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EPA Recognizes Environmental Achievements in Kansas
Release Date: 03/19/2008
Contact Information: Kris Lancaster, (913) 551-7557, [email protected]
Environmental News
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
(Kansas City, Kan., March 19, 2008) - EPA has recognized the State of Kansas for achieving its goals for National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) priority permits and permit issuance rates under the Clean Water Act. This will help restore and maintain the health of water bodies and watersheds in Kansas.
Kansas was one of nine states in the U.S. that met their priority permit goal of 95-percent issuance rate during the past two years. A priority permit is defined as any permit that has expired more than two years. These permits are potentially of greater environmental concern.
Also, Kansas continues to meet NPDES permit backlog goals of less than 10 percent. Permits that have continued beyond their expiration date are considered backlogged.
"EPA appreciates the commitment of Kansans in protecting waters in the state. The NPDES program's long-term viability and protection of human health and the environment are naturally linked," said EPA Region 7 Administrator John B. Askew.
The NPDES program regulates discharges to waters of the United States from point sources, such as municipal sewage treatment plants and industrial facilities.
An NPDES permit specifies an acceptable level of a pollutant in a discharge. NPDES permits make sure that a state's water quality standards and the federal requirements are being met.
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