[Federal Register Volume 63, Number 234 (Monday, December 7, 1998)]
[Notices]
[Pages 67548-67558]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 98-30272]
[[Page 67547]]
_______________________________________________________________________
Part IV
Environmental Protection Agency
_______________________________________________________________________
National Recommended Water Quality Criteria; Notice
Federal Register / Vol. 63, No. 234 / Monday, December 7, 1998 /
Notices
[[Page 67548]]
ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
[FRL-OW-6186-6a]
National Recommended Water Quality Criteria
AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
ACTION: Compilation of recommended water quality criteria and notice of
process for new and revised criteria.
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SUMMARY: EPA is publishing a compilation of its national recommended
water quality criteria for 157 pollutants, developed pursuant to
section 304(a) of the Clean Water Act (CWA or the Act). These
recommended criteria provide guidance for States and Tribes in adopting
water quality standards under section 303(c) of the CWA. Such standards
are used in implementing a number of environmental programs, including
setting discharge limits in National Pollutant Discharge Elimination
System (NPDES) permits. These water quality criteria are not
regulations, and do not impose legally binding requirements on EPA,
States, Tribes or the public.
This document also describes changes in EPA's process for deriving
new and revised 304(a) criteria. Comments provided to the Agency about
the content of this Notice will be considered in future publications of
water quality criteria and in carrying out the process for deriving
water quality criteria. With this improved process the public will have
more opportunity to provide data and views for consideration by EPA.
The public may send any comments or observations regarding the
compilation format or the process for deriving new or revised water
quality criteria to the Agency now, or anytime while the process is
being implemented.
ADDRESSES: A copy of the document, ``National Recommended Water Quality
Criteria'' is available from the U.S. EPA, National Center for
Environmental Publications and Information, 11029 Kenwood Road,
Cincinnati, Ohio 45242, phone (513) 489-8190. The publication is also
available electronically at: http://www.epa.gov/ost. Send an original
and 3 copies of written comments to W-98-24 Comment Clerk, Water
Docket, MC 4104, US EPA, 401 M Street, S.W., Washington, D.C. 20460.
Comments may also be submitted electronically to OW-
D[email protected]. Comments should be submitted as a WP5.1, 6.1 or
an ASCII file with no form of encryption. The documents cited in the
compilation of recommended criteria are available for inspection from 9
to 4 p.m., Monday through Friday, excluding legal holidays, at the
Water Docket, EB57, East Tower Basement, USEPA, 401 M St., S.W.,
Washington, D.C. 20460. For access to these materials, please call
(202) 260-3027 to schedule an appointment.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Cindy A. Roberts, Health and
Ecological Criteria Division (4304), U.S. EPA, 401 M. Street, S.W.,
Washington, D.C. 20460; (202) 260-2787; [email protected].
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
I. What Are Water Quality Criteria?
Section 304(a)(1) of the Clean Water Act requires EPA to develop
and publish, and from time to time revise, criteria for water quality
accurately reflecting the latest scientific knowledge. Water quality
criteria developed under section 304(a) are based solely on data and
scientific judgments on the relationship between pollutant
concentrations and environmental and human health effects. Section
304(a) criteria do not reflect consideration of economic impacts or the
technological feasibility of meeting the chemical concentrations in
ambient water. Section 304(a) criteria provide guidance to States and
Tribes in adopting water quality standards that ultimately provide a
basis for controlling discharges or releases of pollutants. The
criteria also provide guidance to EPA when promulgating federal
regulations under section 303(c) when such action is necessary.
II. What is in the Compilation Published Today?
EPA is today publishing a compilation of its national recommended
water quality criteria for 157 pollutants. This compilation is also
available in hard copy at the address given above.
The compilation is presented as a summary table containing EPA's
water quality criteria for 147 pollutants, and for an additional 10
pollutants, criteria solely for organoleptic effects. For each set of
criteria, EPA lists a Federal Register citation, EPA document number or
Integrated Risk Information System (IRIS) entry (www.epa.gov/ngispgm3/
iris/irisdat). Specific information pertinent to the derivation of
individual criteria may be found in cited references. If no criteria
are listed for a pollutant, EPA does not have any national recommended
water quality criteria.
These water quality criteria are the Agency's current recommended
304(a) criteria, reflecting the latest scientific knowledge. They are
generally applicable to the waters of the United States. EPA recommends
that States and Tribes use these water quality criteria as guidance in
adopting water quality standards pursuant to section 303(c) of the Act
and the implementing of federal regulations at 40 CFR part 131. Water
quality criteria derived to address site-specific situations are not
included; EPA recommends that States and Tribes follow EPA's technical
guidance in the ``Water Quality Standards Handbook--2nd Edition,'' EPA,
August 1994, in deriving such site-specific criteria. EPA recognizes
that in limited circumstances there may be regulatory voids in the
absence of State or Tribal water quality standards for specific
pollutants. However, States and Tribes should utilize the existing
State and Tribal narrative criteria to address such situations; States
and Tribes may consult EPA criteria documents and cites in the summary
table for additional information.
The national recommended water quality criteria include: previously
published criteria that are unchanged; criteria that have been
recalculated from earlier criteria; and newly calculated criteria,
based on peer-reviewed assessments, methodologies and data, that have
not been previously published.
The information used to calculate the water quality criteria is not
included in the summary table. Most information has been previously
published by the Agency in a variety of sources, and the summary table
cites those sources.
When using these 304(a) criteria as guidance in adopting water
quality standards, EPA recommends States and Tribes consult the
citations referenced in the summary table for additional information
regarding the derivation of individual criteria.
The Agency intends to revise the compilation of national
recommended water quality criteria from time to time to keep States and
Tribes informed as to the most current recommended water quality
criteria.
III. How Are National Recommended Water Quality Criteria Used?
Once new or revised 304(a) criteria are published by EPA, the
Agency expects States and Tribes to adopt promptly new or revised
numeric water quality criteria into their standards consistent with one
of the three options in 40 CFR 131.11. These options are: (1) Adopt the
recommended section 304(a) criteria; (2) adopt section 304(a) criteria
modified to reflect site-specific conditions; or, (3) adopt criteria
derived using other scientifically defensible
[[Page 67549]]
methods. In adopting criteria under option (2) or (3), States and
Tribes must adopt water quality criteria sufficient to protect the
designated uses of their waters. When establishing a numerical value
based on 304(a) criteria, States and Tribes may reflect site specific
conditions or use other scientifically defensible methods. However,
States and Tribes should not selectively apply data or selectively use
endpoints, species, risk levels, or exposure parameters in deriving
criteria; this would not accurately characterize risk and would not
result in criteria protective of designated uses.
EPA emphasizes that, in the course of carrying out its
responsibilities under section 303(c), it reviews State and Tribal
water quality standards to assess the need for new or revised water
quality criteria. EPA generally believes that five years from the date
of EPA's publication of new or revised water quality criteria is a
reasonable time by which States and Tribes should take action to adopt
new or revised water quality criteria necessary to protect the
designated uses of their waters. This period is intended to accommodate
those States and Tribes that have begun a triennial review and wish to
complete the actions they have underway, deferring initiating adoption
of new or revised section 304(a) criteria until the next triennial
review.
IV. What is the Status of Existing Criteria While They Are Under
Revision?
The question of the status of the existing section 304(a) criteria
often arises when EPA announces that it is beginning a reassessment of
existing criteria. The general answer is that water quality criteria
published by EPA remain the Agency's recommended water quality criteria
until EPA revises or withdraws the criteria. For example, while
undertaking recent reassessments of dioxin, PCBs, and other chemicals,
EPA has consistently upheld the use of the current section 304(a)
criteria for these chemicals and considers them to be scientifically
sound until new, peer reviewed, scientific assessments indicate changes
are needed. Therefore, the criteria in today's notice are and will
continue to be the Agency's national recommended water quality criteria
for States and Tribes to use in adopting or revising their water
quality standards until superseded by the publication of revised
criteria, or withdrawn by notice in the Federal Register.
V. What is the Process for Developing New or Revised Criteria?
Section 304(a)(1) of the CWA requires the Agency to develop and
publish, and from time to time revise, criteria for water quality
accurately reflecting the latest scientific knowledge. The Agency has
developed an improved process that it intends to use when deriving new
criteria or conducting a major reassessment of existing criteria. The
purpose of the improved process is to provide expanded opportunities
for public input, and to make the process more efficient.
When deriving new criteria, or when initiating a major reassessment
of existing criteria, EPA will take the following steps.
1. EPA will first undertake a comprehensive review of available
data and information.
2. EPA will publish a notice in the Federal Register and on the
Internet announcing its assessment or reassessment of the pollutant.
The notice will describe the data available to the Agency, and will
solicit any additional pertinent data or views that may be useful in
deriving new or revised criteria. EPA is especially interested in
hearing from the public regarding new data or information that was
unavailable to the Agency, and scientific views as to the application
of the relevant Agency methodology for deriving water quality criteria.
3. After public input is received and evaluated, EPA will then
utilize information obtained from both the Agency's literature review
and the public to develop draft recommended water quality criteria.
4. EPA will initiate a peer review of the draft criteria. Agency
peer review consists of a documented critical review by qualified
independent experts. Information about EPA peer review practices may be
found in the Science Policy Council's Peer Review Handbook (EPA 100-B-
98-001, www.epa.gov).
5. Concurrent with the peer review in step four, EPA will publish a
notice in the Federal Register and on the Internet, of the availability
of the draft water quality criteria and solicit views from the public
on issues of science pertaining to the information used in deriving the
draft criteria. The Agency believes it is important to provide the
public with the opportunity to provide scientific views on the draft
criteria even though we are not required to invite and respond to
written comments.
6. EPA will evaluate the results of the peer review, and prepare a
response document for the record in accordance with EPA's Peer Review
Handbook. EPA at the same time will consider views provided by the
public on issues of science. Major scientific issues will be addressed
in the record whether from the peer review or the public.
7. EPA will then revise the draft criteria as necessary, and
announce the availability of the final water quality criteria in the
Federal Register and on the Internet.
VI. What is the Process for Minor Revisions to Criteria?
In addition to developing new criteria, and conducting major
reassessments of existing criteria, EPA also from time to time
recalculates criteria based on new information pertaining to individual
components of the criteria. For example, in today's notice, EPA has
recalculated a number of criteria based on new, peer-reviewed data
contained in EPA's IRIS. Because such recalculations normally result in
only minor changes to the criteria, do not ordinarily involve a change
in the underlying scientific methodologies, and reflect peer-reviewed
data, EPA will typically publish such recalculated criteria directly as
the Agency's recommended water quality criteria. If it appears that a
recalculation results in a significant change EPA will follow the
process of peer review and public input outlined above. Further, when
EPA recalculates national water quality criteria in the course of
proposing or promulgating state-specific federal water quality
standards pursuant to section 303(c), EPA will offer an opportunity for
national public input on the recalculated criteria.
VII. How Does the Process Outlined Above Improve Public Input and
Efficiency?
In the past, EPA developed draft criteria documents and announced
their availability for public comment in the Federal Register. This led
to new data and views coming to EPA's attention after draft criteria
had already been developed. Responding to new data would sometimes lead
to extensive revisions.
The steps outlined above improve the criteria development process
in the following ways.
1. The new process is Internet-based which is in line with EPA
policy for public access and dissemination of information gathered by
EPA. Use of the Internet will allow the public to be more engaged in
the criteria development process than previously and to more
knowledgeably follow criteria development. For new criteria or major
revisions, EPA will announce its
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intentions to derive the new or revised criteria on the Internet and
include a list of the available literature. This will give the public
an opportunity to provide additional data that might not otherwise be
identified by the Agency.
2. The public now has two opportunities to contribute data and
views, before development and during development, instead of a single
opportunity after development.
3. EPA has instituted broader and more formal peer review
procedures. This independent scientific review is a more rigorous
disciplinary practice to ensure technical improvements in Agency
decision making. Previously, EPA used the public comment process
outlined above to obtain peer review. The new process allows for both
public input and a formal peer review, resulting in a more thorough and
complete evaluation of the criteria.
4. Announcing the availability of the draft water quality criteria
on the Internet will give the public an opportunity to provide input on
issues of science in a more timely manner.
VIII. Where Can I Find More Information About Water Quality
Criteria and Water Quality Standards?
For more information about water quality criteria and Water Quality
Standards refer to the following: Water Quality Standards Handbook (EPA
823-B94-005a); Advanced Notice of Proposed Rule Making (ANPRM), (63 FR
36742); Water Quality Criteria and Standards Plan--Priorities for the
Future (EPA 822-R-98-003); Guidelines and Methodologies Used in the
Preparation of Health Effects Assessment Chapters of the Consent Decree
Water Criteria Documents (45 FR 79347); Draft Water Quality Criteria
Methodology Revisions: Human Health (63 FR 43755, EPA 822-Z-98-001);
and Guidelines for Deriving Numerical National Water Quality Criteria
for the Protection of Aquatic Organisms and Their Uses (EPA 822/R-85-
100); National Strategy for the Development of Regional Nutrient
Criteria (EPA 822-R-98-002).
These publications may also be accessed through EPA's National
Center for Environmental Publications and Information (NCEPI) or on the
Office of Science and Technology's Home-page (www.epa.gov/OST).
IX. What Are the National Recommended Water Quality Criteria?
The following compilation and its associated footnotes and notes
presents the national recommended water quality criteria.
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National Recommended Water Quality Criteria for Priority Toxic Pollutants
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Freshwater Saltwater Human health for consumption of:
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Priority pollutant CAS No. CMC (g/ CCC (g/ CMC (g/ CCC (g/ Water + organism Organism only FR cite/source
L) L) L) L) (g/L) (g/L)
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1 Antimony.................... 7440360 .................. .................. .................. .................. 14 B,\\Z.......... 4300 B............ 57 FR 60848
2 Arsenic..................... 7440382 340 A,D,K......... 150 A,D,K......... 69 A,D,bb......... 36A,D,bb.......... .................. .................. 62 FR 42160
0.018 C,M,S....... 0.14 C,M,S........ 57 FR 60848
3 Beryllium................... 7440417 .................. .................. .................. .................. J,\\Z............. J................. 62 FR 42160
4 Cadmium..................... 7440439 4.3 D,\\E,\\K..... 2.2 D,\\E,\\K..... 42 D,\\bb......... 9.3 D,\\bb........ J,\\Z............. J................. 62 FR 42160
5a Chromium III............... 16065831 570 D,\\E,\\K..... 74 D,E,K.......... .................. .................. .................. .................. EPA 820/B-96-001
J,\\Z Total....... J................. 62 FR 42160
5b Chromium VI................ 18540299 16 D,\\K.......... 11 D,\\K.......... 1,100 D,\\bb...... 50 D,\\bb......... J,\\Z Total....... J................. 62 FR 42160
6 Copper...................... 7440508 13 D,\\E,\\K,\\cc. 9.0 D,\\E,\\K,\\cc 4.8 D,\\cc,\\ff... 3.1 D,\\cc,\\ff... 1,300 U........... .................. 62 FR 42160
7 Lead........................ 7439921 65 D,\\E,\\bb,\\gg 2.5 D,\\E,\\bb,\\g 210 D,\\bb........ 8.1 D,\\bb........ J................. J................. 62 FR 42160
g.
8 Mercury..................... 7439976 1.4 D,\\K,\\hh.... 0.77 D,\\K,\\hh... 1.8 D,\\ee,\\hh... 0.94 D,\\ee,\\hh.. 0.050 B........... 0.051 B........... 62 FR 42160
9 Nickel...................... 7440020 470 D,\\E,\\K..... 52 D,\\E,\\K...... 74 D,\\bb......... 8.2 D,\\bb........ 610 B............. 4,600 B........... 62 FR 42160
10 Selenium................... 7782492 L,\\R,\\T......... 5.0 T............. 290 D,\\bb,\\dd... 71 D,\\bb,\\dd.... .................. .................. 62 FR 42160
170 Z............. 11,000............ IRIS 09/01/91
11 Silver..................... 7440224 3.4 D,\\E,\\G..... .................. 1.9 D,\\G......... .................. .................. .................. 62 FR 42160
12 Thallium................... 7440280 .................. .................. .................. .................. 1.7 B............. 6.3 B............. 57 FR 60848
13 Zinc....................... 7440666 120 D,\\E,\\K..... 120 D,\\E,\\K..... 90 D,\\bb......... 81 D,\\bb......... .................. .................. 62 FR 42160
9,100 U........... 69,000 U.......... IRIS 10/01/92
14 Cyanide.................... 57125 22 K,\\Q.......... 5.2 K,\\Q......... .................. .................. .................. .................. EPA 820/B-96-001
1 Q,\\bb.......... 1 Q,\\bb.......... 700 B,\\Z......... 220,000 B,\\H..... 57 FR 60848
15 Asbestos................... 1332214 .................. .................. .................. .................. 7 million fibers/L .................. 57 FR 60848
I.
16 2, 3, 7, 8-TCDD Dioxin..... 1746016 .................. .................. .................. .................. 1.3E-8 C.......... 1.4E-8 C.......... 62 FR 42160
17 Acrolein................... 107028 .................. .................. .................. .................. 320............... 780............... 57 FR 60848
18 Acrylonitrile.............. 107131 .................. .................. .................. .................. 0.059 B,C......... 0.66 B,C.......... 57 FR 60848
19 Benzene.................... 71432 .................. .................. .................. .................. 1.2 B,C........... 71 B,C............ 62 FR 42160
20 Bromoform.................. 75252 .................. .................. .................. .................. 4.3 B,C........... 360 B,C........... 62 FR 42160
21 Carbon Tetrachloride....... 56235 .................. .................. .................. .................. 0.25 B,C.......... 4.4 B,C........... 57 FR 60848
22 Chlorobenzene.............. 108907 .................. .................. .................. .................. 680 B,Z........... 21,000 B,H........ 57 FR 60848
23 Chlorodibromomethane....... 124481 .................. .................. .................. .................. 0.41 B,C.......... 34 B,C............ 62 FR 42160
24 Chloroethane............... 75003 ............................
25 2-Chloroethylvinyl Ether... 110758 ............................
26 Chloroform................. 67663 .................. .................. .................. .................. 5.7 B,C........... 470 B,C........... 62 FR 42160
27 Dichlorobromomethane....... 75274 .................. .................. .................. .................. 0.56 B,C.......... 46 B,C............ 62 FR 42160
28 1,1-Dichloroethane......... 75343 ............................
29 1,2-Dichloroethane......... 107062 .................. .................. .................. .................. 0.38 B,C.......... 99 B,C............ 57 FR 60848
30 1,1-Dichloroethylene....... 75354 .................. .................. .................. .................. 0.057 B,C......... 3.2 B,C........... 57 FR 60848
31 1,2-Dichloropropane........ 78875 .................. .................. .................. .................. 0.52 B,C.......... 39 B,C............ 62 FR 42160
32 1,3-Dichloropropene........ 542756 .................. .................. .................. .................. 10 B.............. 1,700 B........... 57 FR 60848
33 Ethylbenzene............... 100414 .................. .................. .................. .................. 3,100 B,Z......... 29,000 B.......... 62 FR 42160
34 Methyl Bromide............. 74839 .................. .................. .................. .................. 48 B.............. 4000 B............ 62 FR 42160
35 Methyl Chloride............ 74873 .................. .................. .................. .................. J................. J................. 62 FR 42160
36 Methylene Chloride......... 75092 .................. .................. .................. .................. 4.7 B,C........... 1600 B,C.......... 62 FR 42160
37 1,1,2,2-Tetrachloroethane.. 79345 .................. .................. .................. .................. 0.17 B,C.......... 11B,C............. 57 FR 60848
38 Tetrachloroethylene........ 127184 .................. .................. .................. .................. 0.8 C............. 8.85 C............ 57 FR 60848
39 Toluene.................... 108883 .................. .................. .................. .................. 6,800 B,Z......... 200,000 B......... 62 FR 42160
40 1,2-Trans-Dichloroethylene. 156605 .................. .................. .................. .................. 700 B,Z........... 140,000 B......... 62 FR 42160
41 1,1,1-Trichloroethane...... 71556 .................. .................. .................. .................. J,Z.............. J................ 62 FR 42160
42 1,1,2-Trichloroethane...... 79005 .................. .................. .................. .................. 0.60 B,C.......... 42 B,C............ 57 FR 60848
43 Trichloroethylene.......... 79016 .................. .................. .................. .................. 2.7 C............. 81 C.............. 57 FR 60848
44 Vinyl Chloride............. 75014 .................. .................. .................. .................. 2.0 C............. 525 C............. 57 FR 60848
45 2-Chlorophenol............. 95578 .................. .................. .................. .................. 120 B,U........... 400 B,U........... 62 FR 42160
46 2,4-Dichlorophenol......... 120832 .................. .................. .................. .................. 93 B,U............ 790 B,U........... 57 FR 60848
47 2,4-Dimethylphenol......... 105679 .................. .................. .................. .................. 540 B,U........... 2,300 B,U......... 62 FR 42160
48 2-Methyl-4,6-Dinitrophenol. 534521 .................. .................. .................. .................. 13.4.............. 765............... 57 FR 60848
49 2,4-Dinitrophenol.......... 51285 .................. .................. .................. .................. 70 B.............. 14,000 B.......... 57 FR 60848
50 2-Nitrophenol.............. 88755 ............................
51 4-Nitrophenol.............. 100027 ............................
52 3-Methyl-4-Chlorophenol.... 59507 .................. .................. .................. .................. U................ U.
[[Page 67552]]
53 Pentachlorophenol.......... 87865 19 F,K............ 15 F,K............ 13 bb............. 7.9 bb............ 0.28 B,C.......... 8.2 B,C,H......... 62 FR 42160
54 Phenol..................... 108952 .................. .................. .................. .................. 21,000 B,U........ .......