[Federal Register Volume 70, Number 155 (Friday, August 12, 2005)]
[Notices]
[Pages 47200-47201]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 05-16040]


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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[FRL-7951-1]


Guidance for 2006 Assessment, Listing and Reporting Requirements 
Pursuant to Sections 303(d), 305(b) and 314 of the Clean Water Act

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

ACTION: Notice of availability.

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SUMMARY: This notice announces the availability of Guidance for 2006 
Assessment, Listing, and Reporting Requirements Pursuant to Sections 
303(d), 305(b) and 314 of the Clean Water Act. This biennial guidance 
is for states, territories, authorized tribes, and interstate 
commissions (hereinafter referred to as ``jurisdictions'') that help

[[Page 47201]]

states prepare and submit section 305(b) reports to EPA. Sections 
303(d), 305(b), and 314 of the Clean Water Act (CWA) require states, 
territories, and authorized tribes (not interstate commissions) to 
provide biennial reports to EPA on the condition of waters within their 
boundaries. This guidance outlines the development of Integrated 
Reports (IR) that support EPA's strategy for achieving a broad-scale, 
national inventory of water quality conditions. The objective of this 
guidance is to provide jurisdictions a recommended reporting format and 
suggested content to be used in developing a single document that 
integrates the reporting requirements of sections 303(d), 305(b), and 
314. Use of the IR format will allow jurisdictions to report the water 
quality standards attainment status of all waters, document the 
availability of data and information for each segment, identify certain 
trends in the water quality conditions, and provide information to 
managers in setting priorities for future actions to protect and 
restore the health of our nation's aquatic resources.

DATES: The guidance is effective August 12, 2005.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Persons requesting additional 
information or a complete copy of the document may contact Sarah Furtak 
by phone at (202) 566-1167, by e-mail at [email protected], or by 
mail at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (4503T), 1200 
Pennsylvania Avenue, NW., Washington, DC 20460. The Guidance for 2006 
Assessment, Listing and Reporting Requirements Pursuant to Sections 
303(d), 305(b) and 314 of the Clean Water Act is available on the EPA 
Web site at: http://www.epa.gov/owow/tmdl/2006IRG.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This document is a comprehensive compilation 
of relevant guidance EPA has issued to date regarding IR; however, 
there are few specific changes from the 2004 guidance. The 2006 IR 
Guidance provides:
     Increased emphasis on the use of the Assessment Database 
(ADB) or compatible electronic data format (the ADB is being modified 
to accommodate the recent format, content, and multi-category listing 
option that the guidance suggests),
     Greater clarity on the content and the format of those 
components of the IR that are recommended and required under CWA 
sections 303(d), 305(b), and 314,
     Greater clarity on issues associated with data 
solicitation, collection, consideration, and interpretation of water 
quality standards,
     Additional information on the option to report water 
quality status of individual segments in more than one category (e.g., 
to show that some designated uses of a water are being attained and 
some designated uses are not), and
     Additional clarity and flexibility on understanding and 
reporting alternatives to total maximum daily loads (TMDLs) for 
attaining water quality standards (e.g., utilization of reporting 
``Category 4b'').

    Dated: August 3, 2005.
Benjamin H. Grumbles,
Assistant Administrator, Office of Water.
[FR Doc. 05-16040 Filed 8-11-05; 8:45 am]
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