[Federal Register Volume 59, Number 182 (Wednesday, September 21, 1994)]
[Unknown Section]
[Page 0]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 94-23283]


[[Page Unknown]]

[Federal Register: September 21, 1994]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Geological Survey

 

Interagency Advisory Committee on Water Data; Intergovernmental 
Task Force on Monitoring Water Quality

AGENCY: U.S. Geological Survey, U.S. Department of the Interior.

ACTION: Notice of the availability for public review and comment of the 
draft final report prepared by the Intergovernmental Task Force on 
Monitoring Water Quality (ITFM).

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SUMMARY: Notice is hereby given of the opportunity for the public to 
review and comment on the draft final report of the ITFM. The title of 
the draft report is ``The Nationwide Strategy for Improving Water-
Quality Monitoring.'' The report is available by request to the address 
below.

DATES: The public review and comment period extends through December 1, 
1994.

ADDRESSES: Copies of the report can be obtained by writing the Office 
of Water Data Coordination, U.S. Geological Survey, 417 National 
Center, Reston, Virginia 22092, or by telephoning (703) 648-5023. 
Review comments should be sent to the Executive Secretary, ITFM, at the 
same address.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Nancy Lopez, Chief, Office of Water Data Coordination, USGS, at the 
above address or by telephoning (703) 648-5014. Also, for information 
about the ITFM and the final draft report, you may contact the 
chairperson of ITFM Elizabeth Fellows at (202) 260-7062. Ms. Fellows is 
the Chief, Monitoring Branch; Office of Wetlands, Oceans, and 
Watersheds; Office of Water; U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) 
established in Memorandum No. 92-01, dated December 10, 1991, the 
requirements to conduct a nationwide review and evaluation of water-
quality monitoring and to recommend needed improvements. The ITFM is a 
partnership of representatives from Federal, State, Native American, 
and interstate governmental organizations. Working since January 1992 
in consultation with representatives of other public and private 
organizations, the ITFM is developing an integrated, nationwide, 
voluntary strategy for water-quality monitoring. The proposed strategy 
and associated recommendations to improve water-quality monitoring are 
presented in the draft final report that is now available for review. 
Water resources considered in the strategy include surface water and 
ground water, near-coastal waters, associated aquatic communities and 
habitats, wetlands, and sediments. The five general purposes of water-
quality monitoring identified in the report include characterizing 
status and trends, identifying and ranking in order of priority 
existing and emerging problems, designing and implementing programs and 
projects, evaluating program success and project compliance, and 
responding to emergencies. The scope of the ITFM proposals addresses 
physical, chemical (including toxicological), and biological (including 
habitat and ecological) aspects of water-quality monitoring. The 
monitoring functions considered in the strategy include the full range 
of activities from identifying monitoring objectives, planning and 
designing monitoring programs, conducting field sampling and laboratory 
analysis, interpreting and reporting monitoring results, to evaluating 
the effectiveness of monitoring efforts. The ITFM will complete the 
report by January 1995, and will distribute copies to the OMB, Federal 
agencies in the Executive Branch, Congress, Governors and others as 
requested or as appropriate.
P. Patrick Leahy,
Acting Chief Hydrologist.
[FR Doc. 94-23283 Filed 9-20-94; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-31-M