PURPOSE OF NOTICE: The Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) seeks public comment on the edits to a draft cleanup study, also known as a Total Maximum Daily Load report (TMDL), for the Middle Fork Holston River in Smyth, Wythe and Washington Counties and the tributaries Greenway Creek, Hall Creek, Byers Creek, Cedar Creek, and Tattle Branch in Washington County. At the final public meeting on October 19, 2023, DEQ presented the results of the study and provided an overview of the draft report. Additional edits have been made to better reflect how downstream pollutant reductions in TMDL segments will be impacted by upstream TMDL segment pollutant loading reductions. See edits specifically in the Executive Summary and Chapter 6 (TMDL Tables Allocation Tables). This notice is to invite citizens to provide comment on the revised study.

These streams are listed as impaired since monitoring data does not meet Virginia’s water quality standards for aquatic life (benthics). Section 303(d) of the Clean Water Act and §62.1-44.19:7.C of the State Water Control Law requires DEQ to develop cleanup studies to address pollutants responsible for causing waters to be on Virginia’s 303(d) list of impaired waters. A component of a cleanup study is the Waste Load Allocation (WLA); therefore, this notice is provided pursuant to §2.2-4006.A.14 of the Administrative Process Act for adoption of the WLA into the Water Quality Management Planning Regulation, 9VAC25-720 after completion of the study. The adoption of the WLA may require new or additional requirements for entities holding a Virginia Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (VPDES) permit in the Middle Fork Holston River, Greenway Creek, Hall Creek, Byers Creek, Cedar Creek, and Tattle Branch.

CLEANUP STUDY LOCATION: The cleanup study addresses the following impaired stream segments: Middle Fork Holston River (12.99 miles) in Wythe and Smyth Counties from the mainstem headwaters upstream at Groseclose downstream to the Dutton Branch confluence, and the mainstem Middle Fork Holston River segment (3.42 miles) in Washington County from the Sulphur Springs Creek confluence to Edmondson Dam. Impaired segments also included in the study (all in Washington County) are Greenway Creek (5.02 miles) from the headwaters downstream to the confluence with the Middle Fork Holston River, Hall Creek (6.91 miles) from headwaters north of Emory through Emory and Henry College to the Byers Creek confluence. Byers Creek (0.49 miles) from Hall Creek and Indian Run confluence downstream to Middle Fork Holston River confluence, Cedar Creek (5.61 miles) from confluence of East Fork Cedar Creek and West Fork Cedar Creek through Cedarville to Middle Fork Holston confluence, and Tattle Branch (2.77 miles) from headwaters to Byers Creek confluence.

PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD:  May 14^th, 2024 to June 13^th, 2024

HOW TO COMMENT: DEQ accepts written comments by e-mail or postal mail. All comments must be received by DEQ during the comment period. Submittals must include the name, organization they represent (if any), mailing addresses and telephone numbers of the commenter/requester.

Contact for public comments, document requests and additional information: Landon Jenkins, DEQ Southwest Regional Office, 355A Deadmore Street, Abingdon, VA  24210; Phone: (276) 608-8643; E-mail:  Landon.Jenkins@DEQ.Virginia.gov.

The public may review the cleanup study at the following website address: under the “Middle Fork and Holston River Tributaries” dropdown :https://www.deq.virginia.gov/our-programs/water/water-quality/tmdl-development/tmdls-under-development.