BOISE, Idaho — Idaho will take over regulating pollution discharge into the state’s lakes and rivers from the federal government under an agreement signed Tuesday by the head of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt said the agreement was the culmination of a tremendous amount of work and partnership between the state and the federal agency.
“Congratulations to the state of Idaho,” he said. “We are excited to sign this and look forward to working with Idaho as we go forward on these issues.”
Pruitt signed the agreement at the Idaho statehouse with Gov. C.L. “Butch” Otter. It shifts control of permitting and enforcement aspects under the federal Clean Water Act to the state as of July 1.
“It’s good to have Idahoans making decisions about Idaho issues,” Otter said.
Idaho is one of only four states where federal authorities manage pollution discharge into surface waters. The others are: New Mexico, New Hampshire and Massachusetts.
Idaho officials say a state-run program will be more responsive, and local experts who are better acquainted with Idaho will be making decisions.
However, Idaho can’t write permits that are less stringent than the EPA permits, and the EPA retains oversight of the program.
The Idaho Department of Environmental Quality will acquire additional responsibilities through 2021 for issuing pollution discharge permits to cities, industrial businesses, mining operators, animal feedlots and others.
“I have no reservations about us having the people and the resources to be able to administer this program effectively and appropriately,” said John Tippets, director of the state agency.
The change delegates authority to Idaho to implement its Idaho Pollutant Discharge Elimination System, a goal set in the late 1990s.
