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T H E E N V I R ON M ENT AL COUNC I L O F T H E STATES

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T el : (2 0 2) 62 4- 3660 r:ax: (202) 62 4- 3666 Email: ecos @ss o.o r g Wcbpagc: www . ecos . o r g
Mic hae l J
. L i nde r Direc t or, Ne b ras k a Dep artm e nt o f Em • ironmcntal Qunli t y PRESIDENT Ri

c ha rd Opp er Di

rect o r . Mo nt a n a Department of Environmental Quality VICE PRES I DENT Th o m as S
. Bur ac k Cormmssioner. New llamp shirc Dcpanrne r u of Environmenta l Se r vice s SECRETARY -TREASU R ER David K
. Paylor Direc t o r

, V ir

gi n ia Dcpa nm c rr l of Environmental Qun l i t

y P AST PRESIDENT

R. Steven Br own Executive Director Nove mb e r 1 3, 20 09

Th e H o no r a bl e Cy nth i a G il es As s i s ta nt Ad m ini s t r a to r Offi ce o f E nf o r ce ment a nd C o m pi ianc e A ss uran ce Th e ll o norab l e P e te r S. S il va A ss is ta nt Adm i n i s trato r Offi ce o f W at e r Un it e d S ta t e s E nv iro nm e nta l P r o t ec t i o n A ge ncy 1 2 0 0 Pe nn sy l va nia Ave nu e, W Wa s hin g to n D C, 2 0 4 60 D

ea r Ass i s tant Admini s t r at o r Gil es a nd Ass i s ta nt Admin i s tra to r S il v a : W

e are w r it i ng to s ee k in c lu s i o n of s ta t es a nd t he ir a sso c i at i o n s as m e mb e r s of th e Na t i o n a l Po llut a nt D i sc h a r ge El imin ation Sys t e m (N PD ES) pr o p ose d r u l e ma k i ng w o r k g r

o up. S i nc e t he sc o p e of th e o ri gin a l N PD E S r ulemak in g now h a s be e n ex pa nd e d to i nc lu d e e l ect r o ni c r e p o rtin g to m ee t Adm i ni s tr ato r J ac kso n 's d ir ec t i o n to m o de rni ze p a p e rba se d sys t e ms we beli eve e arl y s ta t e in vo l ve m e nt i s a ne c essary and e ss e nti a l p a 1 i o f th is eff o rt. W

e un de rs tand thi s e xp a nd e d rul e ma kin g i s be in g e xp e dited as p e r th e Ad m i ni s t r a to r 's di r ecti o n . S tate s a r c r eady to e ngage o n th e w o r k g r o up and u nde rs t a nd t he a cce l e r

a t

e d sc he du l e. R ecog ni z in g t he imp o rt a nce o f s ta te 's inp ut , E P A ' s Ac t i o n D eve l o pm e nt P r ocess s pecifi c a l l y e nco urage s t he in cl u s i o n of s ta t es in rul e maki ng w o r kgroup s w h e re s tate s a r c c h a r g ed wit h i mpl e me ntat i o n o f t he pr og r a m o r r eg ul a ti o n that wo uld be e f fec t ed. T hi s pr o po s ed NPDES r u l e w o ul d no w equ ate to th e seco nd l a r

ges t tran s f e r o f d at a b e twee n s tat es a nd a f e d e r a l age ncy (seco nd o nl y t o tax d ata r e p o rt e d b y s tat es to t he l nt e ma l R eve nu e Se r v ic e). As s uch , ea rl y s ta t e pm i i

c ipatio n on t hi s wo r k g rou p is ne ces s ar y f o r d ev e l o p i ng a q u al i ty r ul e an d s uc h p a rti c ipati o n is co n s i s t e nt w ith E PA ' s ow n g u i d a nc e o n r eg ulatory d eve l op m e nt. S tates ca n he lp s h a p e th e r eg ul a to r y o pti o n s b e in g c o n s id e r ed w hi l e t hey und e rs tand th at ultimat e l y, t h e p o li cy c ho i ces inh e r e nt in a n y r eg ul a ti o n wi ll b e ma de b y E PA
. A s co- r eg ul a to rs, e ar l y s ta t e par t ic ip a ti o n i n t he ru l e ma k i ng w o rk g r o up ca n y i e l

d qui c k e r s tal e ad o pti o n o f th e final ru l e, co n s is t e nt impl e m e nt a ti o n ac r oss th e nati o n. a nd hi g he r co mpli a nc e with th e r u l e 's o bj e ct i ve s . We s ta nd r e ad v to prov id e ECOS a nd s t at e r e pre se nt ati ves to thi s w o r k !!. r o upand to participate in the next workgroup m eeti ng. We l ook forward to con tinuing to work c l ose l y with yo u and yo ur s taff as part of t he EP A /s tate pa r tne rsh ip
. S incer e l y,
Michael Linder President, E nvironmental Co un ci I of the States Director , Nebraska D epa rtm en t of Envi r on mental Qua lit y

Richard Opper Vice -P resident , Environmental Counci l of the States Direct o r , Montana D epa rtment of E nviron mental Quality

Thoma s Burack Sec r e ta r yrr r easu r e r , Env ir onmenta l Counci l of th e States Co mmi ss ioner , New H ampshi r e Department of Env ironmen tal Se r vices

Dav i d Pa y l or ECOS Pa st President Director, Vir g inia D epa rtm e nt of Env iro nm en tal Quality 

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Steven Chester C hair , EC OS Co m pliance Com mitt ee Director , Mi chiga n Department of E nvironmental Quality

Th omas Easte rl y C hair , EC OS Water an d Ecosys t e ms Com mit tee Com mi ss i oner, In diana Dep a 1tmen t of Env ir o nm e ntal Management



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# ':..~t HKaren Bassett C hair , Data Management Work Group Deput y Direct o r , Arkan sas Departme nt of Environme nt a l Q u al it y

cc: Lisa Heinze rlin g/OPE I Sarah H ospodor -P al l one / OC IR