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<br />- 7 - <br /> <br />Chapter IV lists the specific regulatory approaches EPA will <br />take to these aquifer classes under each statute. Although the <br />Agency will guide EFA program decisions using these guidelines, <br />under no circumstances will EPA require States to adopt a classi- <br />fication system. However, where these guidelines are incorporated <br />into future EPA regulations, States generally have to establish <br />programs that are at least as stringent in order to obtain authori- <br />zationto administer these programs. State classification programs <br />can be used to implement these guidelines as long as they are at <br />least as stringent. <br /> <br />EPA will improve its own institutional caoability to oro- <br />tect ground water. EPA will assign ground-water coordination <br />and development responsibilities to the Assistant Administrator <br />for Water and direct him to establish an Office of Ground-Water <br />Protection to oversee the implementation of this strategy. The <br />Director of that Office will work with other EPA offices and <br />Regions to institutionalize EPA and State ground-water roles, <br />plan for correction of uncontrolled sources of contamination, <br />identify and resolve inconsistencies among EPA programs, and <br />learn more about the natu=e and extent of ground-water <br />contamination. <br /> <br />EPA regional offices will also establishaground-water- <br />coordination function, located within the Water Divisions. Those <br />groups will coordinate Regional ground-water policy and program <br />development and assist the States through grants and technical <br />assistance designed to increase their institutional capabilities <br />to manage ground water. <br /> <br />The body of this report contains three chapters and an <br />Appendix. Chapter II describes the nature and extent of ground- <br />water contamination. Chapter III describes State and Federal <br />programs for ground-water protection. Chapter IV describes EPA's <br />strategy to protect ground water. The appendices include a <br />matrix describing State, local and Federal roles and a summary <br />of BPA ground-water regulations. It also contains a summary of <br />the options considered by EPA in developing this strategy. <br /> <br />0109 <br />