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Kansas is Making Progress in Assessing and Restoring its Waters

Release Date: 12/18/2008
Contact Information: Kris Lancaster, (913) 551-7433, lancaster.kris@epa.gov

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Environmental News

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

(Kansas City, Kan., Dec. 18, 2008) - EPA has approved Kansas' 2006/2008 list of impaired waters. The Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE) submitted a list of impaired waters to EPA for review and approval March 31, 2008, as required by the Clean Water Act.

EPA Region 7 Administrator John B. Askew said, "EPA is committed to protecting and restoring the quality of our nation's waters. The impaired waters identified by KDHE help focus our efforts to reduce sources of water pollution in Kansas."

EPA commends KDHE for conducting a complex evaluation and assessment of water quality data. With this action, EPA is approving Kansas' decision to list 381 stream monitoring stations and associated pollutants. An additional 113 lakes and wetlands are also listed for their pollutants. The majority of the pollutants are total suspended solids, phosphorous and copper.

EPA's Dec. 18, 2008, decision letter provides a more detailed description of EPA's review and the basis for this action. The decision letter, including the consolidated 2006/2008 impaired waters list, is available at www.epa.gov/region07/news_events/legal.