[Federal Register Volume 67, Number 250 (Monday, December 30, 2002)]
[Notices]
[Page 79631]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 02-32898]


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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[FRL-7432-1]


Notice of Tentative Approval and Solicitation of Request for a 
Public Hearing for Public Water System Supervision Program Revision for 
the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

ACTION: Notice of tentative approval and Solicitation of Requests for a 
Public Hearing.

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SUMMARY: Notice is hereby given in accordance with the provision of 
section 1413 of the Safe Drinking Water Act as amended, and the 
National Primary Drinking Water Regulations Implementation that the 
Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is revising its approved Public Water 
System Supervision Program. Pennsylvania has adopted an Interim 
Enhanced Surface Water Treatment Rule (IESWTR) to improve control of 
microbial pathogens in drinking water, including specifically the 
protozoan Cryptosporidium, and a Stage 1 Disinfectants/Disinfection 
Byproducts Rule (DBPR), setting new requirements to limit the formation 
of chemical disinfection byproducts in drinking water. EPA has 
determined that these revisions are no less stringent than the 
corresponding Federal regulations outside of two minor omissions to 
their regulations. The two items concern turbidity monitoring reporting 
requirements under IESWTR for systems that use alternative filtration 
technologies and selection of disinfection byproduct monitoring 
locations under the DBPR for surface water systems serving at least 
10,000 people. These omissions are being addressed through an EPA/
Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection signed letter 
agreement that includes required interim actions to cover the 
deficiencies and a schedule for correcting the deficiencies. Therefore, 
EPA has decided to tentatively approve these program revisions. All 
interested parties are invited to submit written comments on this 
determination and may request a public hearing.

DATES: Comments or a request for a public hearing must be submitted by 
January 29, 2003. This determination shall become effective on January 
30, 2003 if no timely and appropriate request for a hearing is received 
and the Regional Administrator does not elect to hold a hearing on his 
own motion, and if no comments are received which cause EPA to modify 
its tentative approval.

ADDRESSES: Comments or a request for a public hearing must be submitted 
to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Region III, 1650 Arch 
Street, Philadelphia, PA 19103-2029. All documents relating to this 
determination are available for inspection between the hours of 8 a.m. 
and 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday, at the following offices:
    [sbull] Drinking Water Branch, Water Protection Division, U.S. 
Environmental Protection Agency Region III, 1650 Arch Street, 
Philadelphia, PA 19103-2029.
    [sbull] Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection, Bureau 
of Water Supply and Wastewater Management, 11th Floor Rachael Carson 
State Office Building Harrisburg, 400 Market Street, Harrisburg, PA 
17105-8467.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Jason Gambatese, Drinking Water Branch 
(3WP22) at the Philadelphia address given above; telephone (215) 814-
5759 or fax (215) 814-2318.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: All interested parties are invited to submit 
written comments on this determination and may request a public 
hearing. All comments will be considered, and, if necessary, EPA will 
issue a response. Frivolous or insubstantial requests for a hearing may 
be denied by the Regional Administrator. However, if a substantial 
request for a public hearing is made by January 29, 2003, a public 
hearing will be held. A request for public hearing shall include the 
following: (1) The name, address, and telephone number of the 
individual, organization, or other entity requesting a hearing; (2) a 
brief statement of the requesting person's interest in the Regional 
Administrator's determination and of information that the requesting 
person intends to submit at such a hearing; and (3) the signature of 
the individual making the request; or, if the request is made on behalf 
of an organization or other entity, the signature of a responsible 
official of the organization or other entity.

    Dated: December 11, 2002.
Donald S. Welsh,
Regional Administrator, Region III.
[FR Doc. 02-32898 Filed 12-27-02; 8:45 am]
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