Volume 41 - Issue 34 - August 25, 2022

State of Kansas

Department of Health and Environment

Notice of Hearing

The Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE) has prepared Total Maximum Daily Loads (TMDLs) for the Arkansas River near Great Bend, Kansas in the Upper Arkansas River Basin and Prairie Dog Creek near Norton, Kansas in the Upper Republican River Basin. These rivers are impaired for total phosphorus and do not meet state surface water quality standards.

The total phosphorus TMDLs presented for public review are:

Upper Arkansas River Basin

• Arkansas-Pickerel (11030004)
  • Arkansas River near Great Bend
    • Dry Walnut Creek near Great Bend
• Lower Walnut Creek (11030008)
  • Arkansas River near Great Bend
    • Walnut Creek near Great Bend
    • Dry Walnut Creek near Great Bend

Upper Republican River Basin

• Prairie Dog (10250015)
  • Prairie Dog Creek near Norton
    • Buffalo Creek near Norton
    • Jack Creek near Norton
    • Spring Creek near Norton
    • Horse Creek near Norton
    • Walnut Creek near Norton

Draft copies of these TMDLs can be obtained for review by contacting the Policy Planning and Standards Unit at 785-296-5508 or by accessing them online through the KDHE TMDL website at https://www.kdhe.ks.gov/1443/Total-Maximum-Daily-Loads-TMDLs.

A public hearing to take testimony from interested parties will be held from 11:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. Wednesday, September 21, 2022 via Zoom. Register for the Zoom meeting https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_fj5G4EZ7TZW09HL2sI785Q.

The first portion of the hearing will be a briefing by the Policy Planning and Standards Unit outlining each of the TMDLs, and the second portion of the hearing will be open for public comment. The public comment period for these TMDLs will be held open from August 25, 2022 through September 24, 2022. After reviewing the testimony and public comments, KDHE will make appropriate revisions to the TMDLs and submit them to Region 7 of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

Any individual with a disability may request accommodation in order to participate in the public hearing process and may request the proposed TMDLs in an accessible format. Requests for accommodation to participate in the hearing process should be made at least five working days in advance of the hearing by contacting KDHE. Requests, questions, or written comments should be directed to Dane Boring of the Policy Planning and Standards Unit at 1000 SW Jackson St., Suite 420, Topeka, KS 66612-1367, by email at Dane.Boring@ks.gov, or by telephone at 785-296-5508.

Janet Stanek
Secretary

Doc. No. 050450