[Federal Register Volume 66, Number 45 (Wednesday, March 7, 2001)]
[Notices]
[Page 13738]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 01-5563]


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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[FRL-6948-9]


Stressor Identification Guidance Document; Notice of Availability

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

ACTION: Notice of availability.

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SUMMARY: EPA is announcing the availability of the Stressor 
Identification Guidance Document (EPA 822-B-00-025) published under the 
authority of Section 304(a)(2) of the Clean Water Act (CWA). This 
technical guidance document is designed to assist water quality 
managers in identifying unknown causes of biological impairments in any 
type of water body. Section 101(a) of the Clean Water Act states that 
it is the objective of the Act to restore and maintain the chemical, 
physical and biological integrity of the Nation's waters. To achieve 
this objective, numerous States and Tribes are using biological 
assessments and biocriteria to help protect the Nation's waters. Using 
these tools, State and Tribal water quality experts are finding water 
bodies where the fish, invertebrate, algae or plant communities (or 
other aquatic life) have been detrimentally impacted by different 
singular or multiple causes. In many cases, the cause, or causes, of 
these biological impairments have not yet been identified. The Stressor 
Identification Guidance Document provides a logical, scientific process 
by which State, Tribal, and other water quality experts can evaluate 
available information to identify the stressor(s) causing the 
biological impairments. The process has three main steps: (1) List 
candidate causes of impairment, (2) analyze the evidence, and (3) 
characterize the causes. When evidence is adequate, using this 
guidance, investigators should be able to successfully identify the 
likely cause, or causes. This guidance will also help investigators 
identify where evidence is weak or lacking and needs to be developed to 
be able to successfully identify the stressor(s). Once the causes of 
the biological impairments are identified, water resource managers will 
be better able to locate the sources of the stressor, or stressors, and 
take management actions aimed at improving the biological condition of 
the water body.
    This guidance is advisory in nature and its use is not mandatory. 
As such this guidance does not impose legally-binding requirements on 
EPA, the States, Tribes, industry, the public or any other entity.
    Availability of Documents: The guidance document is being published 
by EPA with the title and document number; Stressor Identification 
Guidance Document (EPA-822-B-00-025), dated December 2000. Paper copies 
can be obtained from the U.S. EPA, Water Resource Center by phone at: 
(202) 260-7786, or by sending an e-mail to the Center at [email protected], or through conventional mail by sending a letter of 
request to U.S. EPA Water Resource Center, Ariel Rios Building, 1200 
Pennsylvania Ave., Washington, DC 20460. Copies of the document may 
also be obtained from the U.S. EPA National Center for Environmental 
Publications and Information (NCEPI), 11029 Kenwood Road, Cincinnati, 
OH 45242 or (513) 489-8190. The document and fact sheet are also 
available on the EPA website at www.epa.gov/OST/biocriteria.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Susan Cormier at (513) 569-7995 or 
email at [email protected]; Glenn Suter at (513) 569-7808 or by 
email at [email protected]; Sue Norton at (202) 564-3246 or by email 
at [email protected]; or William Swietlik at (202) 260-9569 or by e-
mail at [email protected].

    Dated: January 17, 2001.
Geoffrey H. Grubbs,
Director, Office of Science and Technology.
[FR Doc. 01-5563 Filed 3-6-01; 8:45 am]
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