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Ms. Stacie Wassell undertook a presentation on October 6th at the Arkansas Environmental Federation Convention titled:

Office of Water Quality Update (“Presentation”)

Ms. Wassell serves as the Deputy Associate Director of the Arkansas Department of Energy & Environment – Division of Environmental Quality’s (“DEQ”) Office of Water Quality (“OWQ”).

The Presentation addressed under the topic of permitting:

• ERule (40 C.F.R. Part 127)
  • Electronic reporting of information (December 21, 2025)
  • NPDES permittees, facilities, and entities must electronically submit their NPDES information unless a waiver is granted.
• Eportal
  • Permit Applications
  • Permitting Process
  • Pretreatment Reports
• Electronic Payment
  • Active for short-term activity authorizations and all general permits (NPDES and ND)
  • Individual No Discharge coming soon

The steps for signing up for eportal were also addressed.

Compliance statistics included:

• Inspections
  • Federal FY2022 (9/30): Completing inspection reports.
  • Federal FY2023 (10/1): Begin working towards 2023 compliance objectives.
• Inspectors
• Current: 15 (Inspectors and Supervisors).
• Vacancies: 4

The discussion of enforcement and licensing noted:

• Significant noncompliance
  • Effluent Violations
  • Late Discharge Monitoring Reports
  • Failure to Submit Reports
• Eportal
  • Hours Submittal Form
  • Exam Application
  • License Renewal Form
• Orders
  • 2022 Consent Administrative Orders (61)
  • 2022 Amended Consent Administrative Orders (14)

Planning topics included:

• Arkansas Pollution Control and Ecology Commission Rule 2
  • 2020 Triennial Review
  • 2023 Triennial Review
• Clean Water Act Section 303(d) List
  • 2020 List
  • 2022 Assessment
  • Additional sampling (604[b])
• Field Work
  • 2022: Boston Mountain ecoregion
  • 2023: Ozark Mountain ecoregion
  • Pine Bluff Lead Study (604{b])

The DEQ water laboratory was addressed with the Presentation noting:

• Accreditation (April 2022)
• Water Quality Samples
  • Average 40 to 60 samples per week.
  • Alkalinity, Ammonia, Anions (Bromide, Fluoride, Chloride, Sulfate), BOD/CBOD, COD, Conductivity, E. coli, FCB, Hardness, Nitrate+Nitrite, Orthophosphate, pH, TDS, TKN, TOC/DOC, TP, TS, TSS, Turbidity, Metals
• Laboratory Data Audits (Noting inspectors making requests at time of inspection)

The topic of PFAS in terms of federal activities was noted and included:

• EPA PFAS Strategic Road
• Draft Recommended Freshwater Aquatic Life Water Quality for PFOA and PFOS
• Arkansas activities were noted to include:
  • Identify potential sources of PFAS
  • Identify waters of the state potentially receiving discharges containing PFAS
  • Sample surface waters

Challenges for OWQ were stated to include:

• Hiring and retaining qualified team members
• Limited positions to carry out all OW duties
• Funding to support OWQ activities
• Funding for capital equipment purchase and replacement

A copy of the slides from the Presentation can be downloaded here.