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New rule proposed for Oregon sewage treatment plants	<<>
Tuesday, January 05, 2010
PORTLAND — The Oregon Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) has proposed a new rule that would require sewage treatment plants across the state to account for 118 water pollutants for the first time, according to the Daily Journal of Commerce. The new list of contaminants includes pesticides, industrial waste products and chemicals found in perfumes and shampoos, the article reported. Chris Gannon, who works with the DEQ’s water quality program, said, “The bulk of the list will be pollutants these wastewater treatment plants have never looked for.” The new law would set “trigger levels” for the pollutants on the list. If a treatment plant releases water containing more than the trigger level for a given substance, the plant’s operators would have to submit a plan for reducing the pollution, the story stated. The rule stemmed from a 2007 bill, which addressed chemicals in watersheds, according to the article. Teresa Huntsinger, program director for clean and healthy rivers with the Oregon Environmental Council, said, “(The law) was created to address the issue of the hundreds of pollutants out there that there are no standards about and not a lot of information on their impacts on human health.” To read the entire article, click here. For related information, click here.