From the DRBC Thursday September 7th:
- At today’s 3Q DRBC Business Meeting, the Commissioners approved a Resolution for the Minutes suspending, effective immediately, Commission action to develop proposed regulations for public comment upgrading the designated aquatic life use for Water Quality Zones 3 and 4 and the upper portion of Zone 5 to include propagation. It also withdraws the DRBC’s scheduled commitment to adopt revised DRBC water quality standards for the Delaware River Estuary by March 2025. The USEPA will lead the rulemaking process.
The DRBC will continue to provide its scientific, technical and engineering assistance to support EPA’s process for revising the aquatic life designated uses and corresponding criteria for Water Quality Zones 3 and 4 and the upper portion of Zone 5 of the Delaware River to attain and maintain propagation of aquatic life, consistent with the staff’s best professional judgment and expertise. Staff will continue to coordinate and collaborate with state and federal co-regulators during EPA’s rulemaking process. And, the DRBC will continue to engage stakeholders in the development of strategies, plans, analyses, and, if appropriate, regulations for the implementation of the new aquatic life uses and criteria, primarily through the Commission’s long-standing Water Quality Advisory Committee.