Formula Grant 05000060

DESCRIPTION:THIS AGREEMENT IS TO FUND THE STATE OF ARKANSAS' WATER QUALITY MANAGEMENT PLANNING PROGRAM TO IMPROVE IMPAIRED WATER AND PROTECT UNIMPAIRED WATERS ACROSS THE STATE BY CONDUCTING PLANNING THAT INFORMS AND SUPPORTS IMPLEMENTATION OF CLEAN WATER ACT PROGRAMS. IN ACCORDANCE WITH CLEAN WATER ACT SECTION 205(J)(3), UNLESS A WAIVER REQUEST IS APPROVED BY ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (EPA), THE RECIPIENT WILL JOINTLY DEVELOP WORKPLANS WITH AND PROVIDE AT LEAST 40% OF THIS AWARD TO REGIONAL OR INTERSTATE WATERSHED MANAGEMENT PLANNING AGENCIES. ARKANSAS DID NOT RECEIVE ANY PROPOSALS FROM ANY OF THE REGIONAL OR INTERSTATE WATERSHED MANAGEMENT PLANNING AGENCIES AND THE GOVERNOR HAS REQUESTED ALL FUNDS BE GIVEN TO THE ARKANSAS DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY AND ENVIRONMENT - DIVISION OF ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY. THE REQUEST HAS BEEN APPROVED. ACTIVITIES:THE ACTIVITIES TO BE PERFORMED INCLUDE THE FOLLOWING WATER QUALITY MANAGEMENT PLANNING ACTIVITIES: OBJECTIVE 1: GENERATE DEFENSIBLE, QUALITY DATA TO FACILITATE APPROPRIATE DECISION MAKING ON CRITICAL WATER QUALITY ISSUES INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO: DEVELOPING TOTAL MAXIMUM DAILY LOADS (TMDLS), DEVELOPING WATER QUALITY STANDARDS, REVISING WATER QUALITY STANDARDS, AND GENERATING THE INTEGRATED REPORT [305(B) REPORT AND 303(D) LIST]. OBJECTIVE 2: EVALUATE THE ARKANSAS DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY AND ENVIRONMENT, DIVISION OF ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY (ADEQ)'S MOST CURRENT LIST OF IMPAIRED SURFACE WATERS [303(D) LIST] TO IDENTIFY WATERS AND STREAM SEGMENTS THAT ARE LACKING CURRENT WATER QUALITY DATA. WATERS AND STREAM SEGMENTS WILL BE DETERMINED TO BE LACKING CURRENT WATER QUALITY DATA IF IT IS NOT AVAILABLE FOR THOSE WATERS OR STREAM SEGMENTS WITHIN THE LAST FIVE CALENDAR YEARS. USING THIS EVALUATION, ADEQ WILL DEVELOP A PLAN TO SAMPLE THOSE IDENTIFIED WATERS AND STREAM SEGMENTS AND ANALYZE THE SAMPLES FOR WATER QUALITY PARAMETERS TO OBTAIN UPDATED WATER QUALITY DATA FOR THOSE WATERS AND STREAM SEGMENTS. DEQ WILL, AT A MINIMUM, COLLECT THE REQUIRED AMOUNT OF DATA TO MEET TEMPORAL REQUIREMENTS FOR USE IN ASSESSMENT. OBJECTIVE 3: GENERATE WATER QUALITY AND CHLOROPHYLL A DATA TO ESTABLISH A ROBUST AND SCIENTIFICALLY DEFENSIBLE DATABASE THAT CAN BE UTILIZED TO REVISE ECOREGION WATER QUALITY STANDARDS AS WELL AS DEVELOP SITE-SPECIFIC STANDARDS, AS NEEDED. ADEQ HAS COMPLETED SIMILAR STUDIES IN OTHER ECOREGIONS WITH THE SAME OBJECTIVE. PREVIOUS STUDIES NOT ONLY PRODUCED INVALUABLE WATER CHEMISTRY INFORMATION BUT ALSO PRODUCED EXTENSIVE PHYSICAL AND BIOLOGICAL INFORMATION THAT YIELDS A GREATER UNDERSTANDING OF THE UNIQUE CHARACTERISTICS OF INDIVIDUAL WATERBODIES. THIS PROJECT WILL CONTINUE THE WORK IN THE MISSISSIPPI ALLUVIAL PLAINS (MAP) ECOREGION AND WILL BUILD ON A PREVIOUS STUDY BY THE UNITED STATES GEOLOGICAL STUDY (USGS) BY COLLECTING ADDITIONAL INFORMATION FROM THE EXPANSIVE MAP ECOREGION IN ARKANSAS. OBJECTIVE 4: CONTINUE TO IDENTIFY AND EVALUATE POTENTIAL SOURCE CONTRIBUTORS OF PERFLUOROALKYL AND POLYFLUOROALKYL SUBSTANCES (PFAS), EMERGING CONTAMINATES OF CONCERN, DETERMINE SITE LOCATIONS FOR SAMPLING, AND SAMPLE SURFACE WATERS TO DETERMINE THE EXTENT OF PFAS IN ARKANSAS'S SURFACE WATERS. SUBRECIPIENT:NO SUBAWARDS ARE INCLUDED IN THIS ASSISTANCE AGREEMENT.OUTCOMES:THE DELIVERABLES TO BE PROVIDED UNDER THIS AGREEMENT ARE SEMI-ANNUAL AND FINAL PROJECT REPORTS. THE EXPECTED OUTCOMES RESULTING FROM THESE EFFORTS INCLUDE RESTORING ARKANSAS' IMPAIRED WATERS AND PROTECTING HEALTHY WATERS. THE INTENDED BENEFICIARIES ARE THE RESIDENTS OF THE STATE OF ARKANSAS.