[Federal Register Volume 66, Number 187 (Wednesday, September 26, 2001)]
[Notices]
[Pages 49186-49188]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 01-23753]
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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
[FRL-OW-7063-7]
Notice of Availability of Draft Aquatic Life Criteria Document
for Atrazine
AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
ACTION: Notice of availability of draft aquatic life criteria document
for atrazine.
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SUMMARY: Section 304(a)(1) of the Clean Water Act (CWA) requires the
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to develop and publish, and from
time to time revise, criteria for water accurately reflecting the
latest scientific knowledge. These criteria provide EPA's
recommendations to states and authorized tribes as guidance in
establishing their water quality standards as state or tribal law or
regulation. Today, EPA is notifying the public about the availability
of the draft aquatic life criteria document for atrazine.
EPA is notifying the public about the availability of this draft
document in accordance with the Agency's process for developing or
revising criteria (63 FR 68354, December 10, 1998). As indicated in the
December 10, 1998 FR notice, the Agency believes it is important to
provide the public with an opportunity to submit scientific information
on draft criteria. EPA is soliciting views from the public on issues of
science pertaining to the information used in deriving the draft
criteria. EPA is also soliciting input from the public on harmonizing
risk assesssment methods used by the Office of Water (OW) in its draft
aquatic life criteria document for atrazine and by the Office of
Pesticide Programs (OPP) in its Preliminary Ecological Fate and Effects
Risk Assessment for Atrazine, published elsewhere in this issue of the
Federal Register.
DATES: All significant scientific information must be submitted to the
Agency under docket number W-01-10. All significant scientific
information submissions are requested to be submitted within 60 days
after publication of this notice. The Administrative Record supporting
this draft guidance document is available at the Water Docket, Room EB
57, Environmental Protection Agency, 401 M Street SW, Washington, DC
20460 on Monday through Friday, excluding Federal holidays, between 9
a.m. and 4 p.m. For access to docket materials call (202) 260-3027 for
an appointment. A reasonable fee will be charged for photocopies.
ADDRESSES: Send an original and three copies of any written significant
scientific information to W-01-10 Comment Clerk, Water Docket (MC4101),
USEPA, 1200 Pennsylvania Ave., NW., Washington, DC 20460. Information
may be hand-delivered to the Water Docket, USEPA, Room EB 57,
[[Page 49187]]
401 M Street, SW, Washington, D.C. 20460. Information may also be
submitted electronically to [email protected]. Information should be
submitted as a WP5.1, 6.1 and/or 8.0 or an ASCII file with no form of
encryption.
Copies of the criteria document entitled, Ambient Aquatic Life
Water Quality Criteria for Atrazine may be obtained from EPA's Water
Resource Center by phone at (202) 260-7786, or by e-mail to
[email protected] or by conventional mail to EPA Water
Resource Center, RC-4100, 1200 Pennsylvania Ave., Washington, DC 20460.
Alternatively, consult www.epa.gov/OST/standards for download
availability.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Frank Gostomski, Health and Ecological
Criteria Division (4304), US EPA, 1200 Pennsylvania Avenue NW,
Washington, D.C. 20460; (202) 260-1321; [email protected]
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
What Are Recommended Water Quality Criteria?
Recommended water quality criteria are the concentrations of a
chemical in water at or below which aquatic life are protected from
acute and chronic adverse effects of the chemical. Section 304(a)(1) of
the Clean Water Act requires EPA to develop and publish, and from time
to time revise, criteria for water accurately reflecting the latest
scientific knowledge. Water quality criteria developed under section
304(a) are based solely on data and scientific judgments. They do not
consider economic impacts or the technological feasibility of meeting
the criteria in ambient water. Section 304(a) criteria provide guidance
to States and Tribes in adopting water quality standards and provide a
scientific basis for them to develop controls of discharges or releases
of pollutants. The criteria also provide a scientific basis for EPA to
develop Federally promulgated water quality standards under section
303(c).
What Is Atrazine and Why Are We Concerned About It?
Atrazine is an organic chemical used as an herbicide throughout the
U.S. for control of weeds in agricultural crops. Environmental exposure
occurs mainly from its application as an herbicide but may also occur
from industrial manufacture, distribution releases, precipitation,
field runoff, and drift. Atrazine is moderately volatile and soluble in
water, and resistant to natural degradation in water. Because of
atrazine's chemical properties and widespread use as an herbicide,
concerns have been raised over the potential risks posed by exposure of
aquatic organisms to it. For these reasons, EPA has developed the
following water quality criteria:
Freshwater
Aquatic life should not be affected unacceptably if the:
One-hour average concentration of atrazine does not exceed 350 ug/l
more than once every three years on the average (Acute Criterion); and
Four-day average concentration of atrazine does not exceed 12 ug/l
more than once every three years on the average (Chronic Criterion).
Saltwater
Aquatic life should not be affected unacceptably if the:
One hour average concentration of atrazine does not exceed 760 ug/l
more than once every three years on the average (Acute Criterion); and
Four-day average concentration of atrazine does not exceed 26 ug/l
more than once every three years on the average (Chronic Criterion).
Definitions of Criteria Terminology
One hour average: the average of all samples taken during a one
hour period by either continuous sampling or periodic grab samples.
Four day average: the average of all samples taken during four
consecutive days by either continuous sampling or periodic grab
samples. Also known as a 96-hour average.
Acute Criterion: A chemical concentration protective of aquatic
organisms from short term exposure to fast acting chemicals or spikes
in concentrations. For example exposure of a fish moving through an
area for foraging but not residing in the area.
Chronic Criterion: A chemical concentration protective of aquatic
organisms from longer term exposure to slower acting chemicals or
relatively steady concentrations. For example, exposure of a fish that
resides in an area.
How Has EPA Coordinated Development of Ecological Risk Assessments
on Atrazine Between the Office of Water (OW) and the Office of
Pesticide Programs (OPP)?
Concurrent with OW's release of the Draft Aquatic Life Criteria
Document for Atrazine, OPP is releasing its Preliminary Ecological Fate
and Effects Risk Assessment for Atrazine. Both offices shared their
aquatic toxicity data bases for atrazine in the development of their
risk assessment documents. OW and OPP are currently consulting on their
respective ecological risk assessment methodologies. Although there are
similarities in the approaches, differences remain. When the
consultation is completed, there may be revisions to this assessment.
While the consultation is underway, both offices are making their
respective ecological risk assessments for atrazine available to the
public and requesting comment on their respective methodologies. It
would be helpful if comments regarding a methodology that are made to
one office are also made available to the other. OW and OPP will share
comments received on their respective risk assessment methodologies and
will coordinate review of those comments.
Why Is EPA Notifying the Public About the Draft Atrazine Criteria
Document?
Today, EPA is notifying the public about the availability of the
draft aquatic life criteria document for atrazine to expand the
public's involvement in the criteria development process. EPA notified
the public of its intent to develop aquatic life criteria for atrazine
in the Federal Register on October 29, 1999 (64 FR 58409). At that time
EPA made available to the public all references identified by a recent
literature review and solicited any additional pertinent data or
scientific views that would be useful in developing the aquatic life
criteria for atrazine. EPA is now making the draft aquatic life
criteria document for atrazine available for public review.
As indicated in the December 10, 1998 FR notice, the Agency
believes it is important to provide the public with an opportunity to
submit scientific information on draft criteria. EPA is soliciting
views from the public on issues of science pertaining to the
information used to derive the draft criteria. EPA will review and
consider significant scientific information submitted by the public
that might not have otherwise been identified during development of
these criteria.
Where Can I Find More Information on EPA's Revised Process for
Developing New or Revised Criteria?
The Agency published detailed information about its revised process
for developing and revising criteria in the Federal Register on
December 10, 1998 (63 FR 68354) and in the EPA document entitled,
National Recommended Water Quality--Correction (EPA 822-Z-99-001, April
1999). The purpose of the revised process is to provide expanded
opportunities for public input, and to make the criteria development
process more efficient.
[[Page 49188]]
Dated: August 8, 2001.
Geoffrey H. Grubbs,
Director, Office of Science and Technology.
[FR Doc. 01-23753 Filed 9-25-01; 8:45 am]
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