SITE INFORMATION AND CORRESPONDENCE

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CENTRAL VALLEY REGIONAL WATER QUALITY CONTROL BOARD MEETING PROCEDURES Persons who want to submit written comments or evidence on any agenda item must provide such written documents to the Board office by the date and time specified in the applicable Notice of Public Hearing or Meeting. Comments received by the noticed deadline will be included in the administrative record before the Board Staff may provide responses to comments. Written testimony or comments submitted after the noticed deadline will not be accepted and will not be incorporated into the administrative record if doing so would prejudice any party. This rule may be modified where apart),demonstrates that application of the rule would create severe hardship. All interested persons may speak at the Board meeting, and may orally summarize their written submittals. Oral testimony will be limited in time by the Board Chair(typically no more than 15 minutes for dischargers and 3 minutes for other interested parties). Oral testimony must be relevant. Groups ofspeakers will be expected to select a spokesperson and not be repetitive. The procedure for agenda items that do not require a hearing will be: persons present at the meeting will be given an opportunity to make relevant oral comments on any agenda item, but the Board chair may preclude or limit the time of such comments as necessaryfor the orderly conduct of business. Agenda items that require a hearing—that is, agenda itenhs which are conducted by the Board as formal adjudicative proceedings—will not be conducted according to the technical rules of evidence. The Board will accept any evidence or testimony that is reasonably relevant. Participants in agenda items which require a formal hearing are either designated parties or other interested persons. Only designated parties will have the right to cross-examination, and may be subject to cross- examination. Interested persons—i.e., nondesignated parties—do not have a right to cross-examination, but may ask the Board to clarify testimony. Interested persons may also be asked to clarify their testimony at the discretion of the Board The designated parties include: • Regional Board staff • Discharger • Persons directly affected by the discharge All other persons wishing to testify or provide comments for a hearing item are "interested persons"and not "designated parties": Such interested persons may request status as a designated party for purposes of the hearing by submitting such request in writing to the Board no later than the date specified in the Notice of Public Hearing. The request must explain the basis for status as a designated parry and, in particular,how the person is directly affected by the discharge. After considering evidence, testimony, and comments, the Board may choose to adopt an order regarding a proposed agenda item. Any person aggrieved by an action of the Board may petition the State Water Resources Control Board to review the action within 30 days of the action.