[Federal Register Volume 60, Number 143 (Wednesday, July 26, 1995)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 38288-38289]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 95-18301]



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DELAWARE RIVER BASIN COMMISSION

18 CFR Chapter III


Water Quality Regulations; Proposed Amendments to Comprehensive 
Plan, Water Code of the Delaware River Basin, Administrative Manual--
Part III Water Quality Regulations; Public Hearings

AGENCY: Delaware River Basin Commission.

ACTION: Notice of proposed rulemaking and public hearings.

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SUMMARY: Notice is hereby given that the Delaware River Basin 
Commission will hold public hearings to receive comments on proposed 
amendments to its Comprehensive Plan, Water Code and Water Quality 
Regulations concerning water quality criteria for toxic pollutants and 
policies and procedures to establish wasteload allocations and effluent 
limitations for point source discharges to Zones 2 through 5 (Trenton, 
New Jersey to the Delaware Bay) of the tidal Delaware River.

DATES: The public hearings are scheduled as follows: October 5, 1995 
beginning at 1:30 p.m. and continuing until 5:00 p.m., as long as there 
are people present wishing to testify.
    October 11, 1995 beginning at 1:30 p.m. and continuing until 5:00 
p.m. and resuming at 6:30 p.m. and continuing until 9:00 p.m., as long 
as there are people present wishing to testify.
    October 13, 1995 beginning at 1:30 p.m. and continuing until 5:00 
p.m., as long as there are people present wishing to testify.
    The deadline for inclusion of written comments in the hearing 
record will be announced at the hearings.

ADDRESSES: The October 5, 1995 hearing will be held in the Second Floor 
Auditorium of the Carvel State Building, 820 North French Street, 
Wilmington, Delaware.
    The October 11, 1995 hearing will be held in the Franklin Room of 
the Holiday Inn at 4th and Arch Streets, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
    The October 13, 1995 hearing will be held in the Goddard Conference 
Room of the Commission's offices at 25 State Police Drive, West 
Trenton, New Jersey.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Susan M. Weisman, Commission 
Secretary, Delaware River Basin Commission, P.O. Box 7360, West 
Trenton, New Jersey 08628. Telephone (609) 883-9500 ext. 203.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background and Rationale

    The 1987 amendments to the Federal Clean Water Act required states 
to adopt water quality criteria for all toxic pollutants for which the 
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has issued criteria guidance. This 
requirement resulted in a total of five separate sets of criteria which 
apply to the tidal portions of the Delaware River from the head of the 
tide at Trenton, New Jersey to Delaware Bay. In response, the 
Commission established 

[[Page 38289]]
the Delaware Estuary Toxics Management Program in 1989, an interstate, 
cooperative effort, to develop uniform policies and procedures to 
control the release of substances toxic to humans and aquatic life in 
point source discharges to the tidal Delaware River.
    The principal outputs of the program are:
    1. Uniform water quality criteria for toxic pollutants for the 
mainstem river and tributaries to these waters up to the head of the 
tide to protect aquatic life, and human health through ingestion of 
water and fish, and
    2. Uniform policies and procedures to establish wasteload 
allocations and effluent limitations for toxic pollutants for NPDES 
permits for point sources discharging to these waters.
    In 1992, the Commission held briefings on recommended water quality 
criteria for toxic pollutants to solicit input from the public and 
regulated community. In 1994, briefings were held on recommended 
policies and procedures for establishing wasteload allocations and 
effluent limitations for point source discharges.
    The proposed changes to the Commission's regulations were developed 
with scientific, academic and policy input from the Commission's Water 
Quality Advisory Committee. Participants in Committee deliberations 
included representatives from the environmental departments of 
Delaware, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania; U.S. Environmental 
Protection Agency Regions II and III; and public members from the 
University of Rhode Island and the Academy of Natural Sciences. Members 
of the general public also attended various Committee meetings. 
Comments received from the public briefings and the inputs received 
through the Advisory Committee deliberations have led to the revisions 
now being proposed.
    Specifically, water quality criteria for selected toxic pollutants 
are proposed for incorporation in the Comprehensive Plan and Article 3 
of the Water Code and Water Quality Regulations as stream quality 
objectives. Revisions are also proposed for Article 4 of the Water 
Quality Regulations describing the policies and procedures to be used 
to establish wasteload allocations for those discharges containing 
pollutants which impact the designated uses of the river.
    Adoption of these revisions will provide a mechanism for 
identifying toxic pollutants which may impair aquatic life and human 
health, and developing uniform and equitable wasteload allocations for 
these pollutants for all NPDES discharges to the tidal Delaware River. 
The permitting authorities of the states will utilize the allocations 
developed by the Commission to establish effluent limitations for NPDES 
permittees in their jurisdictions.
    The Commission has prepared Basis and Background Documents entitled 
``Water Quality Criteria For Toxic Pollutants For the Delaware River 
Estuary'' and ``Implementation Policies and Procedures: Phase I TMDLs 
For Toxic Pollutants in the Delaware River Estuary''. These Documents 
describe the proposed amendments and their rationale in considerable 
depth and may be obtained by contacting Christopher M. Roberts at the 
Commission at (609) 883-9500 ext. 205.
    Copies of the full text of the proposed amendments may be obtained 
by contacting Ms. Weisman at the address provided in FOR FURTHER 
INFORMATION CONTACT. Persons wishing to testify are requested to notify 
the Secretary in advance. Written comments on the proposed amendments 
should also be submitted to the Secretary.

Delaware River Basin Compact, 75 Stat. 688.

    Dated: July 17, 1995.
Susan M. Weisman,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 95-18301 Filed 7-25-95; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6360-01-P