[Federal Register Volume 68, Number 164 (Monday, August 25, 2003)]
[Notices]
[Pages 51011-51012]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 03-21660]


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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[FRL-7548-8]


Notice of Availability: Draft Watershed-Based National Pollutant 
Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) Permitting Implementation Guidance

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: This notice announces that the U.S. Environmental Protection 
Agency is publishing Draft Guidance On Watershed-Based National 
Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) Permitting 
Implementation. EPA is making the draft guidance available to the 
public for a period of thirty days during which EPA seeks comments on 
the document. The purpose of this guidance is to describe the concept 
of and the process for watershed-based permitting under the NPDES 
permit program. Watershed-based NPDES permitting is an approach to 
developing NPDES permits for multiple point sources located within a 
defined geographic area (i.e., watershed boundaries). This approach, 
aimed at achieving new efficiencies and environmental results, provides 
a process for considering all stressors within a hydrologically defined 
drainage basin or other geographic area, rather than addressing 
individual pollutant sources on a discharge-by-discharge basis. As 
outlined in the guidance, EPA will continue to implement the NPDES 
program through its existing statutory and regulatory authorities. The 
guidance cannot impose legally binding requirements on EPA, States, 
Tribes, or the regulated community. It cannot substitute for Clean 
Water Act (CWA) requirements, EPA's regulations, or the obligations 
imposed by consent decrees or enforcement orders.

DATES: All public comments on the draft guidance must be received on or 
before September 24, 2003.

ADDRESSES: Comments should be addressed to Patrick Bradley, U.S. 
Environmental Protection Agency, EPA East Building (MC 4203M), 1200

[[Page 51012]]

Pennsylvania Avenue, NW., Washington, DC 20460. Commenters are also 
requested to submit an original and 3 copies of their written comments 
as well as an original and 3 copies of any attachments, enclosures, or 
other documents referenced in the comments. EPA will also accept 
comments electronically. Comments should be addressed to the following 
e-mail address: [email protected]. Electronic comments must be 
submitted as an ASCII, WordPerfect format file and avoid the use of 
special characters or any form of encryption.
    Interested persons may obtain a copy of the guidance from the Water 
Permits Division's Web site (http://cfpub.epa.gov/npdes/wqbasedpermitting/wspermitting.cfm).

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Patrick Bradley, Telephone: (202) 564-
0729. Facsimile Number: (202) 564-6392. E-mail: 
[email protected]. Also visit the Water Permits Division's Web 
page at http://www.epa.gov/npdes.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: For nearly a decade, the U.S. Environmental 
Protection Agency (EPA) has supported and encouraged a watershed 
approach to addressing water quality problems. Awareness and 
understanding of this approach has grown over time, but with 
demonstrated gaps in implementation. In fall 2002 the EPA Office of 
Water Assistant Administrator issued a policy memo entitled 
``Committing EPA's Water Program to Advancing the Watershed Approach.'' 
This policy memo not only reaffirms EPA's commitment to the watershed 
approach but also reenergizes efforts to ensure that EPA as a whole 
fully integrates the approach into program implementation. The memo 
calls for the creation of a Watershed Management Council (WMC) that 
will, among other activities, accelerate efforts to develop and issue 
NPDES permits on a watershed basis.
    Following the watershed approach policy memo, EPA's Assistant 
Administrator for Water released the ``Watershed-Based NPDES Permitting 
Policy Statement.'' This statement communicates EPA's policy on 
implementing NPDES permitting activities on a watershed basis, 
discusses the benefits of watershed-based permitting, presents an 
explanation of the process and several mechanisms to implement 
watershed-based permitting, and outlines how EPA will encourage 
watershed-based permitting. It serves as both a formal commitment and a 
strategy for fully integrating the watershed approach into the NPDES 
permitting program and accelerating these efforts, as called for in the 
watershed approach policy memo. Both the policy memo on advancing the 
watershed approach and the watershed-based permitting policy statement 
are available on EPA's Web page at http://cfpub.epa.gov/npdes/wqbasedpermitting/wspermitting.cfm.

    Dated: August 14, 2003.
James Hanlon,
Director, Office of Wastewater Management.
[FR Doc. 03-21660 Filed 8-22-03; 8:45 am]
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