[Federal Register Volume 62, Number 191 (Thursday, October 2, 1997)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 51621-51622]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 97-26178]


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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

40 CFR Part 136

[FRL-5901-5]


Guidelines Establishing Test Procedures for the Analysis of Oil 
and Grease and Total Petroleum Hydrocarbons; Notice of Availability and 
Request for Comment

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

ACTION: Notice of data availability and request for comment.

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SUMMARY: On January 23, 1996 (61 FR 1730), EPA proposed to amend the 
Guidelines Establishing Test Procedures for the Analysis of Pollutants 
under section 304(h) of the Clean Water Act to replace existing 
gravimetric test procedures for the determination of the conventional 
pollutant ``oil and grease'' (40 CFR 401.16) with EPA Method 1664, as 
part of EPA's effort to reduce dependency on the use of 
chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs). EPA also proposed to allow use of Method 
1664 for determination of total petroleum hydrocarbons (TPH). The 
comment period on the proposal ended on March 25, 1996. On May 24, 1996 
(61 FR 26149), EPA reopened the comment period until July 23, 1996. EPA 
received analytical data during both comment periods and following the 
close of the reopened comment period, and desires to consider these 
data in its rulemaking. EPA therefore is making available for public 
review and comment these additional analytical data which the Agency is 
considering in establishing the final regulation approving use of 
Method 1664.

DATES: Written comments on this notice must be submitted on or before 
November 3, 1997. All comments must be postmarked or delivered by hand 
by November 3, 1997.

ADDRESSES: Send written comments on this notice to ``Method 1664--
Notice of Data Availability,'' Comment Clerk, Water Docket MC-4101, 
Environmental Protection Agency, 401 M Street, S.W., Washington, D.C. 
20460. Commenters are requested to submit one copy of any references 
cited in their comments and an original and two copies of their written 
comments and enclosures. Commenters who want receipt of their comments 
acknowledged should include a self-addressed, stamped envelope. No 
facsimiles (faxes) will be accepted.
    A copy of the data received by the Agency during and pursuant to 
the comment period for the proposed rule is available for review at 
EPA's Water Docket, 401 M Street, S.W., Washington, D.C. 20460. For 
access to the Docket materials, call (202) 260-3027 between 9:00 a.m. 
and 3:30 p.m. Eastern Standard Time (EST) for an appointment.
    The complete text of this Federal Register notice and Method 1664 
may be viewed or downloaded on the Internet at http://www.epa.gov/OST.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. Ben Honaker, Engineering and 
Analysis Division (4303), USEPA Office of Science and Technology, 401 M 
Street, S.W., Washington, D.C., 20460, or call (202) 260-2272.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On January 23, 1996 (61 FR 1730), EPA 
proposed to replace currently approved gravimetric test procedures with 
EPA Method 1664: N-Hexane Extractable Material (HEM) and Silica Gel 
Treated N-Hexane Extractable Material (SGT-HEM) by Extraction and 
Gravimetry (Oil and Grease and Total Petroleum Hydrocarbons) for 
determination of ``oil and grease''. Oil and grease is a conventional 
pollutant as defined in section 304(a) of the Clean Water Act (CWA) and 
at 40 CFR 401.16. Method 1664 also was proposed for determination of 
total petroleum hydrocarbons (TPH), a non-conventional pollutant 
regulated in many National Pollution Discharge Elimination System 
permits. The proposed rule is necessary to meet compliance monitoring 
requirements of CWA and the chlorofluorocarbon phaseout requirements of 
the Clean Air Act Amendments. Method 1664 was proposed under the 
authority of Sections 301, 304(h), and 501(a) of CWA and the authority 
of sections 604, 606, and 613 of the 1990 Clean Air Act Amendments. In 
the proposed rule, the Agency requested comments, analysis, and 
additional information on the replacement of Freon-113 with n-hexane, 
the utility of Method 1664 for monitoring, the quality control (QC) 
acceptance criteria in Method 1664, the method detection limit (MDL) 
and minimum level (ML), the performance-based option criteria, and the 
six-month implementation scenario. In response to this request, the 
Agency received comments that provided additional analytical data 
pertaining to Method 1664.
    The comment period on the proposal ended on March 25, 1996. On May 
24, 1996 (61 FR 26149), EPA reopened the comment period until July 23, 
1996. EPA received analytical data during both comment periods and 
following the close of the reopened comment period. The Agency desires 
to consider these additional data in formulating the final rule for the 
use of Method 1664.
    This notice makes available for public review and comment all 
additional analytical data received by the Agency since the publication 
of the proposed rule. The additional data consist of results from 
preparation blank analyses, solid-phase extraction analyses, comparison 
of n-hexane-based extraction and freon-based extraction, and MDL and ML 
data.
    EPA is soliciting comment on the additional analytical data only. 
Further comments on the proposal (61 FR 1730) will not be accepted. 
These additional data neither represent any modification of the 
proposed rule, nor indicate a change in the Agency's interpretation of 
existing requirements. The data represent additional information which 
the Agency is considering in establishing the final regulation 
approving the use of Method 1664.


[[Page 51622]]


    Dated: September 22, 1997.
Robert Perciasepe,
Assistant Administrator for Water.
[FR Doc. 97-26178 Filed 10-1-97; 8:45 am]
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