For inquiries or to request copies of documents, contact:

DEC Contact: 
Amber Bennett
Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation
Division of Water
Wastewater Discharge Authorization Program
610 University Avenue
Fairbanks, AK 99709
Phone: 907-451-2190
E-mail: Amber.Bennett@alaska.gov  

 Draft Permit Public Notice Period:
Public Notice Start Date: June 14, 2023
Public Notice Expiration Date: July 17, 2023, at 11:59 p.m. AST

Permit Number: 
AKG573000

Applicant:            
Statewide Domestic Wastewater Treatment Lagoon Facilities

Proposed Permit Coverage:
Permit Coverage: Domestic wastewater treatment lagoons that provide equivalent to secondary or secondary treatment and that discharge less than 1,000,000 gallons per day to fresh or marine surface water.

Description of Discharges: Domestic wastewater from lagoons that discharge to fresh or marine surface water and that discharge less than 1,000,000 gallons per day. Expected pollutants can include 5-day biochemical oxygen demand, dissolved oxygen, enterococci bacteria, fecal coliform bacteria, pH, total residual chlorine, and suspended solids.

Mixing Zones: Applicants may request modified effluent limits and facility specific mixing zones for fecal coliform bacteria, pH, dissolved oxygen, or total residual chlorine. DEC will authorize a mixing zone if it is consistent with the Clean Water Act and the mixing zone criteria at 18 AAC 70.240.

Tentative Determination:
DEC has tentatively determined to issue a discharge permit for the activity described above.

Public Comments:
Written comments or requests for a public hearing on the APDES draft permit must be submitted within 30 days of the issuance of this public notice. Any person desiring to comment on the permit may submit comments electronically via the DEC public notice site (preferred) at https://water.alaskadec.commentinput.com?id=Ws9DY5kFV . Alternatively, you may direct written comments and requests to the attention of the DEC contact/permit writer at the email address or postal address identified above.

All comments should include the name, address, telephone number, and email address of the commenter and a concise statement of comment on the permit condition(s) and the relevant facts upon which the comment is based. Comments of either support or concern that are directed at specific, cited permit requirements are appreciated. Mailed comments and requests must be postmarked on or before the expiration date of the public notice.

DEC will consider all comments when making the final decision and will respond to received comments in a Response to Comments document issued when DEC issues a final permit. The Response to Comments will be made available to the public.

Any interested person may submit a written request for a public hearing if no hearing has already been scheduled. A request for a public hearing shall state the nature of the issues to be raised, as well as the requester's name, address, telephone number, and email address. DEC will hold a public hearing whenever DEC finds, on the basis of requests, a significant degree of public interest in a draft permit. DEC may also hold a public hearing if a hearing might clarify one or more issues involved in a permit decision or for other good reason in DEC’s discretion.

DEC will transmit the final permit, fact sheet (amended as appropriate), and Response to Comments to anyone who provided comments during the public review period or requested to be notified of DEC final decision.

 DEADLINE FOR WRITTEN COMMENTS OR REQUEST FOR PUBLIC HEARING:
7/17/2023 at 11:59 p.m.

Administrative Record:
The APDES draft permit, fact sheet, permit application, and associated documents are available for public review at the DEC offices located in Anchorage, Fairbanks, Juneau, Soldotna, and Wasilla. Please contact the office of your choice to arrange for hard copies of the documents to be available for your review.