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<p class="MsoNormal"><b><u><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">Public Notice of Proposed Changes to the OWTS Rules<o:p></o:p></span></u></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-autospace:none"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:#21130D">This rule change is necessary to make the OWTS Rules (250-RICR-150-10-6)<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-autospace:none"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:#21130D">consistent with the recently adopted “Rules and Regulations Governing the<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-autospace:none"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:#21130D">Administration and Enforcement of the Freshwater Wetlands Act” (Freshwater<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:#21130D">Wetlands Rules) (250-RICR-150-15-3), which go into effect July 1, 2022.</span><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">The effective date of the OWTS Rule revisions will also be July 1, 2022.<span style="color:#21130D"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:#21130D"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:#21130D">Proposed OWTS Rules and Public Notice can be viewed on the Secretary of State’s Office at
</span><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif"><a href="https://urldefense.com/v3/__https://risos-apa-production-public.s3.amazonaws.com/DEM/12739/PBN_12739_20220218105003.pdf__;!!KKphUJtCzQ!ZhGLE3GBpPpLMNoiCmGf8jEY8GW3UCwhxTDxMePj5bXJRZwiA8YAu21uQ4qDfvdrrLu5PV4$">https://risos-apa-production-public.s3.amazonaws.com/DEM/12739/PBN_12739_20220218105003.pdf [risos-apa-production-public.s3.amazonaws.com]</a><o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">A s<span style="color:#21130D">ummary of the</span> proposed<span style="color:#21130D"> Rule change is
</span>provided in the attached pdf document. <span style="color:#21130D"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:#21130D"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-autospace:none"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">In accordance with R.I. Gen. Laws § 42-35-2.8, an oral hearing will be granted if<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-autospace:none"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">requested by twenty-five (25) persons, by a governmental agency or by an<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-autospace:none"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">association having at least twenty-five (25) members. A request for an oral hearing<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">must be made within ten (10) days of the publication of this notice.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-autospace:none"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">All interested parties are invited to request additional information or submit written or<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-autospace:none"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">oral comments concerning the proposed amendment until March 21, 2022 by<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-autospace:none"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">contacting the appropriate party at the address listed below:<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-autospace:none"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-autospace:none"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">Jonathan Zwarg<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-autospace:none"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">Department of Environmental Management<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-autospace:none"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">Office of Water Resources<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-autospace:none"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">235 Promenade Street<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-autospace:none"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">Providence, RI 02908<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif"><a href="mailto:jonathan.zwarg@dem.ri.gov">jonathan.zwarg@dem.ri.gov</a><o:p></o:p></span></p>
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