[Federal Register Volume 62, Number 122 (Wednesday, June 25, 1997)]
[Notices]
[Pages 34260-34261]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 97-16653]


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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[FRL-5847-4]


Announcement of stakeholders Meeting on Technologies for Small 
Drinking Water Systems

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency.

ACTION: Notice of Stakeholders meeting.

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SUMMARY: The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has scheduled a 
two-day public meeting on EPA's development of the List of Compliance 
Technologies for Small Drinking Water Systems. The purpose of this 
meeting is to have a dialogue with stakeholders and the public at large 
on the process of determining Compliance Technologies for Small 
Drinking Water Systems. The Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA) Amendments 
of 1996 (1412(b)(4)(E)(v)) required EPA to publish within 1 year a list 
of technologies for small systems that meet the Surface Water Treatment 
Rule (SWTR). The SDWA Amendments of 1996 (11412(b)(4)(E)(ii)) also 
required EPA to identify technologies that are affordable and which can 
achieve compliance for categories of systems serving fewer than 10,000 
when EPA promulgates new national primary drinking water regulations. 
At the upcoming meeting, EPA is seeking input from national, State, 
Tribal, municipal, and individual stakeholders and other interested 
parties on the list of technologies for the SWTR and on the process of 
developing national level affordability criteria. EPA encourages the 
full participation of stakeholders throughout this process.

DATES: The stakeholders meeting on Technologies for Small Drinking 
Water Systems will be held on July 22-23, 1997. The meeting will run 
from 8:30 a.m to 5:00 p.m. EDT on Tuesday, July 22, and from 8:30 a.m. 
to 1:00 p.m. EDT on Wednesday, July 23.

ADDRESSES: The meeting will be held at RESOLVE, 1255 23rd Street, N.W., 
Washington, D.C. 20037. For additional information, please contact the 
Safe Drinking Water Hotline, at phone: (800) 426-4791, fax: (703) 285-
1101, or by e-mail at <[email protected]>. Members of the 
public wishing to attend the meeting may register by phone by 
contacting the Safe Drinking Water Hotline by July 8, 1997. Those 
registered for the meeting by July 8 will receive background materials 
prior to the meeting. Members of the public who cannot attend the 
meeting in person may participate via conference call and should 
register with the Safe Drinking Water Hotline by July 8 as well. 
Members of the public who cannot participate via conference call or in 
person may submit comments in writing by August 12, 1997 to Tara 
Cameron, at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 401 M St, SW 
(4607), Washington, DC, 20460.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For general information about the 
meeting logistics, please contact the Safe Drinking Water Hotline, at 
phone: (800) 426-4791, fax: (703) 285-1101, or by e-mail at: <hotline-
[email protected]>. For other information on Technologies for Small 
Drinking Water Systems please contact Tara Cameron, at the U.S. 
Environmental Protection Agency, Phone: (202) 260-3702, Fax: (202) 260-
3762.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

A. Background

    The SDWA, as amended in 1996, states that: Not later than 1 year 
after the date of enactment of the Safe Drinking Water Act Amendments 
of 1996, the Administrator shall publish a Compliance Technology List 
for the SWTR for Small Systems. The new Amendments specifically direct 
EPA to focus on three small system population size categories: systems 
serving 10,000-3,301; 3,300-501; and 500-25. For each size category, 
EPA shall list treatment

[[Page 34261]]

technologies that can achieve compliance with the existing regulations. 
For future regulations, EPA must determine affordable treatment 
technologies that can achieve compliance for each of the size 
categories. Within 2 years of the SDWA Amendments of 1996, EPA must 
list technologies that achieve compliance with all existing 
regulations. The List of Compliance Technologies for Small Drinking 
Water Systems to meet the present SWTR is required to be published by 
August 1997.

B. Request for Stakeholder Involvement

    The upcoming meeting deals specifically with EPA's efforts to 
compile the initial list of compliance technologies for the SWTR. EPA 
would like to review the initial list of compliance technologies with 
stakeholders as well as obtain their inputs on additional technologies 
that should be considered when EPA updates this list in a year.
    The meeting will be divided into two parts. The first part involves 
getting feedback from stakeholders on the EPA proposed list of 
Compliance Technologies for the SWTR which will be distributed in the 
background materials to those registered for the meeting. The second 
part involves getting ideas and insights from stakeholders on 
approaches to the national level affordability criteria that will be 
used to determine which pathway (compliance technology or a variance) a 
system will proceed along and which technologies would be available for 
the system. The issues on affordability criteria do not apply to the 
first list of technologies for the SWTR; however, they will apply to 
future rules and EPA therefore wants to begin to get input on these 
issues.
    The specific issues for discussion at the meeting will be based on 
the above-mentioned material and will include (but may not be limited 
to) the following:
    1. The compliance technologies for the filtration component of the 
SWTR will include some technologies that would fall under the ``other 
filtration technologies'' as per Sec. 141.73(d). The pilot testing for 
viability would be waived for those technologies on the compliance 
technology list. These technologies would be treated like the 
filtration technologies in Sec. 141.73(a)-(c). Testing to ensure that 
the system is capable of operating the treatment technology may still 
be required for these other filtration technologies and the 
technologies directly identified in the SWTR. What are the 
stakeholder's opinions about this approach for the other filtration 
technologies?
    2. Are there Point-Of-Entry units available that could be used to 
meet the requirements of the Surface Water Treatment Rule? Is it a 
manageable option?
    3. The primary role of the national-level affordability criteria is 
to direct a system either into a compliance technology pathway or a 
variance technology pathway. If the national-level affordability 
criteria are set very high, then the variance technology pathway will 
be limited or eliminated and systems will need to install compliance 
technologies. If the national-level affordability are set very low, the 
compliance technology pathway will be limited or eliminated and more 
systems will operate under small system variances. What components 
should be included in the national-level affordability criteria? What 
is the best measure of national-level affordability?
    4. The initial list of compliance technologies will be similar to 
the list of disinfection and filtration technologies in the SWTR. What 
level of detail would stakeholders like to see on the compliance 
technologies when the list is updated in August, 1998? Is the 
compliance technology list the best mechanism to incorporate 
applicability ranges?
    5. Do stakeholders recommend any specific criteria for 
distinguishing treatment applications, in relation to the 3 small 
system categories specified under SDWA? Would design, operational and 
management capability, chemical reactivity and/or a hazard posed by 
some technologies (e.g., chlorine dioxide, chlorine gas) be good 
parameters to consider within the <10,000 population PWS categories?
    The public is invited to provide comments on the issues listed 
above and other issues related to the List of Compliance Technologies 
for Small Drinking Water Systems and the Affordable Criteria during the 
July 22-23, 1997 meeting or in writing by August 12, 1997.

    Dated: June 19, 1997.
Cynthia Dougherty,
Director, Office of Ground Water and Drinking Water, Environmental 
Protection Agency.
[FR Doc. 97-16653 Filed 6-24-97; 8:45 am]
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