[Federal Register Volume 69, Number 46 (Tuesday, March 9, 2004)]
[Notices]
[Pages 11012-11013]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 04-5288]


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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[FRL-OW-7633-4]


Notice of Availability of Draft Aquatic Life Criteria Document 
for Copper and Request for Scientific Views; Reopening the Period To 
Submit Scientific Views

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

ACTION: Notice of availability and request for scientific views; 
reopening the period to submit scientific views.

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SUMMARY: Due to requests from the public, EPA is reopening the period 
for submitting scientific views on the draft document containing 
updated aquatic life criteria for copper. EPA announced the 
availability of the draft criteria on December 31, 2003 (68 FR 75552). 
The period for submission of scientific views ended on March 1, 2004. 
Today, the Agency is reopening the period to submit scientific views 
for an additional 30 days.

DATES: EPA will accept scientific views on the 2003 Draft Updated of 
Ambient Water Quality Criteria for Copper document on or before April 
8, 2004.

ADDRESSES: Scientific views may be submitted electronically, by mail or 
through hand-delivery/courier. Follow the detailed instructions as 
provided in Section I.C. of the SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION section of 
the December 31, 2003, Federal Register. Electronic files may be e-
mailed to: [email protected]. Scientific views may be mailed to the 
Water Docket, Environmental Protection Agency, Mail Code: 4101T, 1200 
Pennsylvania Avenue, NW., Washington, DC 20460, Attention Docket ID No. 
OW-2003-0079. Instructions for couriers and other hand delivery are 
provided in section I.C.3 of the December 31, 2003, Federal Register. 
The Agency will not accept facsimiles (faxes).

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Cindy Roberts, Health and Ecological 
Criteria Division (4304T), U.S. EPA, Ariel Rios Building, 1200 
Pennsylvania Ave., NW., Washington, DC, 20460; (202) 566-1124; 
[email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. What Are Water Quality Criteria?

    Water quality criteria are scientifically-derived concentrations of 
a pollutant that protect aquatic life or human health from the harmful 
effects of pollutants in ambient water. Section 304(a)(1) of the Clean 
Water Act requires EPA to develop and publish and, from time to time, 
revise criteria for water quality to accurately reflect the latest 
scientific knowledge. Water quality criteria developed under section 
304(a) are based solely on data and scientific judgments on the 
relationship between pollutant concentrations and environmental and 
human health effects. Section 304(a) criteria do not consider economic 
impacts or the technological feasibility of meeting the chemical 
concentrations in ambient water. Section 304(a) criteria help States 
and authorized Tribes adopt water quality standards that ultimately 
provide a basis for controlling discharges or releases of pollutants. 
The criteria also help EPA promulgate federal regulations under section 
303(c) when such action is necessary.
    Once established, an EPA water quality criterion does not 
substitute for the CWA or EPA regulations; nor is it a regulation. It 
cannot impose legally binding requirements on the EPA, States, 
authorized Tribes or the regulated community. State and Tribal 
decision-makers have the discretion to adopt approaches that differ 
from EPA's guidance on a case-by-case basis.

[[Page 11013]]

II. Why Is EPA Reopening the Period for Request of Scientific Views?

    On December 31, 2003, EPA published a Federal Register notice (68 
FR 75552) announcing the availability and requesting scientific views 
on the updated criteria in the 2003 Draft Update of Ambient Water 
Quality for Copper document and on the application of the biotic ligand 
model (BLM) used to derived the fresh water criteria. EPA received 
requests to extend the period for submission of scientific views on 
these documents. In order to give the public enough time to review, EPA 
is reopening the period to submit scientific views.
    To submit your scientific views, or access the official docket, 
please follow the detailed instructions as provided in the 
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION section of the December 31, 2003 Federal 
Register (68 FR 75552). If you have any questions, consult the person 
listed under the FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT section of this 
notice.

    Dated: March 4, 2004.
Benjamin H. Grumbles,
Acting Assistant Administrator, Office of Water.
[FR Doc. 04-5288 Filed 3-8-04; 8:45 am]
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