Document ID: EPA-HQ-OW-2014-0135-0104
Agency: epa
Document Type: Notice
Title: Request for Scientific Views: Updated National Recommended Water Quality Criteria for the Protection of Human Health
Posted Date: 2014-06-23T04:00Z

[Federal Register Volume 79, Number 120 (Monday, June 23, 2014)]
[Notices]
[Pages 35544-35545]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2014-14597]

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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[EPA-HQ-OW-2014-0135; FRL-9912-73-OW]

Extension of Request for Scientific Views for Updated National 
Recommended Water Quality Criteria for the Protection of Human Health

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

ACTION: Notice; extension of the request for scientific views.

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SUMMARY: The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is extending the 
comment period for the draft updated national recommended water quality 
criteria for the protection of human health announced in a previous 
notice entitled ``Updated National Recommended Water Quality Criteria 
for the Protection of Human Health.'' In response to stakeholder 
requests, the EPA is extending the period of time in which the Agency 
will accept scientific views for an additional 30 days.

DATES: Scientific views must be received on or before August 13, 2014. 
The comment period was originally scheduled to end on July 14, 2014.

ADDRESSES: Submit your comments, identified by Docket ID No. EPA-HQ-OW-
2014-0135, by one of the following methods:
     www.regulations.gov: Follow the on-line instructions for 
submitting comments.
     Mail: Water Docket, Environmental Protection Agency, 
28221T, 1200 Pennsylvania Ave. NW., Washington, DC 20460. Attention 
Docket ID No. EPA-HQ-OW-2014-0135.
     Hand Delivery: Water Docket, EPA Docket Center, EPA WJC 
West Building Room 3334, 1301 Constitution Ave. NW., Washington, DC, 
20004, Attention Docket EPA-HQ-OW-2014-0135. Deliveries to the docket 
are accepted only during their normal hours of operation: 8:30 a.m. to 
4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday, excluding legal holidays. For access 
to docket materials, call (202) 566-2426, to schedule an appointment.
     Email: ow-docket@epa.gov; Attention Docket No. EPA-HQ-OW-
2014-0135. To ensure that EPA can properly respond to comments, 
commenters should cite the section(s) or chemical(s) in draft updates 
to which each comment refers. Commenters should use a separate 
paragraph for each issue discussed, and must submit any references 
cited in their comments. If you submit an electronic comment, EPA 
recommends that you include your name and other contact information in 
the body of your comment. Electronic files should avoid any form of 
encryption and should be free of any defects or viruses.
    Instructions: Direct your comments to Docket ID No. EPA-HQ-OW-2014-
0135. EPA's policy is that all comments received will be included in 
the public docket without change and may be made available online at 
www.regulations.gov, including any personal information provided, 
unless the comment includes information claimed to be Confidential 
Business Information (CBI) or other information whose disclosure is 
restricted by statute. Do not submit information that you consider to 
be CBI or otherwise protected through www.regulations.gov. The 
www.regulations.gov Web site is an ``anonymous access'' system, which 
means EPA will not know your identity or contact information unless you 
provide it in the body of your comment. If you send an email comment 
directly to EPA without going through www.regulations.gov your email 
address will be automatically captured and included as part of the 
comment that is placed in the public docket and made available on the 
Internet. If you submit an electronic comment, EPA recommends that you 
include your name and other contact information in the body of your 
comment and with any disk or CD-ROM you submit. If EPA cannot read your 
comment due to technical difficulties and cannot contact you for 
clarification, EPA may not be able to consider your comment. Electronic 
files should avoid the use of special characters, any form of 
encryption, and be free of any defects or viruses.
    Docket: All documents in the docket are listed in the 
www.regulations.gov index. Although listed in the index, some 
information is not publicly available, e.g., CBI or other information 
whose disclosure is restricted by statute. Certain other material, such 
as copyrighted material, will be publicly available only in hard copy. 
Publicly available docket materials are available either electronically 
in www.regulations.gov or in hard copy at the Water Docket, EPA/DC, EPA 
West, Room 3334, 1301 Constitution Ave. NW., Washington, DC. The Public 
Reading Room is open from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through 
Friday, excluding legal holidays. The telephone number for the Public 
Reading Room is (202) 566-1744, and the telephone number for the Water 
Docket is (202) 566-2426.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Heidi Bethel at U.S. EPA, Office of 
Water, Health and Ecological Criteria Division (Mail Code 4304T), 1200 
Pennsylvania Avenue NW., Washington, DC 20460; telephone: (202) 566-
2054; or email: bethel.heidi@epa.gov.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On May 13, 2014, the EPA announced the 
availability of draft updated national recommended water quality 
criteria for the protection of human health in a previous notice 
entitled ``Updated National Recommended Water Quality Criteria for the 
Protection of Human Health'' in the Federal Register (79 FR 27303). EPA 
updated its national recommended water quality criteria for human 
health for ninety-four chemical pollutants to reflect the latest 
scientific information and current EPA policies. The draft updated 
criteria are based on EPA's current methodology for deriving human 
health criteria as described in ``Methodology for Deriving Ambient 
Water Quality Criteria for the Protection of Human Health (2000)'' and 
do not establish new policy. EPA's recommended water quality criteria

[[Page 35545]]

provide technical information for States and authorized Tribes to 
establish water quality standards under the Clean Water Act to protect 
human health.
    The original comment deadline was July 14, 2014. This action 
extends the comment period for 30 days. Written scientific views must 
now be received by August 13, 2014.

    Dated: June 13, 2014.
Elizabeth Southerland,
Director, Office of Science and Technology.
[FR Doc. 2014-14597 Filed 6-20-14; 8:45 am]
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