[Federal Register Volume 69, Number 52 (Wednesday, March 17, 2004)]
[Notices]
[Pages 12693-12694]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 04-5998]


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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[FRL-7637-5]


Notice of Tentative Approval and Solicitation of Request for a 
Public Hearing for Public Water System Supervision Program Revisions 
for the State of Maryland

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 
requirements governing the National Primary Drinking Water Regulations 
Implementation, 40 CFR part 142, that the State of Maryland is revising 
its approved Public Water System Supervision Program. Maryland has 
adopted five new rules. Included are the Arsenic Rule, which will 
provide for better public health protection by lowering the maximum 
contaminant level (MCL), the Interim Enhanced Surface Water Treatment 
Rule, which will help improve control of microbial pathogens in 
drinking water, including specifically the protozoan Cryptosporidium 
and the Stage 1 Disinfectants and Disinfection Byproducts Rule, which 
will set new requirements to limit the formation of chemical 
disinfection byproducts in drinking water. Also included are the Filter 
Backwash Recycling Rule, which will require water systems to institute 
changes to return recycle flows of a plant's treatment process that may 
compromise pathogen treatment and the Radionuclides Rule, which 
establishes a new MCL level for uranium and revises monitoring 
requirements. EPA has determined that these revisions, all effective 
September 1, 2003, are no less stringent than the corresponding Federal 
regulations. 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 
April 16, 2004. This determination shall become effective on April 16, 
2004, 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. Comments may also be submitted 
electronically to Steve Maslowski at [email protected].
    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:
     Drinking Water Branch, Water Protection 
Division, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Region III, 1650 Arch 
Street, Philadelphia, PA 19103-2029.
     Water Supply Program, Maryland Department of the 
Environment, Montgomery Park Business Center, 1800 Washington Blvd, 
Baltimore, MD 21230.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Steve Maslowski, Drinking Water Branch 
(3WP22) at the Philadelphia address given above; telephone (215) 814-
2371 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

[[Page 12694]]

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 April 
16, 2004, 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: March 8, 2004.
Thomas Voltaggio,
Acting Regional Administrator, EPA Region III.
[FR Doc. 04-5998 Filed 3-16-04; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6560-50-P