For an administrative rules hearing on a holiday, this afternoon’s Senate Resources Committee hearing has drawn a rather large crowd of more than 40. Up for consideration are rules from the state Department of Environmental Quality on water quality standards, ground water quality, and the new IPDES or Idaho Pollutant Discharge Elimination System program. You can see the agenda here, with links to the proposed rules; and listen live here.

At the opening of the hearing, DEQ Director John Tippets said the rules have been revised based on public comments, and he expects testimony today from both supporters and opponents. “It’s important for you to understand both of those perspectives,” Tippets, a former senator before he was named to head the department, told the committee. “I respect the individuals and the organizations that do not support our rule, and I respect their opinions.”

He said, “In developing these rules, our No. 1 priority was to protect public health, and that will always be the goal. I’m comfortable that this rule meets that goal, and I think the rule not only protects public health but is an Idaho solution for Idaho.”