March 25, 2025 and the next one will be held on Tuesday April 1, 2025. There has been some amazing information that has been shared by DWQ, great insights on data and ideas and best practices around low impact development and stormwater improvements. Mr. Simonson informed the Board there will be a cleanup activity around the Jordan River coming up around Earth Day and everyone is invited to join in. MEETING ADJOURNMENT Motion:Ms. Jones motioned to adjourn the meeting.Ms. Kaufusi seconded the motion.The motion passed unanimously. To view the full recording click here March 26, 2025 Meeting Recording Next Meeting May 28, 2025 MASOB & Via Zoom 195 North 1950 West Salt Lake City, UT 84116 ViaZoom___________________________________James Webb, Chair Utah Water Quality Board