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Ms. Stacie Wassell undertook a presentation on October 6th at the Arkansas Environmental Federation Convention titled:
Office of Water Quality Update (“Presentation”)
Ms. Wassell serves as the Deputy Associate Director of the Arkansas Department of Energy & Environment – Division of Environmental Quality’s (“DEQ”) Office of Water Quality (“OWQ”).
The Presentation addressed under the topic of permitting:
- ERule (40 C.F.R. Part 127)
- Electronic reporting of information (December 21, 2025)
- NPDES permittees, facilities, and entities must electronically submit their NPDES information unless a waiver is granted.
- Eportal
- Permit Applications
- Permitting Process
- Pretreatment Reports
- Electronic Payment
- Active for short-term activity authorizations and all general permits (NPDES and ND)
- Individual No Discharge coming soon
The steps for signing up for eportal were also addressed.
Compliance statistics included:
- Inspections
- Federal FY2022 (9/30): Completing inspection reports.
- Federal FY2023 (10/1): Begin working towards 2023 compliance objectives.
- Inspectors
- Current: 15 (Inspectors and Supervisors).
- Vacancies: 4
The discussion of enforcement and licensing noted:
- Significant noncompliance
- Effluent Violations
- Late Discharge Monitoring Reports
- Failure to Submit Reports
- Eportal
- Hours Submittal Form
- Exam Application
- License Renewal Form
- Orders
- 2022 Consent Administrative Orders (61)
- 2022 Amended Consent Administrative Orders (14)
Planning topics included:
- Arkansas Pollution Control and Ecology Commission Rule 2
- 2020 Triennial Review
- 2023 Triennial Review
- Clean Water Act Section 303(d) List
- 2020 List
- 2022 Assessment
- Additional sampling (604[b])
- Field Work
- 2022: Boston Mountain ecoregion
- 2023: Ozark Mountain ecoregion
- Pine Bluff Lead Study (604{b])
The DEQ water laboratory was addressed with the Presentation noting:
- Accreditation (April 2022)
- Water Quality Samples
- Average 40 to 60 samples per week.
- Alkalinity, Ammonia, Anions (Bromide, Fluoride, Chloride, Sulfate), BOD/CBOD, COD, Conductivity, E. coli, FCB, Hardness, Nitrate+Nitrite, Orthophosphate, pH, TDS, TKN, TOC/DOC, TP, TS, TSS, Turbidity, Metals
- Laboratory Data Audits (Noting inspectors making requests at time of inspection)
The topic of PFAS in terms of federal activities was noted and included:
- EPA PFAS Strategic Road
- Draft Recommended Freshwater Aquatic Life Water Quality for PFOA and PFOS
- Arkansas activities were noted to include:
- Identify potential sources of PFAS
- Identify waters of the state potentially receiving discharges containing PFAS
- Sample surface waters
Challenges for OWQ were stated to include:
- Hiring and retaining qualified team members
- Limited positions to carry out all OW duties
- Funding to support OWQ activities
- Funding for capital equipment purchase and replacement
A copy of the slides from the Presentation can be downloaded here.