California Code of Regulations › Title 23 - Waters › Division 4 - Regional Water Quality Control Boards › Chapter 1 - Water Quality Control Plans, Policies, and Guidelines › Article 2 - San Francisco Bay Region › Section 3917 - Water Quality Attainment Strategy and TMDL for Diazinon and Pesticide-Related Toxicity in Urban Creeks

Current through Register 2024 Notice Reg. No. 28, July 12, 2024
On November 16, 2005, the San Francisco Bay Regional Water
					 Quality Control Board (San Francisco Bay Water Board) adopted Resolution No.
					 R2-2005-0063, amending the Water Quality Control Plan for the San Francisco Bay
					 Region (Basin Plan). The amendment removes unnecessary text from Chapter 3 of
					 the Basin Plan regarding chronic toxicity. It also removes text that appeared
					 to limit how the San Francisco Bay Water Board could evaluate toxicity and
					 replaces it with text that clarifies that the Water Board can consider all
					 relevant information. These changes do not alter the narrative water quality
					 objective.
The amendment establishes a water quality attainment
					 strategy, including a Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL), for diazinon and
					 pesticide-related toxicity that, when implemented, is expected to meet water
					 quality objectives and protect beneficial uses of urban creeks in the San
					 Francisco Bay Region. The TMDL sets numeric targets for pesticide-related acute
					 and chronic toxicity in urban creek waters and sediment. These targets require
					 that toxicity not exceed 1.0 acute or chronic toxic units, as determined
					 through standard toxicity tests. In addition, the proposed amendment specifies
					 that diazinon concentrations in the water column must not exceed 100 nanograms
					 per liter as a one-hour average. The TMDL is allocated to all urban runoff,
					 including urban runoff associated with municipal separate storm sewer systems,
					 California Department of Transportation facilities, and industrial,
					 construction, and institutional sites. Allocations are set equal to the
					 targets.
The cornerstone of the attainment strategy is pollution
					 prevention, which can be accomplished by using less toxic pest control methods
					 and by applying integrated pest management techniques. Implementation of the
					 strategy will focus on (1) proactive regulatory programs, (2) education and
					 outreach, and (3) research and monitoring. Pesticide and water quality
					 regulators are requested to better coordinate their various programs to protect
					 water quality. Urban runoff management agencies, regulated under National
					 Pollutant Discharge Elimination System permits, are required to minimize
					 pesticide use, conduct outreach, and design and implement monitoring programs
					 to track progress in implementing the plan and meeting the targets. The
					 monitoring program may be developed jointly by two or more agencies acting in
					 concert. The strategy includes a method to determine appropriate monitoring
					 benchmarks for specific pesticides in water. The need for comprehensive
					 pesticide-related water quality monitoring may be moderated by efforts to
					 monitor other factors, which serve as surrogates or indicators of water quality
					 conditions.
The San Francisco Bay Water Board plans to review the
					 attainment strategy and TMDL every five years to determine if any modifications
					 are necessary.
1. New
					 section summarizing amendment to plan filed 1-18-2007; amendments adopted by
					 San Francisco Bay Regional Water Quality Control Board Resolution No.
					 R2-2005-0063 on 11-16-2005 and approved by State Water Resources Control Board
					 Resolution No. 2006-0091 on 11-15-2006; amendment approved by OAL pursuant to
					 Government Code section
					 11353 on
					 1-18-2007 (Register 2007, No. 3).