John A. DeLashmit, P.E.
USEPA Region 7
REGFORM Water Conference
September 5, 2013
The List Recreational Criteria Recommendations
Ammonia Criteria Recommendations
Proposed WQS Regulation Clarifications
Recreational Criteria Recommendations Published in the Federal Register on November 29,
2012 (per Consent Decree and Settlement Agreement)
Two sets of recommended criteria; EPA will accept either from states and tribes
Criteria expressed as a geometric mean (GM) and a “statistical threshold value” (STV)
Freshwater may use E. coli or enterococci as indicator
Criteria are for primary contact recreation, known in MO as Whole Body Contact Recreation
Recreational Criteria Recommendations (cont.) Averaging interval should not be greater than 30 days
Water body GM should not exceed GM criterion during any 30-day interval
Should not be greater than 10% excursion frequency of STV during a 30-day interval
Single-sample maximum (SSM) concentrations will no longer be used
States are expected to address these recommendations in their next triennial review
Recreational Criteria Recommendations (cont.)
http://water.epa.gov/scitech/swguidance/standards/criteria/health/recreation/index.cfm
Ammonia Criteria Recommendations
Published in the Federal Register on August 22, 2013 Supersedes recommended criteria from 1976, 1985, and 1999 Revision necessary because EPA became aware of new toxicity
studies showing the relative sensitivity of freshwater mussels to ammonia
Since publication of draft criteria in 2009, additional studies have validated sensitivity of unionid mussels and gill-breathing snails to ammonia
New criteria are more stringent than 1999 recommendations Duration components remain the same – a one-hour average for
the acute criterion and a 30-day average for the chronic criterion States are expected to address these recommendations in their
next triennial review
Criterion Duration
1999 Criteria
2009 Draft Updated Criteria
2013 Final Updated Criteria
Acute (1-hour average)
24 19 17
Chronic (30-day rolling average)
4.5* 0.91* 1.9*
*Not to exceed 2.5 times the criterion continuous concentration as a 4-day average within a 30-day period.
Criteria frequency not to be exceeded more than once in three years on average. Criteria magnitudes are expressed as total ammonia nitrogen (mg TAN/L) at pH 7 and 20°C.
http://water.epa.gov/scitech/swguidance/standards/criteria/aqlife/ammonia/index.cfm
Proposed WQS Regulation Changes
Core of current rules in place since 1983
Proposed rules were published in the Federal Register yesterday
EPA is considering changes to the following: Administrator’s determinations that new or revised WQS are
necessary
Designated uses
Triennial reviews
Antidegradation
Variances to water quality standards
Compliance schedule authorizing provisions
Proposed WQS Regulation Changes (cont.) The Administrator’s determination update clarifies
what constitutes an Administrator’s determination under 303(c)(4)(B) of the Clean Water Act
The designated uses update clarifies the EPA’s minimum expectations for designated uses
The triennial reviews update strengthens the triennial review requirements
Proposed WQS Regulation Changes (cont.) Antidegradation update clarifies that implementation
methods are to be adopted in rule and specifies the minimum requirements.
Variances update establishes regulatory expectations for variances to support consistent, appropriate, transparent and enforceable implementation
Compliance schedule authorizing provisions update specifies that compliance schedule authorizing provisions must be adopted as part of a state or tribe’s water quality standards, and therefore must be submitted to EPA for review and action
http://yosemite.epa.gov/opei/rulegate.nsf/byRIN/2040-AF16
http://water.epa.gov/lawsregs/lawsguidance/wqs_index.cfm
That’s all, folks!
John A. DeLashmit, P.E.
USEPA Region 7
11201 Renner Blvd.
Lenexa, KS 66219
(913)551-7821
Top Related