[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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