|
<br />~'
<br />
<br />!
<br />
<br />51<100
<br />
<br />Federal Reg , terI Vo), 48, No, 217 / Tuesday, November 8. 1983 / Rule. and Regulations
<br />
<br />ENVIRONMENTAL PROTE<lTlON
<br />AGENCY
<br />
<br />"
<br />l-"
<br />CO
<br />t~
<br />0")
<br />
<br />40 CFR Parts 35, 120, and 131
<br />[WH-FRL 2466-31
<br />
<br />Water Quality Standards R'gulatlon
<br />. , . .
<br />AGENCY: Environmental Protection
<br />Agency.
<br />ACTION: Final rule.
<br />
<br />SUMMARY: Thi. Regulation r,vi.e. and
<br />consolidates in a new Part 131 the
<br />existing regulations now codified in 40
<br />CFR Part. 120 and 35 that govern the
<br />development, review. revision and
<br />approval of. water quality st~ndards
<br />under Section 303 of the Clean Water
<br />Act [the Act). The RegulatiOll wa.
<br />revised to reflect the experie,ncBs gained
<br />in the program by both EPA and the
<br />State., More explicit information i.
<br />includad in the Regulation 01) what EPA
<br />expects 8S part of State wat~r quality
<br />standard. review.. The Reg~lation al.o
<br />clarifie. that in promulgating Federal
<br />.tandards. EPA i. .ubjecJ to the .ame
<br />requirements as the States.
<br />, EFFECTIVE DATE: December 8, 1983,
<br />FOR FURTHER INFORMATION cpNTACT:
<br />David I<. Sabock. Environm.htal
<br />Protection Ag.ncy, Chief, CrIteria
<br />Branch [WH-585), 401 M Street SW.,
<br />Washington, 20460 (202) 245-j3042.
<br />eUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Th.
<br />Environm.ntal Protection Ag.ncy (EPA)
<br />propo.ed changes to 40 CFR 120 and 35
<br />o,,'October 29,1982 [47 FR 4~2341and
<br />invite,d comments until Febrl!ary 10,
<br />,1983. Eleven publicm.eting.iwer. held
<br />nationwide on the, proposed revisions.
<br />Nin. hundred twenty peopl. 'attended
<br />those meeting.. EPA rec.lved 1405
<br />letters and statements on the, proposal
<br />prior to the clo.ing of the pul:!lic '
<br />comment period. Commehts receive4 on
<br />the proposed R.gulation may be
<br />inspected at the Environmental
<br />Protection Ag.ncy. Room 281;8M, 401 M
<br />Str..t. SW.. Weshington, D.C. 20460
<br />during the Agency'. normal \forking
<br />hour. of 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p,m" For further
<br />information contact the individual listed
<br />-above.
<br />InfQrmation in this preamble is"
<br />organized as follows:
<br />A. Major changes made in the Proposed Rule
<br />B. Regulatory Impact' Analyse,S. Regulatory
<br />Flexibility Act and Paperwork R~duction
<br />Act Requirenients
<br />C: List of Subjects In 40 CFR 131
<br />Appendix A-Response to Public Comments
<br />A. Major Changes Made in tbe Proposed
<br />Reguletion
<br />The major additions end dal.tion.
<br />made in the proposed Rule ar,e .
<br />
<br />qiscussed in this section. We have also
<br />included a table summarizing all the
<br />changes.
<br />
<br />Commitment to the Goals of the;Clean
<br />Water Act
<br />
<br />Several changes were made in the
<br />Regulation to r.a..ur. the public that
<br />EPA i. committed to achieving the goal.
<br />of the Act. EPA accepted the
<br />recommendations for including
<br />regulatory langueg. explicitly affirming
<br />EPA's commitmentto have .tandards
<br />mov.toward th. S.ction 101(a)(2) goal.
<br />of the Act and to u.e .tendard. a.a
<br />basis of restoring and maintaining the
<br />integrity of the Nation'. wat.r..
<br />A ..Purpo.... ..ction [~ 131.2) has
<br />b.en add.d t6the Reguletion. The
<br />Purpose states that standards are to
<br />prot.ct public health or welfar.,
<br />enhance the quality of water and
<br />provide weter quelity for the.protection
<br />and propagation of fi.h. shellfi.h and
<br />wildlife and recreation in and on the
<br />water, as well as for agricultural and.
<br />industrial purposes and navigation. In .
<br />addition, this .ection de.cribes the dual
<br />role olwater quality standards in
<br />.stabli.hing the water quality goal!\ for a
<br />specifiC water, body and in serving as
<br />the regulatory besis for th.
<br />e.tebli.hment of water quality be.ed
<br />treatment controls and strategies
<br />b.yond that lev.1 of tr.atm.nt r.quir.d
<br />by section. 301[b) and 308 of the Act.
<br />Th. finel r.gulation al.o clarifies that'
<br />when a Stete changes the de.ignated
<br />uses of its waters, such that the uses of
<br />the weter body do not include the us.s
<br />specified in the Section 101[a)[2) goels
<br />of the Act (i.e.. the protection and
<br />propagation of fi.h. .hellfish, and
<br />wildlife and ,recreation in and on the:
<br />water), the State wili have to
<br />d.monstrate, through a u.e altainability
<br />analysis, that these uses are not
<br />elteinable based on physicel, chemical,
<br />biological or economic factors. This use
<br />attainability analysis is required for
<br />future change. thetthe' Stet. may make
<br />and-for previous actions that the State
<br />took to design'ate uses for a water, body
<br />which did not includ. the uses .p.cifi.d
<br />in S.ction 101(a)[2). Where weter
<br />quality improvements result in new
<br />uses, States must revise their standards
<br />to reflect these new uses (See
<br />~ 131.10(i)). This provision continues an
<br />-existing EPA requirement although-it
<br />was omitted from the proposed
<br />Regulation,
<br />, In additio'n, as discussed below, we
<br />have revised the proposed ~
<br />Antidegredation Policy to provide '
<br />special protection for high quality
<br />waters and waters which constitute'an
<br />, outstanding National resource (See
<br />
<br />~ 131.12) and we have eliminated the
<br />benefit-cost analysis. '
<br />We believe tha tthese and other'
<br />changes and clarifications in' the Final
<br />Rul., demon.trate EPA'. commitmeht to
<br />th. objective., goal. and spirit of the
<br />Clean Wat.r Act.
<br />
<br />Changes in Uses
<br />
<br />The provi.ions inoluded in
<br />~ 131.10(h)[1)-(6) of th. propos.d
<br />Regulation.. which dealt with
<br />circumstances under which uses co'llld
<br />be' changed, r.celv.d.ubstantial
<br />comment. Many _commenters object~d
<br />that the ohange in the phrase "State.
<br />must demonstrate" to "States must
<br />"determine" that certain conditions exist
<br />would mean that EPA would require le.s
<br />rigorous analyses for changing a use.
<br />Th.y indicat.d that "det.rmin." m.r.ly
<br />connotates a political process wher.~as
<br />"demonstrate': implies substantial pro_of
<br />supported by exacting analy.e., EPA -
<br />believes that structured scientific and
<br />technical analy.es should be required to
<br />justify r.moving or modifying
<br />de.igneted u..s that ere included in
<br />Section 101(8)[2) of the Act or to Julitify
<br />continuation of standards which d,n,ot
<br />Include these u.e.. EPAagree. thanh.
<br />word ':demonstrate" better reflects
<br />Agency policy,andhes medethat
<br />cheng. [s.. ~ 131,10[g)).
<br />Some commen-ters asked whether
<br />. modifications in water q~ality
<br />.tendards, such as defining' e lev.1 Qf
<br />protection for aquatic'life or setting,
<br />seasona1 standards, were changes ij.1
<br />standards .ubj.ct to the public
<br />participation requirem.nts of ~ 131.~0[b)
<br />of the regulation, Ye., any modification
<br />or change that a State make. in it.
<br />.tandards i. .ubject to those
<br />requirements. _
<br />Many commenters also objected to
<br />the inclu.ion of a h.nefit-co.t
<br />assessment in justifying changes in 1;188S.
<br />Historically, ec.o~omic c.onsiderations
<br />have been a part of water.quality
<br />standards deCisions. Senate Report No.
<br />10 on the F.deral Wat.r,Pollution
<br />Control Amendments of 1965, 89th
<br />Congr.ss, 1stSes.ion, includ.d the,
<br />stetem.ntthat "E<:onomic, heelth,
<br />esthetic, and conservation values whic'h
<br />contribute to the social and economic "
<br />welfare of an area must be taken into
<br />account in determining the mos(
<br />appropriate use or uses of a stream"_;
<br />S.ction 303(c)(2) of the Act provide.,that
<br />~'. . ,.tandard. shall be establl.hed
<br />taking into considera tion their use 'and
<br />value for. . ," various water uses.
<br />Under lhe 1975 regulation governing the
<br />establishment of.tandard., in Part
<br />~ 35.1550[c)[1), Stat.swereto", , . leke '
<br />into consideration en"v-ironmental.
<br />
<br />:-.- ,~
<br />
<br />'"
<br />
<br />,
<br />"';j
<br />,
<br />)
<br />
<br />,
<br />.<j
<br />;,~
<br />,j
<br />J
<br />j
<br />~
<br /><~
<br />.,~
<br />
<br />,
<br />'J
<br />
<br />j
<br />
<br />,it
<br />~ i1
<br />,
<br />"]
<br />'5
<br />)
<br />
<br />''t
<br />"
<br />,
<br />. - "'~
<br />,
<br />'~1
<br />
<br />" ;~
<br />
<br />.~
<br />
<br />:~
<br />,
<br />.",;
<br />"
<br />
<br />'j
<br />,
<br />
<br />", ,,,::,',,;4,;'_;/1.,,,....._-
<br />
<br />
|