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<p class="MsoNormal"><a name="_Hlk92785079"><i><span style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif">Please distribute this notice as appropriate.</span></i></a><span style="mso-bookmark:_Hlk92785079"><i><span style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;mso-ligatures:none"><o:p></o:p></span></i></span></p>
<p class="Style12ptBoldItalicRedCenteredLeft025"><span style="mso-bookmark:_Hlk92785079"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;color:windowtext"><o:p> </o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="Style12ptBoldItalicRedCenteredLeft025"><span style="mso-bookmark:_Hlk92785079"><span style="color:windowtext">Maine’s DRAFT 2024
<a name="_Hlk92782762">Integrated Water Quality Monitoring and Assessment Report</a><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="Style12ptBoldItalicRedCenteredLeft025"><span style="mso-bookmark:_Hlk92785079"><span style="color:windowtext"><o:p> </o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="Style12ptBoldItalicRedCenteredLeft025"><span style="mso-bookmark:_Hlk92785079"><span style="color:windowtext">Available for Public Comment until July 22, 2024<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="Style11ptItalicRedJustifiedLeft019"><span style="mso-bookmark:_Hlk92785079"><span style="color:windowtext"><o:p> </o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="Style11ptItalicRedJustifiedLeft019"><span style="mso-bookmark:_Hlk92785079"><span style="color:windowtext">The Maine Department of Environmental Protection has prepared the draft “2024 Integrated Water Quality Monitoring and Assessment Report” for
submission to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) as required by §§ 303(d), 305(b) and 314 of the Clean Water Act, and in fulfillment of the reporting requirements of 38 M.R.S. § 464(3)(A) of the State of Maine’s Water Classification Program.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="Style11ptItalicRedJustifiedLeft019"><span style="mso-bookmark:_Hlk92785079"><span style="color:windowtext"><o:p> </o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="Style11ptItalicRedJustifiedLeft019"><span style="mso-bookmark:_Hlk92785079"><span style="color:windowtext">This report is available for public comment until 5:00 PM on July 22, 2024. For more information and access to the documentation (2 files),
please visit </span></span><a href="https://www.maine.gov/dep/water/monitoring/305b/"><span style="mso-bookmark:_Hlk92785079">www.maine.gov/dep/water/monitoring/305b/</span><span style="mso-bookmark:_Hlk92785079"></span></a><span style="mso-bookmark:_Hlk92785079"><span style="color:windowtext">.
Reviewers of the Report document should pay particular attention to the Consolidated Assessment and Listing Methodology (CALM) required by the EPA for surface water assessments in this report. The CALM is described in Chapter 4 of the document. For the first
time, assessments for waters that present barriers to fish passage are included in a new Category 4-C-FPB (Fish Passage Barrier); the relevant CALM is included under the header ‘Support of Indigenous Species’. Specific surface waterbody attainment and impairment
assignments can be found in the Appendices (a separate file). The appendices are broken into five waterbody types: rivers/streams, lakes/ponds, wetlands, estuarine and marine waters, and coastal designated beaches. Categories 1-3 are for waters that are
not impaired, categories 4 and 5 are for waters or water segments that are impaired for one or more uses.
<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="Style11ptItalicRedJustifiedLeft019"><span style="mso-bookmark:_Hlk92785079"><span style="color:windowtext"><o:p> </o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="Style11ptItalicRedJustifiedLeft019"><span style="mso-bookmark:_Hlk92785079"><span style="color:windowtext">We encourage you to review the document and provide comment on the report. Comments become part of the public record and are published in the
final version of the Report. All comments should be sent to:<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-left:13.5pt"><span style="mso-bookmark:_Hlk92785079"><i><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif">By email:
</span></i></span><a href="mailto:IRcomments.DEP@maine.gov"><span style="mso-bookmark:_Hlk92785079"><i><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;layout-grid-mode:line">IRcomments.DEP@maine.gov</span></i></span><span style="mso-bookmark:_Hlk92785079"></span></a><span style="mso-bookmark:_Hlk92785079"><span class="MsoHyperlink"><i><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;color:windowtext;layout-grid-mode:line">
</span></i></span></span><span style="mso-bookmark:_Hlk92785079"><i><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif"><br>
By fax: 207-287-7826<o:p></o:p></span></i></span></p>
<p style="mso-margin-top-alt:0in;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:0in;margin-left:13.5pt">
<span style="mso-bookmark:_Hlk92785079"><i><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif">Meagan Sims<br>
Maine Department of Environmental Protection<br>
Bureau of Water Quality<o:p></o:p></span></i></span></p>
<p style="mso-margin-top-alt:0in;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:0in;margin-left:13.5pt">
<span style="mso-bookmark:_Hlk92785079"><i><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif">State House Station 17<br>
Augusta, ME 04333-0017<o:p></o:p></span></i></span></p>
<p style="mso-margin-top-alt:0in;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:0in;margin-left:13.5pt">
<span style="mso-bookmark:_Hlk92785079"></span><a href="mailto:Meagan.Sims@maine.gov"><span style="mso-bookmark:_Hlk92785079"><i><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;layout-grid-mode:line">Meagan.Sims@maine.gov</span></i></span><span style="mso-bookmark:_Hlk92785079"></span></a><span style="mso-bookmark:_Hlk92785079"><i><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;layout-grid-mode:line">
</span></i></span><span style="mso-bookmark:_Hlk92785079"></span><i><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif"><o:p></o:p></span></i></p>
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