[Federal Register Volume 65, Number 42 (Thursday, March 2, 2000)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Page 11386]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 00-4762]



  Federal Register/Vol. 65, No. 42/Thursday, March 2, 2000/Proposed 
Rules  

[[Page 11386]]


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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

40 CFR Part 141

[FRL-6544-7]


Unregulated Contaminant Monitoring Regulation for Public Water 
Systems; Analytical Methods for Perchlorate and Acetochlor; 
Announcement of Laboratory Approval and Performance Testing (PT) 
Program for the Analysis of Perchlorate

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency.

ACTION: Proposed rule.

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SUMMARY: The Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA), as amended in 1996, 
requires the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to establish criteria 
for a program to monitor unregulated contaminants and to publish a list 
of contaminants to be monitored. In fulfillment of this requirement, 
EPA published the Revisions to the Unregulated Contaminant Monitoring 
Rule (UCMR) on September 17, 1999 (64 FR 50556) which included a list 
of contaminants to be monitored.
    Both perchlorate and acetochlor were placed on the UCMR (1999) List 
1, Assessment Monitoring, with the method listed as ``Reserved'' 
pending imminent conclusion of EPA refinement and review of the 
analytical methods for perchlorate and acetochlor. In this issue of the 
Federal Register, EPA is revising the UCMR by promulgating analytical 
methods for the measurement of perchlorate and acetochlor in drinking 
water as a direct final rule without prior proposal because EPA views 
this as a noncontroversial revision and anticipates no adverse comment. 
EPA has addressed the regulatory text and explained the authority, 
purpose, and rationale for the rule and the Agency's compliance with 
the laws and executive orders affecting rulemaking in the preamble to 
the direct final rule. If EPA receives no adverse comment, it will not 
take further action on this proposed rule. If EPA receives adverse 
comment, the Agency will withdraw the direct final rule and it will not 
take effect. EPA would then address all public comments in a subsequent 
final rule based on this proposed rule. EPA will not institute a second 
comment period on this action. Any parties interested in commenting 
must do so at this time.

DATES: Comments must be received in writing by April 3, 2000.

ADDRESSES: Send written comments to the Comment Clerk, docket number W-
99-19, Water Docket (MC 4101), U.S. EPA, 401 M Street, SW, Washington, 
DC 20460. Please submit an original and three copies of your comments 
and enclosures (including references).
    The full record for this document has been established under docket 
number W-99-19 and includes supporting documentation as well as 
printed, paper versions of electronic comments. The full record is 
available for inspection from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., Monday through Friday, 
excluding legal holidays, at the Water Docket, East Tower Basement, 
U.S. EPA, 401 M Street, SW, Washington, DC. For access to docket 
(Docket No. W-99-19) materials, please call (202) 260-3027 between 9 
a.m. and 3:30 p.m., Eastern Time, Monday through Friday, to schedule an 
appointment. A reasonable fee may be charged for copying.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Rachel Sakata, Standards and Risk 
Management Division, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 401 M Street 
(MC 4607), Washington, DC 20460, (202) 260-2527. For technical 
information regarding the methods contact David Munch, Technical 
Support Center, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 26 W. Martin 
Luther King Dr., Cincinnati OH, 45268, (513) 569-7843. General 
information may also be obtained from the EPA Safe Drinking Water 
Hotline. Callers within the United States may reach the Hotline at 
(800) 426-4791. The Hotline is open Monday through Friday, excluding 
federal holidays, from 9:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Eastern Time.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: To ensure that EPA can read, understand and 
therefore properly respond to comments, the Agency would prefer that 
commenters cite, where possible, the paragraph(s) or sections in the 
notice or supporting documents to which each comment refers. Commenters 
should use a separate paragraph for each issue discussed.
    Commenters who want EPA to acknowledge receipt of their comments 
should enclose a self-addressed, stamped envelope. No facsimiles 
(faxes) will be accepted. Comments may also be submitted electronically 
to [email protected]. Electronic comments must be submitted as 
an ASCII file avoiding the use of special characters and any form of 
encryption. Electronic comments must be identified by the docket number 
W-99-19. Comments and data will also be accepted on disks in 
WordPerfect in 5.1 format or ASCII file format. Electronic comments on 
this document may be filed online at many Federal Depository Libraries.
    This document concerns the Unregulated Contaminant Monitoring 
Regulation for Public Water Systems; Analytical Methods for Perchlorate 
and Acetochlor; Announcement of Laboratory Approval and Performance 
Testing (PT) Program for the Analysis of Perchlorate. For further 
information, please see the information provided in the direct final 
rule published elsewhere in this issue of the Federal Register.

List of Subjects in 40 CFR Part 141

    Environmental protection, Chemicals, Incorporation by reference, 
Indian-lands, Intergovernmental relations, Reporting and recordkeeping 
requirements, Water supply.

    Dated: February 23, 2000.
Carol M. Browner,
Administrator.
[FR Doc. 00-4762 Filed 3-1-00; 8:45 am]
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