[Federal Register Volume 65, Number 100 (Tuesday, May 23, 2000)]
[Notices]
[Pages 33322-33323]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 00-12955]


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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY.

[FRC-670S-1]


Nutrient Criteria Development; Notice of Nutrient Criteria 
Technical Guidance Manual: Lakes and Reservoirs, First Edition

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

ACTION: Notice of nutrient criteria technical guidance manual: Lakes 
and reservoirs, first edition.

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SUMMARY: The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announces the 
availability of a nutrient criteria technical guidance manual for lakes 
and reservoirs. This document provides State and Tribal water quality 
managers and others with guidance on how to develop numeric nutrient 
criteria for lakes and reservoirs. This document does not contain site-
specific numeric nutrient criteria for any lake or reservoir. This 
guidance was principally developed to assist States and Tribes in their 
efforts to establish nutrient criteria. States and Tribes are clearly 
in the best position to consider site-specific conditions in developing 
nutrient criteria. While this guidance contains EPA's scientific 
recommendations regarding defensible approaches for developing regional 
nutrient criteria, this guidance is not regulation; thus it does not 
impose legally binding requirements on EPA, States, Territories, 
Tribes, or the public, and might not apply to a particular situation 
based upon the circumstances. States, Territories, and authorized 
Tribes retain the discretion to adopt, where appropriate, other 
scientifically defensible approaches to developing regional or local 
nutrient criteria that differ from these recommendations.
    We have decided to issue technical guidance in a manner similar to 
that which we are using to issue new and revised criteria (see Federal 
Register, December 10, 1998, 63 FR 68354 and in the EPA document 
titled, National Recommended Water Quality--Correction EPA 822-Z-99-
001, April 1999). Therefore, we invite the public to provide scientific 
views on this guidance. We will review and consider information 
submitted by the public on significant scientific issues that might not 
have otherwise been identified by the Agency during development of this 
guidance. This guidance has been through external peer review, and a 
summary of these comments is available on the Nutrient website (http://
www. EPA.gov/OST/standards/nutrient.html) After review of the submitted 
significant scientific information, we will publish a revised document, 
or publish a notice indicating its decision not to revise the document.
    This document has been prepared for publication by the Office of 
Science and Technology, Office of Water, U.S. Environmental Protection 
Agency. Mention of trade names or commercial products does not 
constitute endorsement or recommendation for use.

DATES: All significant scientific information must be submitted to the 
Agency by July 24, 2000. Any scientific information submitted should be 
adequately documented and contain enough supporting information to 
indicate that acceptable and scientifically defensible procedures were 
used and that the results are likely reliable.

ADDRESSES: This notice contains a summary of the Nutrient Criteria 
Technical Guidance Manual: Lakes and Reservoirs, First Edition. Copies 
of the complete document may be obtained from EPA's Water Resource 
Center by phone at 202-260-7786, or by e-mail to: [email protected], or by conventional mail to EPA Water Resource Center, 
RC-4100, Ariel Rios Building, 1200 Pennsylvania Ave., NW, Washington, 
DC 20460. The document is also available electronically at http://www.epa.gov/OST/standards/nutrient.html.
    An original and two copies of written significant scientific 
information should sent to Robert Cantilli (MC-4304), U.S. EPA, Ariel 
Rios Building, 1200 Pennsylvania Ave., NW , Washington, DC 20460. 
Written significant scientific information may be submitted 
electronically in ASCII or Word Perfect 5.1, 5.2, 6.1, or 8.0 formats 
to [email protected].

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Dr. George Gibson, USEPA, Health and 
Ecological Criteria Division (4304), Office of Science and Technology, 
Ariel Rios Building, 1200 Pennsylvania Ave., NW, Washington, DC 20460; 
or call (410) 305-2618; fax (410) 305-3093; or e-mail 
[email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Introduction

    On March 24, 1998, the President's Clean Water Action Plan was 
presented in the Federal Register. The Clean Water Action Plan 
specifically stated that EPA will establish recommended water quality 
criteria for nutrients that reflect the different types of water bodies 
and different ecoregions of the country and that will assist States and 
Tribes in adopting numeric water quality standards for nutrients. 
Consistent with the objectives of the Clean Water Action Plan, the U.S. 
Environmental Protection Agency presented a National Strategy for the 
Development of Regional Nutrient Criteria on June 25, 1998, that 
described the approach the Agency would follow in developing nutrient 
information and working with States and Tribes to adopt nutrient 
criteria as part of State/Tribal water quality standards. The major 
focus of the strategy is the development of waterbody-type technical 
guidance and recommended ecoregion-specific nutrient criteria by the 
year 2000. Once EPA develops waterbody-type guidance and recommended 
nutrient criteria, EPA intends to assist States and Tribes in adopting 
numeric nutrient criteria into water quality standards by the end of 
2003.

Overview of the Problem

    Cultural eutrophication (i.e.,that associated with humans) of 
United States surface waters is a long-standing problem; approximately 
half of the reported impairments in National waters are attributable to 
excess nutrients. Nitrogen and phosphorus are the primary cause of 
eutrophication, and algal blooms are often a response to enrichment. 
Within lakes and reservoirs, chronic symptoms of overenrichment include 
low dissolved oxygen, fish kills, increased sediment accumulation, and 
species and abundance shifts of flora and fauna. The problem is 
National in scope, but varies in nature from one region of the country 
to another due to geographical variations in geology and soil types. 
For these reasons, EPA has decided to develop its recommend nutrient 
criteria on an ecoregional basis for use by States and Tribes.

Summary of Nutrient Criteria Technical Guidance Manual for Lakes 
and Reservoirs

    EPA initiated the National Strategy to Develop Regional Nutrient 
Criteria to address enrichment problems. The

[[Page 33323]]

Nutrient Criteria Technical Guidance Manual: Lakes and Reservoirs, 
First Edition is the first of a series of waterbody-type specific 
manuals produced to assist EPA Regions, States, and Tribes in 
establishing ecoregionally appropriate nutrient criteria. EPA is also 
developing manuals for rivers and streams, estuarine and coastal 
waters, and wetlands. EPA expects States and Tribes to use these 
manuals as the basis for developing State water quality standards for 
nutrients, to help identify water quality impairments, and to evaluate 
the relative success in reducing cultural eutrophication. In addition 
to developing these waterbody-type specific manuals, EPA is developing 
nutrient criteria guidance under section 304(a) for each of the 14 
ecoregions it has identified in the continental United States. EPA 
expects States and Tribes to use the manuals, other information and 
local expertise to refine EPA's 304(a) nutrient criteria guidance so 
that the nutrient water quality criteria eventually adopted by States 
and Tribes are tailored to more localized conditions. In order to 
assist States and Tribes in this undertaking, as well as to verify 
section 304 (a) nutrient criteria guidance, and to provide national 
consistency wherever possible, EPA has established Regional Technical 
Assistance Groups (RTAGs). RTAGs are a collection of EPA, State, Tribal 
representatives who are working together to take EPA's forthcoming 
section 304(a) nutrient criteria guidance as a starting point to 
develop more refined ecoregional nutrient criteria. (EPA is also using 
data and expertise provided by the RTAGs in the development of its 
section 304(a) nutrient criteria guidance for the 14 ecoregions it has 
identified.) EPA expects the RTAGs to use the processes set forth in 
the waterbody-type specific manuals to develop recommended nutrient 
criteria on an ecoregional basis or a more refined basis (such as 
subecoregion, State or Tribe-level, more defined class of lakes/
reservoirs). Today's manual for lakes and reservoirs also explains how 
States or Tribes can adopt nutrient water quality standards based on 
the ecoregional criteria values recommended by the EPA and/or RTAGs.
    The key parameters addressed in Nutrient Criteria Technical 
Guidance Manual: Lakes and Reservoirs, First Edition are total 
phosphorus, total nitrogen, chlorophyll a, and Secchi depth. As set 
forth in the manual, the elements that EPA expects States and Tribes to 
consider in developing a nutrient criterion are:
    (1) Historical data and other information to establish perspective;
    (2) Current reference site information;
    (3) Models used to simulate or validate the empirical relationships 
established between causal (nutrients) and response (biological 
indicators) variables; and
    (4) Evaluation of downstream consequences before finalizing 
criteria values. EPA also expects the States or Tribes (or the RTAG 
when developing criteria guidance) to use their best professional 
judgement when examining the information and establishing criteria.
    EPA expects the criteria development and implementation process 
(undertaken by EPA, the RTAGs and others) to proceed as follows:
     Data acquisition and review, as well as additional data 
gathering and processing methods.
     Classification of the lakes and reservoirs by physical 
characteristics.
     Reference site selection and data reduction to identify 
reference conditions.
     Development of defensible nutrient criteria, verified by 
an RTAG and evaluated for potential downstream effects.
     Adoption of nutrient criteria by States and Tribes into 
their water quality. Standards, ideally taking into account the 
reference condition data and designated uses.
     Implementation of EPA-approved nutrient criteria by EPA, 
States, and Tribes to identify areas of water quality impairment due to 
nutrients and to respond appropriately.
    These subjects are described in detail in the Nutrient Criteria 
Technical Guidance Manual: Lakes and Reservoirs, First Edition.
    The manual concludes with chapters describing data models and 
management options that actively protect or restore lake and reservoir 
resources. Case histories illustrating nutrient criteria development 
experiences are appended with the names of individual specialists to 
contact for more information.
    The Nutrient Criteria Technical Guidance Document: Lakes and 
Reservoirs, First Edition that is being announced in this Notice was 
developed after consideration of public comment and peer review. A 
draft Technical Guidance Manual: Lakes and Reservoirs was placed on the 
EPA Nutrient website (http://www.EPA.gov/OST/standards/nutrient.html) 
on September 8, 1999, and EPA accepted correspondences and comments 
until November 16, 1999. In addition, a peer review of the proposed 
criteria document was conducted by a panel of five external reviewers.

    Dated: May 4, 2000.
Geoffrey H. Grubbs,
Director, Office of Science and Technology.
[FR Doc. 00-12955 Filed 5-22-00; 8:45 am]
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