Office of Science and Technology 2009 Annual Report

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 and Tedkn/foqy

 Office of Water

 14. S. BwirmHunbd PrcfaMm Agency

United States

Environmental Protection

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 TaMe ofContents

Foreword iii

Highlights v

Technology-Based Solutions 1

 Preliminary 2010 Effluent Guidelines Program Plan 1

 New Discharge Regulations for the Construction Industry 1

 Proposed Effluent Guidelines for Airport Deicing Operations 2

 Report on Pollutant Discharges from Steam Electric Power Generation and

 the Decision to Revise Effluent Guidelines 2

Water Quality-Based Standards 3

 Implementing the National Water Quality Standards Program 3

 Establishing Numeric Nutrient Water Quality Criteria 5

 Improving Beach Water Quality, Monitoring and Public Information 6

Application of Sound Science 7

 Drinking Water Support 7

 Development of New Recreational Water Quality Criteria 8

 Understanding Contaminants of Emerging Concern in Water 9

 Biosolids 9

 Common CWA/FIFRA Effects Assessment Methodologies 9

 New or Revised Ambient Water Quality Criteria 10

 Endangered Species Act Technical Support. 10

 Fish Programs 11

 Climate Change-Related Activities 12

Communications, Education & Outreach 13

 2009 National Beach Conference 13

 Water Quality Standards Academy. 13

 Training for Indian Tribes 14

 Partnership to Reduce Dental Amalgam Discharges 14

 Outreach to Asian Community on Mercury in Fish 14

 2009 EPA "Water Wars" Collegiate Debate Series 15

 2009 Fish Forum 15

Looking Ahead 17

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foreword

The Office of Science and Technology (OST), housed within EPA's Office of Water, uses sound

science, engineering and public policy to protect and restore the nation's water quality. OST

advances water quality, public health and environmental protection under the Clean Water and

Safe Drinking Water Acts by:

 • Producing regulatory guidelines and analytical test methods; standards and criteria

 recommendations; advisories for beach swimming, fish consumption, and drinking

 water; risk assessments and special studies identifying needed regulations; and models

 and tools.

 • Setting national water quality goals and providing tools to measure progress in reaching

 them.

 • Ensuring federal and state water programs reflect current scientific knowledge about

 water pollution causes and impacts on human health and ecosystems.

Collectively, OST's responsibilities help water program managers protect aquatic environments

and human health.

In 2009 OST continued its efforts, collaborating with partners, ensuring that sound science

guides EPA's work, and seeking stakeholder and public involvement. OST invited comments
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on the Preliminary 2010 Effluent Guidelines Program Plan and proposed effluent guidelines

for airport deicing operations. New discharge regulations for the construction industry were

published as well. OST also supported regional and state water quality standard development,

partnering with our EPA Region 7 office on a determination that new recreational standards

are required for a portion of the Mississippi River and with our EPA Region 4 office on a

determination for Florida requiring numeric nutrient criteria adoption. To advance the use of

sound science, OST began or completed several projects addressing contaminants of emerging

concern. OST also supported development of the third drinking water contaminant candidate

list. Additionally, OST worked on key action items from the National Water Program Strategy:

Response to Climate Change. Lastly, OST participated in communication, education, and

outreach efforts throughout the United States.

OST accomplished much in 2009 and will continue its efforts in 2010, focusing on nutrients by

finalizing Florida's water quality standards, tracking state development progress of numeric

nutrient standards across the country, and accelerating nutrient criteria adoption. OST will also

complete research identified in the Critical Path Science Plan, advance proposed rulemakings

and standards, publish the Pharmaceuticals and Personal Care Products Treatment

Compendium, and publish ammonia, selenium and atrazine criteria.

 EpJwtum S. Kituj

 Director, Office of Science and Technology

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Effluent Guidelines for the Construction and Development Industry—In December 2009, EPA

issued a final rule to reduce water pollution from construction sites. The new rule will phase 

in

over four years. EPA expects compliance with this regulation to reduce the amount of sediment

and other pollutants discharged from construction and development sites by approximately four

billion pounds each year.

Nutrient Pollution — Nutrient pollution is one of OST's top water priorities. Key nutrient 

activities

in 2009 included:

- Florida Determination — In January 2009, EPA issued a formal determination under the

 Clean Water Act that numeric nutrient water quality criteria are necessary in Florida for

 rivers, streams, lakes and estuaries. EPA began developing a proposed rule to implement

 this determination in close coordination with the Florida Department of Environmental

 Protection.

- Nutrient Innovations Task Group Report — In August 2009, the Task Group, composed

 of state and federal regulators, published a report summarizing scientific evidence and

 analysis that characterized the scope and major sources of nutrient impacts nationally. The

 report also considers the tools currently used under existing federal authority and 

presents

 options for new, innovative tools to improve control of nutrient pollution sources. Lastly, 

the

 report presents findings and suggests next steps to better address nutrient pollution. The

 Task Group's report has prompted a robust discussion of nutrient pollution issues across the

 country.

Water Quality Standards Determination for a Portion of the Mississippi River at St. Louis — In

October 2009, EPA determined that Missouri needs new or revised water quality standards

to protect recreational activities on portions of the Mississippi River around St. Louis. As

a consequence of this determination, the state will develop revised standards for fecal

contamination that will protect people using this section of the river.

National Water Program Research Strategy — The Strategy, completed by OST in partnership

with all Office of Water (OW) offices, the Office of Research and Development, and the regions

in September 2009, describes the National Water Program's near and long-term research needs.

The research identified will expand the National Water Program's science base for regulatory

and non-regulatory tools and decisions, thereby increasing program credibility, expediting the

production of needed tools, and achieving faster and better quantified water quality public

health and environmental outcomes. A principal use of the Strategy is to inform potential

research partners within the federal research community as well as the academic, industry and

international communities of our research interests so that collaboration can be facilitated and

the science more broadly and effectively communicated.

National Lake Fish Tissue Study — In November 2009, EPA released results showing toxic

chemical concentrations in fish tissue from lakes and reservoirs in most states. EPA estimated

the percentage of lakes and reservoirs with fish containing potentially harmful levels of

chemicals. This publicly available information will help states better protect their citizens.

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PRELIMINARY 2010 EFFLUENT GUIDELINES PROGRAM PLAN

On December 28,2009, EPA published a Federal Register notice requesting comment

on the preliminary 2010 plan regarding effluent guidelines, which are technologybased water pollution control regulations. The preliminary plan is a requirement of

the Clean Water Act (CWA) and describes the Agency's continuing work to develop

and revise effluent guidelines. The preliminary plan does not contain regulatory

requirements; rather, it presents the process EPA uses to identify industries for further

investigation and analysis. EPA will use the analyses' findings to determine if existing

effluent guidelines must be revised and if new effluent guidelines for unregulated

industries must be established.

The preliminary 2010 plan contains several highlights regarding recent analyses and

decisions, including the September 2009 analysis and decision to revise and update

an effluent guidelines rule for the Steam Electric Power Generating Industry. The

preliminary plan also includes updates on analyses for Coal Bed Methane Extraction,

Unused Pharmaceutical Management in the Health Care Industry, and Ore Mining and

Dressing.

NEW DISCHARGE PVEGULATIONS FOR THE CONSTRUCTION

INDUSTRY

On December 1,2009, the Agency published new effluent guidelines

to reduce water pollution from construction sites. Construction

activities, such as excavating and grading, disturb soil and

sediment. If soil is not managed properly, it can wash off during

storms, polluting nearby rivers and streams. The new rule, which

will phase in over four years, will reduce the sediment discharged

by about 4 billion pounds each year. In addition, the new regulations

will significantly reduce the discharge of other pollutants, such as

nutrients and toxic chemicals.

These regulations establish the nation's first, industry-wide

monitoring requirements and enforceable numeric limitations

for construction site stormwater discharges. The new limits are based on proven

technology that will achieve significant improvement in the removal of pollutants. A

numeric limit also ensures that applicable best management practices and treatment

systems are maintained and operated in a consistent and reliable manner.

For more information, visit www.epa.gov/waterscience/guide/construction.

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 PROPOSED EFFLUENT GUIDELINES FORAIRPORT

 DEICING OPERATIONS

 On August 28,2009, the Agency proposed and invited comments

 on effluent standards for airport deicing operations. Establishing

 the new requirements would reduce the environmental impact

 of deicing practices while maintaining operational safety. The

 requirements apply to wastewater associated with deicing aircraft

 and airfield pavement at primary commercial airports. Deicing

 operations use large amounts of chemicals that may drain off

 airport facilities to nearby rivers, lakes, streams and bays. 

These

discharges can impact water quality by harming wildlife, contaminating drinking water sources, 

and

affecting residential areas and parklands. The proposed regulations will reduce these negative 

impacts

through a variety of affordable practices, such as on-site treatment of the wastewater, shipment

offsite to a wastewater treatment plant, and/or changing deicing chemicals. If implemented as 

proposed,

reductions of more than 40 million pounds of pollutant discharges per year can be expected.

For more information, visit www.epa.gov/waterscience/guide/airport/.

REPORT ON POLLUTANT DISCHARGES FROM STEAM ELECTRIC POWER

GENERATION AND THE DECISION TO PVEVISE EFFLUENT GUIDELINES

In 2009, the Agency decided to revise the effluent guidelines for Steam Electric Power 

Generation due to

the potential hazard to human health and the environment from the industry's pollutant 

discharges. The

decision reflects the findings from our multi-year study of power plant wastewater discharges 

from ash

ponds and air pollution control equipment at coal-fired plants. The information EPA collected 

during the

study demonstrated that the current effluent guidelines issued in 1982 have not kept pace with 

changes

in the electric power industry. Although treatment technologies are available to reduce 

pollutants before

they are discharged to waterways, these systems have been installed in only a fraction of the 

nation's

power plants.
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To develop the revised effluent guidelines, EPA will survey the industry to collect detailed 

technical and

cost information about power plant processes and electric generating units. In an October 2009 

Federal

Register notice, the Agency invited public comment on a draft questionnaire. In 2010, EPA will 

evaluate

the comments, revise the survey, solicit comments a second time and distribute the questionnaires

for

completion.

For more information, visit www.epa.gov/waterscience/guide/steam/.

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 Water

IMPLEMENTING THE NATIONAL WATER QUALITY STANDARDS

PROGRAM

Water Quality Standards (WQS) are the foundation of the national water quality

program mandated by the CWA. Defining goals for U.S. waters and setting the

standards against which all other surface water quality programs measure success,

WQS consist of four elements:

 • Designated uses for water bodies, such as recreation, aquatic life support,

 public water supply, agriculture, etc.

 • Water quality criteria that establish numeric pollutant concentrations

 or narrative descriptions of water conditions that must be met to attain

 designated uses.

 • Antidegradation policy to maintain and protect existing uses and high quality

 waters.

 • Other policies that address the implementation of standards.

Through its Water Quality Standards Program, OST develops the recommended

criteria and reviews the state standards that protect and restore the nation's water

bodies. The CWA gives states and territories the lead to administer WQS programs.

OST and EPA's regional offices (regions) provide federal oversight for state and

territorial programs, and partner together as co-regulators on a daily basis. Tribes

must apply for federal authorization to administer WQS programs under the CWA. OST

provides technical assistance to tribes in applying for federal program authorization

and in developing and implementing WQS and other water quality programs. To date,

44 tribes have federal authority to administer a WQS program. Across the United

States, 35 tribes have EPA-approved, CWA-effective WQS programs. OST also

plays an active role in providing training and technical support for tribes (see the

Communication, Education and Outreach section of this report).

Providing Regional and State Support on WQS

In addition to developing federal WQS regulations, national policy and guidance,

OST supports regions and states on specific WQS actions. For example, OST

reviewed many state standards packages submitted to the regions for review and

approval. These included challenging issues such as antidegradation implementation

procedures, use attainability analyses for hundreds of waters, numeric nutrient

criteria, mixing zone provisions, and agricultural use policies. OST also took action

to ensure that WQS protecting public water uses apply to 30 miles of the Mississippi

River around St. Louis.

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OST works closely with regions to support constructive, timely and defensible actions on state 

WQS

submissions. Regions work with their states to ensure that states' standards revisions can be 

approved

before they are adopted and submitted to EPA. Improving upon FY08 approval rates, EPA approved 

93.2

percent of the state submissions received in FY09.

For more information about the National Water Quality Standards Program, visit

www.epa.gov/waterscience/standards.

 Water Quality Standards Determination for Portion of the

 Mississippi River around St. Louis

 On October 29,2009, EPA made a CWA determination that Missouri

 must create new or revised WQS to address whole body contact

 recreation, such as water-skiing and swimming, on a 28.6-mile

 portion of Mississippi River that flows through St. Louis. EPA's

 assessment indicated that the segment has shoreline features 

that

 include public parks, boat ramps, bike trails and sandy, sloping

 banks, and the available information demonstrated that the water

 quality necessary to support whole body contact recreation

could be attained. In addition, a whole body contact recreation use designation provides 

protection of

downstream uses that EPA determined need new or revised WQS for whole body contact recreation.

Missouri plans to address this issue in its next triennial review.

For more information about this CWA determination, visit

www.epa.gov/waterscience/standards/rules/stlouis/factsheet.html.
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 Methylmercury Criteria Implementation Guidance

 EPA's 2001 water quality criterion to protect human health

 recommends that methylmercury in fish tissue not exceed 0.3

 parts per million. Mercury in the air settles into water or onto

 land where it can be washed into water. Once deposited, certain

 microorganisms can change it into methylmercury, a highly toxic

 form that builds up in fish, shellfish and animals that eat 

fish. Fish

 and shellfish are the main sources of methylmercury exposure

 to humans. Young children, including unborn children, may suffer

 neurological damage as a result of exposure to mercury. EPA

committed to develop guidance to help states, territories and authorized tribes implement the 

criteria

to help them achieve their methylmercury concentration goals in surface water to minimize 

uptake

into the food-chain. Following changes based on public comments and internal and OMB reviews, 

EPA

published the draft guidance to the Web site in January 2009. For more information, visit

www.epa.gov/waterscience/criteria/methylmercury/index.html.

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ESTABLISHING NUMERIC NUTRIENT WATER QUALITY CRITERIA

2009 Florida Determination Requiring Adoption of Numeric Nutrient Criteria

Florida's 2008 Integrated Water Quality Assessment revealed that

approximately 1,000 miles of rivers and streams, 350,000 acres of

lakes and 900 square miles of estuaries are impaired by nutrients

such as nitrogen and phosphorus. Nutrient pollution can cause

water quality problems such as harmful algal blooms, low-oxygen

dead zones and declines in wildlife and wildlife habitat. These

effects also disrupt recreational activities and threaten public

health.

In January 2009, EPA issued a formal determination under the

Clean Water Act, stating that numeric nutrient water quality criteria

are necessary in Florida and committing the Agency to develop

those standards for Florida unless the state adopts and EPA approves new standards first. The 

federal

determination and rulemaking builds upon the substantial investments Florida has made in 

nutrient data

collection, analysis and stakeholder involvement, and is consistent with the state and EPA's 

commitment

to a stronger nutrient control program. The new numeric nutrient water quality standards will 

help

Florida improve the efficiency and effectiveness of its water quality management tools, protect 

highquality waters, identify waters impaired by nutrient pollution, establish total maximum daily 

loads and

Basin Management Action Plans, and derive National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System permit

limits.

EPA's decision letter on these actions can be viewed online at

www.epa.gov/waterscience/standards/rules/ifdet

Response to Office of Inspector General Report

The Office of the Inspector General issued a report to Agency officials in August 2009 

recommending

that OW set numeric nutrient water quality standards to meet the requirements ofthe Clean Water 

Act

for waters identified as being of significant national value. In response to the report, EPA 

committed to

develop a set of factors to consider when identifying and prioritizing states and waters to 

determine

if numeric nutrient criteria are necessary. In addition, EPA committed to revise internal 

milestones to

better gauge cumulative state progress, develop guidance for annual state performance 

discussions,

launch a revised nutrient criteria Web site to better track state progress, and publish 

biennial reviews of

state progress. EPA plans to make these reports publically available. For more information, see

www.epa.gov/oig/reports/2009/20090826-09-P-0223.pdf.

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 IMPROVING BEACH WATER QUALITY, MONITORING AND PUBLIC

 INFORMATION

 The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) estimates that almost 71 million 

people

 will visit beaches for a combined 970 million days in 2010. OST's Beach Program works in 

partnership

 with the regions and state and local governments to protect water quality at U.S. beaches and
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the health

 of beach visitors. The Beach Program focuses on five areas:

 • Strengthening local beach WQS and monitoring efforts.

 • Providing faster laboratory test methods for beach water samples.

 • Predicting pollution problems by identifying causal sources and conditions.

 • Investing in human health and analytical methods research.

 • Informing the public about water quality problems at U.S. beaches.

 Providing Funding for State Beach Programs

 To improve water quality testing and help beach managers better inform the public about water

quality

 issues, Congress passed the Beaches Environmental Assessment and Coastal Health (BEACH) Act in

 October 2000. The Act authorizes EPA to provide grants to coastal and Great Lakes states, 

territories

 and tribes, to develop and implement beach water quality monitoring programs and inform the 

public

 about the risk of exposure to disease-causing microorganisms in the water. In addition to 

notifying the

 public, states must also send EPA data on beach monitoring and notification for their 

coastal recreation

 waters, which EPA maintains in a database. Since 2001, the Agency has awarded almost $82 

million

 in grant funds to eligible states to protect the nation's beaches, including $9.9 million in

2009. For more

 information, visit www.epa.gov/waterscience/beaches/grants.

 Keeping Track of States' Beach Closings and Advisories

 Each spring, OST releases a report summarizing notification actions - the number, location and

duration

 of beach closings and advisories -in the United States during the previous year's swimming 

season.

 In May 2009, OST released a national summary report of state data on beach closings and 

advisories

 during the 2008 beach season. In July 2009, the report was supplemented by state reports that

include

 program-specific accomplishments, issues and other information provided by the states and 

made

 available on EPA's Beach Monitoring and Notification Web site at

 www.epa.gov/waterscience/beaches/seasons.

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DRINKING WATER SUPPORT

OST develops risk assessments for drinking water contaminants

in support of regulatory decisions made by EPA's Office of Ground

Water and Drinking Water (OGWDW). This support includes

development of contaminant candidate lists (CCL), regulatory

determinations and six-year reviews of currently regulated drinking

water contaminants.

CCL3

Every five years, OGWDW publishes a CCL identifying the

contaminants in drinking water most likely to pose a risk to human

health. OST helps OGWDW identify the health effects used to determine the list.

In 2009, EPA published its third CCL (CCL3). OST developed the approach used to

group contaminants based on the potency and severity of effects. To support CCL3,

OST also finalized health effects background documents summarizing available

toxicological information and identifying research needs for the 35 contaminants that

have available occurrence data from drinking water monitoring.

Visit www.epa.gov/safewater/ccl/index.html.

Regulatory Determinations

EPA reviews each drinking water regulation at least every six years. In support of

the Agency's second six-year review released in 2009, OST finalized the toxicological

data for 73 regulated chemicals. Updates identify changes that might impact the

health basis of current regulations or suggest a need to revise the current health

assessment due to research results published since the completion of the first sixyear review in 2003. Visit www.epa.gov/safewater/review.html.

Other Drinking Water-Related Activities

OST developed a Provisional Health Advisory for Perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA)

and Perfluorooctanesulfonic acid (PFOS) in response to regional needs to address

contaminated sites and ground water. OST, in collaboration with the Office of Pollution

Prevention and Toxics (OPPT), is developing full Health Advisories for PFOA and

PFOS. OST also collaborated with OGWDW and the Office of Prevention, Pesticides

and Toxic Substances (OPPTS) in establishing a process for managing a data call,

including the development of a draft list of candidate chemicals for testing in the

Endocrine Disrupter Screening Program (EDSP) in OPPTS. Visit www.epa.gov/endo.

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 DEVELOPMENT OF NEW RECREATIONAL WATER

 QUALITY CRITERIA
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 A critical component of OST's work is publishing new 

recreational

 water quality criteria that states can use to strengthen 

their Water

 Quality Standards (WQS) programs. The BEACH Act requires OST

 to develop these criteria, which protect millions of swimmers

in the

 United States from illnesses associated with water 

contaminated

 with pathogens. To revise the criteria to reflect current 

scientific

 data, OST and the Office of Research and Development (ORD)

 are implementing the Critical Path Science Plan (Science 

Plan)

 developed by U.S. and international scientific experts and 

published

 by EPA in 2007. The Science Plan describes high-priority research, overall goals and 

questions

 associated with data gaps that EPA will pursue, setting the foundation for development of 

new or

 revised recreational water quality criteria recommendations.

 In keeping with the Science Plan, OST engaged stakeholders at a meeting in October 2009 to

 communicate its research activities, share current thinking on criteria development, and 

obtain input

 on criteria implementation challenges. Through continued collaboration with ORD and experts 

in the

 stakeholder community, OST will help ensure that research clarifies key questions and 

creates sound

 recreational water quality criteria.

 For more information on the status of this research and OST's work to develop new 

recreational criteria,

 visit www. epa.gov/waterscience/criteria/recreation.

 Partnerships for Research

 To develop new or revised recreational water quality criteria by October 2012 as required 

under a court-

 ordered deadline, EPA has created partnerships to remain informed by the most relevant and 

recent

 research regarding recreational criteria. OST is working closely with the Water Environment 

Research

 Foundation (WERF) as they perform research in quantitative microbial risk assessment, 

pathogens and

 indicators in inland waters, and pathogens and indicators in tropical and subtropical waters.

In February

 2009, OST worked with WERF to hold an Inland Waters Experts Scientific Workshop that 

focused on

 identifying the short-term and long-term research needed to support the applicability of 

new or revised

 recreational criteria in inland waters. The final Experts Workshop Report has been used by 

WERF and

 EPA to identify and select research activities needed to better understand how the new or 

revised

 criteria will relate to inland waters.

 In addition, OST and ORD have worked closely with the Southern California Coastal Water 

Research

 Project (SCCWRP), which performed many coastal marine epidemiological studies. In 2009, EPA

 provided technical and financial supportforthe epidemiological studies in Doheny Beach, 

Avalon Beach

 and Malibu Beach. For more information, visit

 www.epa.gov/waterscience/criteria/recreation/oct2009/index.html.

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UNDERSTANDING CONTAMINANTS OF EMERGING CONCERN IN WATER

Several contaminants are currently emerging as concerns in U.S. waters. Pharmaceuticals and 

personal

care products (PPCPs) are of particular interest and focus for OW. EPA is implementing a fourpronged

strategy to strengthen scientific knowledge, improve public understanding, identify partnership 

and

stewardship opportunities, and take regulatory action when appropriate. In 2009, OST continued to

make significant progress in implementing EPA's strategy by initiating or completing several 

projects.

Some of these activities included the Targeted National Sewage Sludge Survey (see below), the 

PFOA/

PFOS Provisional Health Advisories (see Drinking Water Support section), the risk evaluations 

that led

to inclusion of nine Pharmaceuticals and one antibiotic on the final CCL3, fish and water 

sampling for

selected PPCPs through the National Rivers and Streams Assessment, and revised federal guidelines
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for

the disposal of unused Pharmaceuticals by consumers. For more information, visit

www. epa.gov/waterscience/ppcp.

BIOSOLIDS

Biosolids are the nutrient-rich, organic materials resulting from the treatment of sewage 

sludge. When

treated and processed, sewage sludge becomes biosolids, which can be safely recycled and applied 

as

fertilizer to sustainably improve and maintain productive soils and stimulate plant growth.

Targeted National Sewage Sludge Survey Report

OST conducted the Targeted National Sewage Sludge Survey to produce the first national estimates

of Pharmaceuticals, steroids and hormones, flame retardants and other chemicals present in sewage

sludge. A report on the survey results, including minimum and maximum concentrations for 145

contaminants, was released in January 2009. OST is in the process of evaluating the chemicals 

that

were present. This research advances the understanding of materials present in treated sewage 

sludge

and provides important input for EPA and others who must evaluate biosolids generated by the 

nation's

POTWs. For more information, visit www.epa.gov/waterscience/biosolids.

In addition to the Targeted National Sewage Sludge Survey Report, OST issued and made publicly

available the 2005 and 2007 Biennial Reviews for Biosolids and initiated the 2009 Biennial 

Review. OST

continued to build partnerships and provide technical and scientific support to regions and 

states on

biosolid issues.

For more information, visit www.epa.gov/waterscience/biosolids.

COMMON CWA/FIFRA EFFECTS ASSESSMENT METHODOLOGIES

OW and the Office of Pesticide Programs (OPP) have different minimum data requirements for

supporting effects assessment activities under the CWA and the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide 

and

Rodenticide Act (FIFRA). OPP and OW are exploring approaches to build on the science used by

both programs to develop consistent common effects characterization methods for federal and state

regulators. OW and OPP have developed a Scoping Document that describes the Agency's efforts.

This document will be presented at six public meetings in January 2010. The feedback from these

public meetings will inform the development of white papers that explain how EPA plans to 

integrate

the approaches used by the OW and OPP. This common effects characterization methodology and

resulting advisory values will allow federal and state risk managers to make environmentally 

protective,

scientifically defensible,timely and consistent decisions about chemicals found in ambientwater 

while

meeting the mandates of CWA and FIFRA. Visit www.epa.gov/waterscience/criteria/aqlife/cem.html.

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 NEW OR REVISED AMBIENT WATER QUALITY CRITERIA

 Technical Guidance Document on Bioaccumulation Factors

 On September 30,2009, EPA published "Methodology for Deriving Ambient Water Quality Criteria 

for

 the Protection of Human Health; Technical Support Document, Volume 3: Development of SiteSpecific

 Bioaccumulation Factors" in the Federal Register. This document provides states and tribes 

with tools

 to derive site-specific bioaccumulation factors (BAFs) for use in calculating site-specific 

human health

 ambient water quality criteria (AWQC). These tools will allow states and tribes to increase 

the accuracy

 of BAFs for their sites. This document supports increased consistency and transparency in our

process

 and can help states and tribes better protect human health by providing methods to refine 

criteria using

 more site-specific and scenario-appropriate assumptions and values. Visit

 www.epa.gov/waterscience/criteria/humanhealth/method/tsdvol3.pdf.

 Acrolein Criteria for the Protection of Aquatic Life

 Following public input, EPA published final national recommended AWQC for acrolein for the 

protection

 of aquatic life in the Federal Register on September 10,2009. An herbicide used to clear 

weeds from

 irrigation ditches and canals, acrolein is toxic to aquatic life at low concentrations. The 

criteria

 document EPA published recommends acrolein levels in the nation's rivers and streams that 

will not

 adversely affect aquatic life. Visit www.epa.gov/waterscience/criteria/acrolein/aq-final.htm.

 Acrolein and Phenol Criteria for the Protection of Human Health

 On June 10,2009, OST published the final national recommended water quality criteria to 
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protect human

 health for acrolein and phenol. The updated water quality criteria integrate new reference 

doses for

 acrolein and phenol. EPA accepted scientific views from the public in September 2008 

regarding a draft

 acrolein and phenol human health criteria document.

 Visit www.epa.gov/waterscience/criteria/acrolein/hhc-final.htm and

 www.epa.gov/waterscience/criteria/phenol/index.htm.

 ENDANGERED SPECIES ACT TECHNICAL SUPPORT

 OST has been engaged in efforts to consult with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric 

Administration

 (NOAA)-Fisheries and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (the Services) on Oregon's water quality

 standards for toxic substances. The Office is also consulting with the Services at the 

national level on

 recommended water quality criteria for cyanide. Validation of existing AWQC as they apply in 

Oregon's

 waters is currently underway and includes 23 compounds. The outcomes of these consultations

will

 serve as a framework for all future interactions with the Services.

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FISH PROGRAMS

2007-2008 National Listing of Fish Advisories

Available online, the 2007-2008 National Listing of Fish Advisories

(NLFA) was released in August 2009. The NLFA summarizes

information for a two-year period about local fish consumption

advisories issued by 49 states, territories and tribes in the United

States. The NFLA database provides more detailed information

such as the fish under advisory, the chemical contaminants in the

advisory, the location of the water body, and the population for

which the advisory was issued and allows the user to generate

maps that summarize advisory information.

The NLFA from 2008 indicates that the number of advisories increased significantly between 2006

and 2008, as did the lake acres and river miles under advisory. These increases can be 

attributed to

the issuance of several new statewide advisories that cover all river miles or lake acres in the

state.

Ninety-seven percent of all advisories involved five bioaccumulative chemical contaminants: 

mercury,

polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), chlordane, dioxins and dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (DDT). 

The

NLFA is available on the Web at www.epa.gov/fishadvisories.

Establishing a National Baseline of Persistent, Bioaccumulative and Toxic Chemicals

The final National Lakes Fish Tissue Study report was released in November 2009. The study is 

EPA's first

effort to research fish contamination broadly since the late 1980s, and is the first national 

freshwater fish

contamination survey based on a random sampling design. The study allowed OST to develop national

estimates for 268 persistent, bioaccumulative and toxic (PBT) chemicals in fish tissue from 

lakes and

reservoirs in the contiguous United States. It also generated data that will define a national 

baseline

against which EPA programs can assess the progress of pollution control activities to limit the 

release of

PBT chemicals into the environment.

The study has yielded compelling information. For example, mercury and PCBs were detected in all

fish

samples collected during the four-year sampling period (2000-2003). The mercury concentrations 

for

predators exceed EPA's recommended tissue-based criterion of 0.3 parts per million (ppm) for 

about half

of the sampled population of lakes. Dioxins and furans were detected in predator and bottomdweller

samples at 81 percent and 99 percent of the sites, respectively. DDT was detected in predator 

and

bottom-dweller samples at 78 percent and 98 percent of the sites, respectively. EPA is using 

these data

to support Agency efforts such as developing an Agency-wide strategy for monitoring PBT 

chemicals,

assessing mercury in the environment and characterizing the state of the environment.

OST collaborated with ORD and worked with the regions, 47 states, three tribes and two federal

agencies to conduct the study. For more information about this study, see OST's Web site at

www.epa.gov/waterscience/fish/study.

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CLIMATE CHANGE-RELATED ACTIVITIES

Evidence suggests that climate change may impact water resources and could affect water quality.

OST is working on several key actions under the National Water Program Strategy: Response to 

Climate

Change. Several of OST's efforts in 2009 include:

 • Recreational Criteria and Climate Change: Climate change may have implications for 

biological

 contaminants and pathogens in surface and recreational waters as water temperatures

 increase. To better understand this issue, as part of work to develop new or revised 

recreational

 water quality criteria under the BEACH Act, OST is conducting an epidemiology study to

 determine if human health risks in tropical waters, a surrogate for water bodies that 

could be

 affected by climate change, are different from human health risks in other waters. The 

study is

 expected to be completed in December 2010.

 • Water Quality and Hydrologic Condition of Surface Waters: Climate change could impact

 hydrologic conditions across the country. To better understand this issue, in 2009 OST 

began

 examining how states are addressing the issues surrounding hydrologic condition and water

 quality.

 • Climate Research: OST is actively involved in intra-Agency and interagency climate change

 research efforts, including working with ORD to identify and evaluate future research 

plans to

 address OW needs as related to global warming.

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2009 NATIONAL BEACH CONFERENCE

OST strives to ensure public health protection at beaches and

to improve the accuracy and timeliness of notification actions.

To support this goal, EPA sponsored the 2009 National Beach

Conference on April 20-22,2009, in Huntington Beach, California.

The three-day conference, Riding the Wave of Emerging Science,

brought together over 300 researchers, practitioners and

policymakers from around the world to discuss water quality at

beaches. Conference proceedings are available at

www.epa.gov/waterscience/beaches/meetings/2009.

WATER QUALITY STANDARDS ACADEMY

For 2009, the Water Quality Standards Academy (WQSA) continued its 15 year

tradition of providing high-quality training on Water Quality Standards and related

regulatory programs. OST held two courses in the Washington, DC area and three

customized courses developed to meet the specific needs of partnering organizations

and the respective regions. For example, one was conducted with the Iowa Water

Pollution Control Association and Region 7 in Muscatine, 10 in October 2009. The

Academy, in partnership with the Office of Wetlands, Oceans and Watersheds

(OWOW), also developed and presented a two-hour webcast, "Introduction to Water

Quality Standards," in September 2009. Over 250 water quality professionals were

trained in the live Academies and over 1,000 people participated in the webcast. For

additional information, visit www.epa.gov/waterscience/standards/academy.

New Water Quality Standards Academy Online Modules

The Water Quality Standards Academy Online (WQSA Online) has posted five new

interactive Basic Course Supplemental Topics Modules. This WQSA online training

makes training widely available, easily accessible and cost effective. The five new

modules address Human Health Ambient Water Quality Criteria, Listing Impaired

Waters and Developing TMDL's, Monitoring and Assessment, National Pollutant

Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) Permit Program, and Aquatic Life Criteria.

Visit www.epa.gov/waterscience/standards/academy/ior more information.

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TRAINING FOR INDIAN TRIBES

OW's Consolidated Tribal Training program seeks to enhance tribes' abilities to develop and 

manage

water programs. Led by OST staff, this cross-office initiative provides a structured, progressive

approach to tribal training and centralizes, on a single Web site, all of OW's training courses 

that

assist tribes with creating and implementing water quality programs. The initiative improves 

access to

training for tribes, often using tribal water quality experts as trainers. The focus in 2009 was

modifying

existing training courses and creating new courses to meet unaddressed needs, including a series 

of

introductory Web-based trainings tailored to tribes, many of which featured tribal experts who 

shared

their experiences in developing and implementing tribal water quality programs through case 
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examples,

lessons learned and personal experiences. Seventeen face-to-face trainings were also held in 

2009.

Visit www.epa.gov/water/tribaltraining/webcasts.htmlior more information.

PARTNERSHIP TO REDUCE DENTAL AMALGAM DISCHARGES

In December 2008, OW signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the American Dental

Association (ADA) and the National Association of Clean Water Agencies (NACWA) to establish and

monitor the effectiveness of a Voluntary Dental Amalgam Discharge Reduction Program. 

Participating

dental offices will install and properly maintain amalgam separators and recycle the collected 

amalgam

waste. In 2009, the MOU parties investigated methods to track progress, discussed annual 

performance

goals, and increased their outreach to dentists and pretreatment programs. EPA also expanded

coordination with stakeholders to include Quicksilver, a coalition of state environmental 

agencies

concerned with mercury discharges.

OUTREACH TO ASIAN COMMUNITY ON MERCURY IN FISH

Fish and shellfish are an important part of a healthy diet; however, nearly all fish and 

shellfish contain

traces of mercury. Though mercury in fish and shellfish is a low risk for most consumers, some 

fish and

shellfish contain higher levels of mercury that may harm a growing fetus or a child's developing

nervous

system. Higher than average levels of mercury found in 25 percent of adult New Yorkers of 

Asian

descent are closely tied to fish consumption OST developed public service radio messages to 

reach the

ethnic Chinese community. The Chinese Radio public service announcements aired in March 2009 on

five radio stations around the country. EPA also initiated the design and distribution of a tote

bag with

the public outreach message printed in Chinese and English. Throughout the development process, 

EPA

responded to advice and recommendations provided by organizations that work closely with 

ChineseAmericans, the Agency's multi-lingual task force and the Office of Public Affairs. For more 

information,

visit www. epa.gov/waterscience/fish/publicinfo.html.

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2009 EPA "WATER WARS" COLLEGIATE DEBATE SERIES

Building on the success of the 2008 Earth Day debates, OST hosted three public debates in the 

"Water

Wars Debate Series" in 2009:

 1. "Is the BEACH Act Investment Equal to the Risk Posed to Human Health? Should money

 that's spent on monitoring and public notification be spent on prevention and 

remediation?"

 This debate was held with students from the University of South Carolina, Michigan State,

 Wake Forest and the University of Mary Washington in April 2009 at the EPA National Beach

 Conference in Huntington Beach, California.

 Visit www.epa.gov/waterscience/beaches/meetings/2009/session8.pdf.

 2. "How the EPA could best achieve environmental justice solutions consistent with an 

Executive

 Order regarding Native Americans and people of color that live near Puget Sound?" This 

debate

 was held with students from Harvard, Whitman and the University of Puget Sound in August

 2009 at the EPA Community Involvement and Training Conference in Seattle, Washington. 

Visit

 www.washingtondebate.org/news/2009-08-18-epa-debate.html.

 3. "Are federal/state fish advisory programs effective in protecting public health as an 

interim

 measure until the nation's waters are restored to fishable status?" This debate was held 

with

 students from Harvard, the University of South Carolina, the University of Mary 

Washington and

 the University of Puget Sound in November 2009 at the EPA National Forum on Contaminants 

in

 Fish in Portland, Oregon. Visit www.epa.gov/waterscience/fish/forum/2009/agenda2009.pdf.

2009 FISH FORUM

The Forum is an opportunity to bring together those who work on fish advisory issues to share 

the latest

science and public health policies and establish national consistency. The topics discussed 

include

sampling and analysis, emerging contaminants, risk assessment and toxicology, risk communication,

and risks and benefits. The Tenth National Forum on Contaminants in Fish was held in Portland, 

Oregon,
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November 2-5,2009, and was co-hosted by the Oregon Department of Human Services. Approximately

250 people attended from state, federal and tribal agencies as well as representatives from 

industry,

academia, and various health and environmental advocacy organizations. Highlights of this year's 

Forum

included a special session weighing the risks and benefits of fish consumption. All presentations

from

the 2010 Forum are available online at www.epa.gov/waterscience/fish/forum/2009/.

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Nutrients — A main focus for OST in the next year and beyond, some

activities of note include:

- Finalize, if appropriate, numeric nutrient WQS for Florida lakes, rivers and

 streams.

- More effectively track state progress in developing numeric nutrient WQS by

 establishing better performance milestones and issuing publically available

 state progress reports.

- Provide increased financial and technical support to states and territories

 to help them accelerate the development and adoption of numeric nutrient

 water quality standards.

Recreational Criteria and the Critical Path Science Plan— EPA is conducting

critical science and research to publish new or revised recreational water

quality criteria by October 2012. These will be used by states, tribes and

territories in their adoption of new WQS to protect against illness associated

with fecal contamination in water. The critical science and research projects

are scheduled to be completed by December 2010.

Proposed Rule for Existing Cooling Water Intake Structures — New proposed

standards are expected to be available for public comment in 2010. The

rulemaking will address cooling water intake structures at existing electric

generating plants and manufacturing facilities. CWA section 316(b) rules are

intended to protect aquatic organisms from death or injury by impingement or

entrainment.

Protecting Aquatic Life —

- Ammonia — The goal is to address scientific input received on the draft

 ammonia water quality criteria published in December 2009 and publish final

 ammonia criteria by the end of 2010.

- Selenium — OST plans to publish draft selenium criteria in 2010 for scientific

 input with a goal of publishing final criteria by the end of 2010.

- Atrazine —Work will continue on atrazine with the focus on analyzing new

 data and developing appropriate revised criteria.

Proposed Standards for Stormwater Management— OW is moving forward

on a new rule to control stormwater from newly developed and redeveloped

sites. In 2010, OST will focus on a survey to gather data from site developers,

municipal separate storm sewer systems and states.

PPCP Treatment Compendium — During 2010, EPA will publish the results of

an extensive literature review of the effectiveness of various technologies in

reducing PPCPs in water.

Final Rulemaking for Airport Deicing Effluent Guidelines — EPA will consider

public comments on the 2009 proposed rule and prepare a rulemaking

package to issue final effluent guidelines to control wastewater discharges

associated with deicing aircraft and airfield pavement.

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