[Federal Register Volume 74, Number 188 (Wednesday, September 30, 2009)]
[Notices]
[Pages 50182-50183]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E9-23631]


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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[FRL-8964-1]


Methodology for Deriving Ambient Water Quality Criteria for the 
Protection of Human Health; Technical Support Document, Volume 3: 
Development of Site-Specific Bioaccumulation Factors

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

ACTION: Notice of availability of final document.

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SUMMARY: In 2000, EPA announced the availability of final revisions to 
the Methodology for Deriving Ambient Water Quality Criteria for the 
Protection of Human Health (2000) (hereafter ``2000 Human Health 
Methodology'') published pursuant to section 304(a) (1) of the Clean 
Water Act (CWA). Along with the 2000 Human Health Methodology, EPA 
committed to publishing several technical support documents to provide 
additional detail to the Methodology document, including two documents 
that describe the development of bioaccumulation factors for use in 
ambient water quality criteria calculations. In 2003, EPA announced the 
release of the Technical Support Document Volume 2: Development of 
National Bioaccumulation Factors (hereafter ``National BAF TSD''). 
Today, the Agency is releasing the Technical Support Document, Volume 
3: Development of Site-Specific Bioaccumulation Factors (hereafter 
``Site-Specific BAF TSD'') that accompanies the Methodology and the 
National BAF TSD. EPA accepted scientific views on the draft document 
in two separate Federal Register Notices. The National BAF TSD contains 
technical details on how EPA develops national bioaccumulation factors 
for use in deriving national recommended ambient water quality criteria 
for protecting human health. The Site-Specific BAF TSD contains 
technical details on how States and Tribes may develop site-specific 
bioaccumulation factors for use in deriving site-specific ambient water 
quality criteria for protecting human health. The goal in deriving 
site-specific BAFs is to determine the most accurate estimates of 
bioaccumulation feasible for each site.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Heidi L. Bethel, Health and Ecological 
Criteria Division (4304T), U.S. EPA, 1200 Pennsylvania Ave., NW., 
Washington, DC 20460; (202) 566-2054; [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. General Information

A. Where can I find additional information on this document?

    EPA solicited scientific views on the draft document in two 
separate Federal Register Notices (73 FR 36866 and 73 FR 46624). 
Scientific views were accepted at http://www.regulations.gov at Docket 
ID No. EPA-HQ-OW-2008-0494. Publicly available docket materials are 
available either electronically in http://www.regulations.gov or in 
hard copy at the Office of Water Docket/EPA/DC, 1301 Constitution Ave, 
NW., EPA West, Room 3334, Washington DC. This Docket Facility is open 
from 8:30 a.m. until 4:30 p.m., EDT, Monday through Friday, excluding 
legal holidays. The telephone number for the Public Reading Room is 
(202) 566-1744, and the telephone number for the Office of Water is 
(202) 566-2426.
    Scientific views received by EPA and a document indicating EPA's 
response to scientific views can also be found at the docket locations 
listed above. A range of scientific views were received on the 
document. Views received did result in some minor changes to the 
document including some changes to table and figure captions; an 
example calculation correction and clarification of chemical types for 
which the document applies. A comprehensive list of changes to the 
document can be found in the response document. Other comments were 
addressed in the comment document, but did not result in changes to the 
document.

A. Does This Action Apply to Me?

    The intended audience for the Site-Specific BAF TSD includes State 
and Tribal water quality staff scientists or risk assessors 
(``investigators'') who are responsible for deriving State or Tribal 
water quality standards, stakeholders interested in developing site-
specific BAFs, and other users interested in site-specific 
bioaccumulation issues for other applications.

II. What Are Water Quality Criteria?

    Water quality criteria are scientifically derived numeric and/or 
narrative values that protect applicable designated uses, e.g., aquatic 
life or human health, from the deleterious 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 water quality 
criteria 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 reflect consideration of economic impacts or the 
technological feasibility of meeting the chemical concentrations in 
ambient water. Section 304(a) criteria provide guidance to States and 
authorized Tribes in adopting water quality standards that ultimately 
provide a basis for controlling discharges or releases of pollutants. 
The criteria also provide guidance to EPA when promulgating Federal 
regulations

[[Page 50183]]

under section 303(c) when such action is necessary.
    The 2000 Human Health Methodology, along with the Technical Support 
Documents, provides States and authorized Tribes with guidance to 
adjust water quality criteria developed by EPA under section 304 to 
reflect local conditions or to develop their own water quality criteria 
using scientifically defensible methods. EPA believes that ambient 
water quality criteria inherently require several risk management 
decisions that are, in many cases, better made at the State, Tribal, or 
regional level. EPA encourages States and authorized Tribes to use the 
final Methodology and Technical Support Documents to develop site-
specific water quality criteria to appropriately reflect local 
conditions. The Site-Specific BAF TSD, released with today's 
announcement, will assist States and authorized Tribes in development 
of site-specific BAFs for use in site-specific ambient water quality 
criteria calculations.

III. Background Information on the Bioaccumulation Factors Technical 
Support Document Volume III (Site-Specific BAF TSD)

    In order to prevent harmful exposures to chemicals in water through 
eating contaminated fish and shellfish, national section 304(a) water 
quality criteria for protecting human health address chemical 
bioaccumulation in aquatic organisms. Bioaccumulation occurs when 
aquatic organisms accumulate chemicals in their bodies when they are 
exposed to these chemicals through the surrounding media (e.g., water, 
food, sediment). The extent of bioaccumulation by aquatic organisms 
varies widely depending on the chemical and the species, but it can be 
extremely high for some highly persistent and lipid-soluble chemicals. 
For such highly bioaccumulative chemicals, concentrations in aquatic 
organisms may pose unacceptable human health risks from eating fish and 
shellfish even when concentrations in water are too low to cause 
unacceptable health risks from drinking the water.
    EPA developed detailed procedures and guidelines described in the 
2000 Human Health Methodology for estimating bioaccumulation factor 
(BAF) values for use in deriving or revising ambient water quality 
criteria. The National BAF TSD discusses the technical basis for 
developing national BAFs, the underlying assumptions and uncertainties 
inherent to the approach, and applying the bioaccumulation component of 
the 2000 Human Health Methodology. The Site-Specific BAF TSD expands on 
the information presented in the National BAF TSD by providing users 
with specific information on how to calculate site-specific BAFs for 
use in modifying the national section 304(a) criteria, and is available 
on EPA's Web site at http://www.epa.gov/waterscience/criteria/humanhealth/method/index.html. Both documents rely on a framework for 
selecting the appropriate procedure for deriving BAFs that is based on 
chemical properties, biological activity and scientific information. 
The Site-Specific BAF TSD presents methods for States, Tribes and other 
interested parties to calculate BAFs that are specific to their site. 
The goal in deriving site-specific BAFs is to determine the most 
accurate estimates of bioaccumulation feasible for each site.

    Dated: September 21, 2009.
Michael H. Shapiro,
Acting Assistant Administrator, Office of Water.
[FR Doc. E9-23631 Filed 9-29-09; 8:45 am]
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