DEQ seeks comments

PLAINS - The Montana Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) is holding a public meeting to provide information and accept written comments on a water quality plan for nine streams in and surrounding the Thompson River watershed in Sanders and Flathead Counties.

The “Thompson Project Area Metals, Nutrients, Sediment, and Temperature TMDLs and Water Quality Improvement Plan” describes water quality problems in four tributaries to the Thompson River, three tributaries to the lower Clark Fork River, and two tributaries to the lower Flathead River.

The document provides a total maximum daily load for these waterbodies to help address these problems and outlines a strategy for improving water quality in order to meet Montana’s surface water quality standards.

A public informational meeting will be held in Plains on June 24, at 6:30 p.m. at the Plains City Hall, located at 101 West Lynch Street.

DEQ staff will provide information, answer questions, and accept written comments.

The draft document is available on the DEQ website at: http://deq.mt.gov/pubcom.mcpx.

Copies are available at the Plains and Thompson Falls public libraries, and at the State Library in Helena. Public comments will be accepted until 5 p.m., July 11.

Comments may be mailed to Montana Department of Environmental Quality, PPA/WQPB, P.O. Box 200901, Helena, Montana 59620-0901, or submitted electronically at: http://comment.cwaic.mt.gov/.

For more information, document availability, or other questions, please contact Jordan Tollefson at (406) 444-5341, or by email at: jtollefson@mt.gov.

DEQ will make reasonable accommodations for persons with disabilities who wish to participate in this meeting. If you require special accommodation, please contact Carrie Greeley at cgreeley@mt.gov or (406) 444-6749 no later than 5:00 p.m., June 18, 2014.