This
is a SHORT, LIGHT and SIMPLE newsletter. Its purpose is to rekindle, in
the initiated, terminology they have once learned and enlighten the uninitiated on terms they may have heard but never knew the meaning of. |
Orientation: California State Water Resources Control Board
Protection
of groundwater resources is a prime force driving environmental site
assessments. In cases such as leaking underground storage tanks or
contamination from spills of industrial solvents, the environmental
consultant performs its work under oversight of the regulatory agencies
responsible for the protection of groundwater. In cases where
assessments are driven by business transactions; e.g., Phase I and II
Environmental Site Assessment, although not working directly under the
auspices of the regulatory agencies, the consultant nonetheless is
acutely tuned to what could be the ramifications if the investigations
were to come eventually under the jurisdiction of these agencies.
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| The California State Water Resources Control Board (SWRCB) is a division of the California Environmental Protection Agency (Cal EPA). Its mission is “
to preserve, enhance and restore the quality of California's
water resources, and ensure their proper allocation and efficient use
for the benefit of present and future generations." The SWRCB
was created in 1967. The Board consists of five full-time salaried
Members. Each board member is appointed to a four-year term by the
Governor and confirmed by the Senate. |
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The
SWRCB delegates actions to the local levels through nine Regional Water
Quality Control Boards (Regional Boards). The mission of the Regional
Boards is to develop and enforce water quality objectives and
implementation plans that will best protect the beneficial uses of the
State's waters, recognizing local differences in climate, topography,
geology and hydrology.
The
maps below depicts how California is divided between the Boards and
show two regional boards. Regions 5 and 6 are further subdivided.
If you want to know about your Regional Water Quality Control Board and its various programs, go to http://www.swrcb.ca.gov/regions.html and click on your region.
Each
Regional Board has nine part-time Members also appointed by the
Governor and confirmed by the Senate. Regional Boards develop "basin
plans" for their hydrologic areas, issue waste discharge permits, take
enforcement action against violators, and monitor water quality. The
task of protecting and enforcing the many uses of water, including the
needs of industry, agriculture, municipal districts, and the
environment is an ongoing challenge for the Water Board and Regional
Boards. |
