Northwest Environmental Advocates--Programs

Clean Water Program, continued

Pollution Controls

Oregon Nonpoint Source Programs
Washington NonPoint Source Programs

Oregon NonPoint Source Programs

Agriculture

Oregon is unique in the nation by virtue of its law requiring water quality agricultural management plans (WQAMP) for waters that need TMDLs. This law, referred to as Senate Bill 1010, (14K) requires the Oregon Department of Agriculture (ODA) to prepare these plans. In 1998, ODA proposed to prepare all of the WQAMPs needed for Oregon's impaired waters in four years. To date, the agency has prepared very few of these plans. ODA develops the WQAMPs by convening an advisory committee. The result of this approach has been that the plans are clearly not sufficient to restore water pollution to levels that are safe for fish, wildlife, and human health. Nonetheless, the implementation of SB 1010 has resulted in a furor by land owners. This has manifested itself in the Oregon Cattleman's Association calling for the recall of Governor Kitzhaber and in a lawsuit, Hawes v. State of Oregon, that challenges the legal authority of the DEQ and ODA to apply any aspect of the Clean Water Act to waters that are impaired only by nonpoint sources.

Under the terms of a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) between DEQ and ODA, ODA issues state water quality permits to animal feeding operations, such as dairies. The legal fiction behind these state permits is that they prohibit any discharge of animal wastes to state waters.

Logging

Oregon, as with many Western states, has a Forest Practices Act, implemented by the Oregon Department of Forestry.

Urban Runoff

Control of urban runoff is relegated to municipalities. The Clean Water Act requires larger cities to have NPDES permits for the discharge of stormwater.
NWEA's Comments on the Proposed South Steens (grazing) TMDL
NWEA's Comments on Draft TMDLs for Dissolved Oxygen, Eutrophication (pH and Nutrients), Bacteria, and Toxics for the Columbia Slough,
March 4, 1998.

Washington Nonpoint Source Programs