[Federal Register Volume 68, Number 136 (Wednesday, July 16, 2003)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 41988-41989]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 03-17875]


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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

40 CFR Part 136

[FRL-7527-8]
RIN 2040-AD53


Guidelines Establishing Test Procedures for the Analysis of 
Pollutants; Procedures for Detection and Quantitation; Reopening of 
Comment Period

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

ACTION: Proposed rule and Notice of Document Availability; reopening of 
comment period.

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SUMMARY: The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is reopening the 
comment period for the proposed rule and the notice of document 
availability (NODA) regarding EPA's assessment of detection and 
quantitation procedures. The proposed rule and the NODA were published 
in the Federal Register on March 12, 2003 (68 FR 11770 and 68 FR 11791, 
respectively), and the comment periods for both were scheduled to end 
on July 10, 2003. The Agency is reopening the comment periods for 30 
days, and they will now end on August 15, 2003.

DATES: Comments must be postmarked, delivered by hand, or 
electronically mailed on or before August 15, 2003. Comments provided 
electronically will be considered timely if they are submitted by 11:59 
p.m. Eastern Time on August 15, 2003.

ADDRESSES: Comments may be submitted by mail to Water Docket, U.S. 
Environmental Protection Agency (4101T), 1200 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW., 
Washington, DC, 20460, or electronically through EPA Dockets at http://www.epa.gov/edocket/, Attention

[[Page 41989]]

Docket No. OW-2003-0002. See Unit C of the SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION 
section of the March 12, 2003, Federal Register notice for the proposed 
rule (68 FR 11771-11772) and Unit I.B of the SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION 
section of the March 12, 2003, Federal Register notice for the NODA (68 
FR 11791-11792) for additional ways to submit comments and more 
detailed instructions.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: William Telliard; Engineering and 
Analysis Division (4303T); Office of Science and Technology; Office of 
Water; U.S. Environmental Protection Agency; Ariel Rios Building; 1200 
Pennsylvania Avenue, NW.; Washington, DC 20460, or call (202) 566-1061 
or E-mail at [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

A. Background

    EPA's method detection limit (MDL) and minimum level of 
quantitation (ML) are used to define analytical method (test) 
sensitivity under the Clean Water Act (CWA). In February 2003, EPA's 
Office of Water completed an assessment of detection and quantitation 
concepts and their application under CWA programs. On March 12, 2003, 
EPA published a document (68 FR 11791) making available for public 
comment an assessment document entitled ``Technical Support Document 
for the Assessment of Detection and Quantitation Concepts'' (EPA 821-R-
03-005, February 2003). On the same date, EPA also published proposed 
revisions to the current EPA procedure for determining test sensitivity 
under EPA's CWA programs (available at 40 CFR part 136, appendix B) (68 
FR 11770). The proposed revisions include clarifications and 
improvements based on the assessment of the MDL, ML, and other 
approaches for defining test sensitivity; peer review of the 
assessment; and stakeholder comments on the existing MDL procedure.
    The 120-day public comment periods established for the proposed 
rule and NODA were scheduled to end July 10, 2003. EPA received a 
request to extend the public comment for the proposed rule period 
beyond that due date.
    In order to give the public enough time to review and comment on 
the proposed rule, EPA is reopening the comment period for an 
additional 30 days to August 15, 2003, for each of those documents.

B. Reopening of Comment Period

    This document reopens the public comment periods established in the 
Federal Register issued on March 12, 2003 (68 FR 11770 and 68 FR 
11791). In those documents, EPA requested public comments on the 
Agency's proposed rule and on the assessment document entitled 
``Technical Support Document for the Assessment of Detection and 
Quantitation Concepts'' (EPA 821-R-03-005, February, 2003). EPA is 
hereby reopening the comment periods to August 15, 2003.
    To submit comments, or access the official public docket, please 
follow the detailed instructions as provided in the SUPPLEMENTARY 
INFORMATION sections of the March 12, 2003 Federal Register actions for 
the proposed rule (68 FR 11771-11772) and the NODA (68 FR 11791-11792). 
If you have questions, consult the person listed under the FOR FURTHER 
INFORMATION CONTACT section of this action.

    Dated: July 9, 2003.
G. Tracy Mehan, III,
Assistant Administrator for Water.
[FR Doc. 03-17875 Filed 7-15-03; 8:45 am]
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