Draft Water Quality Standards (WQS) Handbook Chapters on Designated Uses, Antidegradation and WQS Variances

6 organizations filed 7 public comments on Draft Water Quality Standards (WQS) Handbook Chapters on Designated Uses, Antidegradation and WQS Variances, at the Environmental Protection Agency. The comment window closed 454d ago.

Abstract

The EPA is releasing three draft chapters of its primary guidance document for the National Water Quality Standards (WQS) Program, the WQS Handbook, for a 90-day public comment period. The WQS Handbook provides a plain language discussion of the relevant regulatory and statutory requirements and the EPA’s recommendations for how states, authorized Tribes and U.S. territories can develop and implement WQS consistent with both. The WQS Handbook also serves as a one-stop resource to facilitate a nationally consistent interpretation of the EPA’s WQS regulation at Title 40, Part 131 of the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR). Finally, the WQS Handbook provides useful information for regulated entities and the public when engaging in the WQS development and implementation process. In 2015, the EPA revised its Part 131 WQS regulation. Based on questions received during that revision process, experiences from implementing the revised regulation, and input the EPA sought from states and authorized Tribes, the agency has updated Chapter 2 on Designated Uses, Chapter 4 on Antidegradation, and developed a new chapter on WQS Variances to include the EPA’s most recent WQS programmatic policy and guidance to implement the regulation at 40 CFR Part 131.

Commenters (6)

• National Association of Clean Water Agencies (NACWA)trade assoc.

  2 filings · confidence 97%
• American Chemistry Counciltrade assoc.

  1 filing · confidence 97%
• Federal Water Quality Coalition.trade assoc.

  1 filing · confidence 85%
• Inc. and Save the Soundunverified attribution

  1 filing · confidence 70%
• National Mining Associationtrade assoc.

  1 filing · confidence 97%
• Ute Tribal Business Committeetrade assoc.

  1 filing · confidence 85%