[Federal Register Volume 61, Number 133 (Wednesday, July 10, 1996)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 36328-36329]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 96-17551]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
40 CFR Part 136
[FRL-5535-4]
A Public Meeting on Method Flexibility and Streamlining Approval
of Analytical Methods at 40 CFR Part 136
AGENCY: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
ACTION: Notice of meeting.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: The Office of Science and Technology within EPA's Office of
Water is conducting a public meeting on approaches to method
flexibility and streamlining the proposal and promulgation of
analytical methods at 40 CFR Part 136 under Section 304(h) of the Clean
Water Act and at 40 CFR Part 141 under Sections 1401 and 1445 of the
Safe Drinking Water Act. This public meeting on streamlining EPA's
water methods approval programs will be held in conjunction with the
Trace Metals Workshop announced concurrently in the Federal Register.
This public meeting follows a series of three public meetings on
streamlining held in Seattle, Washington on September 28, 1995, in
Boston, Massachusetts on January 25, 1996, and in Chicago, Illinois on
February 14, 1996. The Seattle meeting was announced in an FR notice
titled, ``A Public Meeting and Availability of Documents on
Streamlining Approval of Analytical Methods at 40 CFR Part 136 and
flexibility in Existing Test Methods'' [FRL-5294-6] published in the
Federal Register on September 12, 1995 at 60 FR 47325. This FR notice
provided extensive supplementary information regarding the 304(h)
streamlining effort and made available several supporting documents.
The supporting documents and summaries of the Seattle, Boston, and
Chicago public meetings can be obtained through the contact identified
in this notice.
DATES: EPA will conduct the public meeting on 304(h) streamlining on
Wednesday, July 24, 1996, in Denver, Colorado. Registration for the
meeting will begin at 8 a.m. The meeting will be held from 9 a.m. to 5
p.m.
ADDRESSES: The meeting will be held in the USGS Lecture Hall, Building
25, Denver Federal Center, 6th & Kipling, Denver, Colorado.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Questions concerning this notice can
be directed to Marion Thompson by phone at (202) 260-7117 or by
facsimile at (202) 260-7185.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Meeting arrangements are being coordinated
by DynCorp, Inc. For information on registration, contact Cindy
Simbanin, 300 N. Lee Street, Suite 500, Alexandria, VA 22314. Phone:
(703) 519-1386. Facsimile number: (703) 684-0610. Space is limited and
reservations are being taken on a first come, first served basis. No
fees will be charged to attend.
Hotel reservations may be made by contacting the Comfort Suites in
Lakewood, Colorado at (303) 231-9929. The hotel address is 11909 W. 6th
Avenue, Lakewood, Colorado 80033. Single occupancy guest rates are
$83.55, including tax. When making reservations, you must specify that
you are affiliated with the EPA Meeting to qualify for the quoted rate.
Accommodations are limited, so please make your reservations early.
The Comfort Suites does not provide transportation to/from the airport
or to the Federal Center. Guests should take the Airport shuttle to/
from the airport and use taxi service to the Federal Center. The
Federal Center is within walking distance of the Comfort Suites, but it
is not an easy walk due to the location of the main gate into the
Federal Center.
Title: A Public Meeting on Method Flexibility and Streamlining
Approval of Analytical Methods at 40 CFR Part 136
Abstract
Under Section 304(h) of the Clean Water Act, EPA is responsible for
promulgating analytical methods at 40 CFR Part 136 for use in
monitoring pollutant discharges. EPA uses these methods to support
development of effluent guidelines promulgated at 40 CFR Parts 400-499,
and both EPA and the regulated community use the methods for
establishing compliance with National Pollutant Discharge Elimination
System (NPDES) permits and other monitoring purposes. The methods
approved for use at 40 CFR Part 136 have been developed by EPA, by
industrial associations such as the American Society for Testing
Materials, and by other governmental agencies such as the U.S.
Geological Survey. In the past, the methods proposal and promulgation
process has been cumbersome, and has not provided the flexibility to
take advantage of new analytical technologies in a timely manner. In
response to the Administration's Environmental Technology Initiative,
EPA is proposing a comprehensive Section 304(h) streamlining initiative
to increase method flexibility to allow use of emerging technologies
and to expedite the method approval process, to encourage development
of new methods and technologies by organizations outside of EPA.
The Office of Ground Water and Drinking Water within EPA's Office
of Water is also developing approaches to increasing method flexibility
and streamlining the approval of analytical methods at 40 CFR Part 141
under Sections 1401 and 1445 of the Safe Drinking Water Act. EPA is
coordinating these efforts with the CWA Section 304(h) streamlining
effort in an overall initiative to streamline its water methods
approval programs.
EPA has held three public meetings to outline plans for method
flexibility and for streamlining proposal and promulgation of new
methods, and to elicit stakeholder views regarding these plans. EPA had
compiled and evaluated stakeholder input received at the public
meetings and has revised its approach to streamlining accordingly.
Agenda Topics
The purpose of the public meetings on 304(h) streamlining is to
outline plans for method flexibility and for streamlining proposal and
promulgation of new methods at 40 CFR Part 136 under Section 304(h) of
the Clean Water Act, and to elicit stakeholder views regarding these
plans. The following topics will be addressed at the public meetings:
Increasing method flexibility to allow use of new
technologies and to identify modifications that are acceptable within
the scope of existing methods and do not require proposal of an
alternate method
--Interpretation of flexibility in existing 40 CFR Part 136 methods
--Advantages and disadvantages of method flexibility (no flexibility,
limited flexibility, and unlimited flexibility)
--Proposal to allow nearly unlimited ``front-end'' method modifications
as long as the determinative technique is not changed and method
performance is demonstrated to be equivalent
Establishing standardized quality control (QC) and QC
acceptance criteria to support determination of method equivalency
Streamlining the method proposal process to take advantage
of emerging analytical technologies in a timely manner
--Standardized format for preparing new methods
[[Page 36329]]
--Three-tiered method validation process based on method use
--OST coordination of method submission and approval
Harmonization of 40 CFR Part 136 methods with other EPA
methods to allow standardization of methods across EPA programs
Other streamlining issues
--Standardized data elements for reporting, to allow access to Agency
databases in a standardized data format
--Withdrawal of 40 CFR Part 136 methods that contain outdated
technologies
--Incorporating new methods into the Federal Register by reference and
making them available through other suitable venues, to reduce
publication expense
Dated: July 3, 1996.
James Hanlon,
Deputy Director, Office of Science and Technology.
[FR Doc. 96-17551 Filed 7-9-96; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6560-50-P