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. - .. , ~'.- ',;, .' - < Wl'oming w 0') ,..... CJl NPDES Permits The Wyoming Department of Environmental Quality, Water Quality Division, administers the NPDES Program. The Forum "Policy for Implementation of the Colorado River Salinity Standards through the NPDES Permit Program" is utilized to evaluate industrial and municipal dischargers. There are only two significant industrial sources of salinity in the Green River Basin. The Pacific Power and Light Company's Jim Bridger Power Plant permit allows the discharge of 2.4 tons of salt per day with only one ton per day reaching the Green River. This discharge will be eliminated by 1990 when the company places the last of three sulphur dioxide removal units (wet scrubber-air pollution control e~uipment) on line. The Utah Power & Light Company Naughton Plant ,discharges approximately 20 tons of salt per day to a tributary of ' the Green River. This permit was issued on the basis that it was not "practicable" to implement the Forum policy of no discharge of salt from industrial sources. This decision was based upon a comparison of the costs of removing salt and downstream benefits associated with eliminating the discharge. The current permit expires June 30, 1989, and will be reevaluated for consistency with Forum policy at that time. A total of 55 NPDES permits have been issued in the Wyoming portion of the Colorado River Basin. Except for the two previously discussed permits, all of these discharges are very small. Fourteen municipal discharge permits serving a total population of 41,000 have been issued. Of this total, 32,000 are in Rock Springs and Green River. The incremental increase in total dissolved solids concentration is 420 mg/l and 400 mg/l, respectively, for Rock Springs and Green River. Of the 12 other municipal discharges, most are in compliance; however, a few exceed the 400 mg/l incremental increase in salinity by a few milligrams per liter. It is not economically feasible to implement a comprehensive municipal salinity control program for these very small salt loads. There are 15 other domestic discharges in the Basin. These are all small facilities that do not exceed the 400 mg/l incremental increase. Twenty-six industrial dischargers also operate in the Basin, all are in compliance with Forum policy. Water Quality Management Planning The Water Quality Management Planning Program in Wyoming is under the direction of the Water Quality Division of the Department of Environmental Quality. The Clean Water Report for southwestern Wyoming addresses water quality in Lincoln, Uinta, and Sweetwater Counties. This report was adopted at the local level, certified by the Governor, and conditionally approved by the EPA on October 9, 1980. The Governor's certification recognizes a -57- , ~.: ~'