E-M:/ Michigan DEQ's Impaired Waters List

["Alex J. Sagady & Associates" <ajs@sagady.com>]

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Enviro-Mich message from "Alex J. Sagady & Associates" <ajs@sagady.com>
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It is out....Michigan's Impaired waters DRAFT list for 2008

 http://www.michigan.gov/deq/0,1607,7-135-3313-184170--,00.html

Unlike Ohio and other states, Michigan DEQ still seems 
utterly incapable of producing maps that graphically show what
rivers, streams and lakes (or portions thereof) are impaired and 
polluted.

This new report mixes up all designations for Categories 
5 and 4a, 4b and 4c into a single list, instead of separating them 
out as was done in previous years.   Good luck in your review.

The Biggest News..... 

Michigan DEQ fails to correct its practice of not 
properly considering Michigan's narrative water quality 
standards for turbidity and nutrient impairments, leaving 
watercourses impaired by these pollutants as being unlisted and not impaired.

Michigan has not adopted EPA's recommended standards 
for phosphorus and nitrates as nutrients.   There is no evidence
of Michigan considering that algae, slimes and other objectionable
aspects of narrative impaired waters affect MDEQ's decisions
as to water recreation uses, except for the presence of 
untreated sewage.   

Michigan DEQ acknowledges that 
algae/nutrient/phosphorus/eutrophication problems of 
Saginaw Bay affect public water supply taste and odor, and.....
but Michigan DEQ fails to produce a finding that
nutrient impairments and nuisance algae affect any 
impairment designation, other than for public water supply.
Michigan DEQ then fails to designate Saginaw Bay and 
its surrounding phosphorus contributing watershed as 
being an impaired water body for nutrients.   .....and 
then says the taste/odor problems will go away by year 2028.

Although MDEQ lists Lake Erie waters for dioxin and PCB fish 
contamination, there is no recognition that Lake Erie is 
impaired for nutrients.




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Alex J. Sagady & Associates        http://www.sagady.com

Environmental Enforcement, Permit/Technical Review, Public Policy, 
Expert Witness Review and Litigation Investigation on Air, Water and 
Waste/Community Environmental and Resource Protection
Prospectus at:  http://www.sagady.com/sagady.pdf 

657 Spartan Avenue,  East Lansing, MI  48823  
(517) 332-6971; (517) 332-8987 (fax); ajs@sagady.com
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