From: Goldberg, Seth

Sent: Tuesday, December 04, 2007 9:24 PM

To: edwards.debbie@epa.gov

Cc: shackleford.betty@epa.gov; Sanderson, Kathleen; 

Edwards.Dennis@epamail.epa.gov

Subject: Nalco ||||||||||||||||| - Request to Reconsider Ammonia Registration

Attachments: Request to Reconsider Ammonia Registration.pdf

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Debbie: 

I have attached a memorandum providing further support for Nalco's request that OPP reconsider its 

decision to register ammonia for use with chlorine based water treatment products. This memorandum 

should be read together with the document I sent on October 31, which summarized many of the 

procedural shortcomings of the decision and outlined some of the substantive issues it raises. The 

attached memorandum provides additional technical background on the use of ammonia along with 

chlorine to form chloramines, thereby stabilizing and extending, but also limiting, the activity of the 

chlorine. It also reviews a range of other chemistries and technologies that EPA use unregistered 

products as activators, stabilizers, sequestrants and for similar purposes. All of these technologies are 

potentially impacted by EPA's decision, along with the use of ammonia along with chlorine in drinking 

water treatment.

In addition to the need for a prompt and thorough reevaluation of the registration decision and its 

implications, there is an urgent need for prompt guidance to the marketplace. |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||| 

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||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||| To avoid even further disruption in the market for water treatment in 

pulp and paper mills, and ensure that the drinking water treatment industry also is not placed in a panic 

situation due to perceived non-compliance with EPA's registration requirement, it Is vitally important 

that EPA issue a public document making clear that both unregistered and registered sources of 

ammonia can be used at present, that the Agency is reviewing this issue, and once it makes a 

final decision all regulated entities will be accorded an adequate period of time to come into 

compliance with that decision. Providing this guidance promptly is critical to maintaining stability in the 

marketplace and will allow the Agency to evaluate this situation without undue pressure due to the threat 

of enforcement or a flood of applications for registration that may be unnecessary.

Nalco's upper management and technical staff is interested in meeting with you in the near future to 

explain the current market situation and the urgency of providing guidance.

Thank you for your assistance in resolving this important issue.

Best regards,

Seth

Seth Goldberg

Steptoe & Johnson LLP

1330 Connecticut Ave. N.W.

Washington, D.C. 20036

Voice: (202) 429 6213

Fax: (202) 261 0566

sgoldberg@steptoe.com