[Federal Register Volume 74, Number 188 (Wednesday, September 30, 2009)]
[Notices]
[Pages 50182-50183]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E9-23631]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
[FRL-8964-1]
Methodology for Deriving Ambient Water Quality Criteria for the
Protection of Human Health; Technical Support Document, Volume 3:
Development of Site-Specific Bioaccumulation Factors
AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
ACTION: Notice of availability of final document.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: In 2000, EPA announced the availability of final revisions to
the Methodology for Deriving Ambient Water Quality Criteria for the
Protection of Human Health (2000) (hereafter ``2000 Human Health
Methodology'') published pursuant to section 304(a) (1) of the Clean
Water Act (CWA). Along with the 2000 Human Health Methodology, EPA
committed to publishing several technical support documents to provide
additional detail to the Methodology document, including two documents
that describe the development of bioaccumulation factors for use in
ambient water quality criteria calculations. In 2003, EPA announced the
release of the Technical Support Document Volume 2: Development of
National Bioaccumulation Factors (hereafter ``National BAF TSD'').
Today, the Agency is releasing the Technical Support Document, Volume
3: Development of Site-Specific Bioaccumulation Factors (hereafter
``Site-Specific BAF TSD'') that accompanies the Methodology and the
National BAF TSD. EPA accepted scientific views on the draft document
in two separate Federal Register Notices. The National BAF TSD contains
technical details on how EPA develops national bioaccumulation factors
for use in deriving national recommended ambient water quality criteria
for protecting human health. The Site-Specific BAF TSD contains
technical details on how States and Tribes may develop site-specific
bioaccumulation factors for use in deriving site-specific ambient water
quality criteria for protecting human health. The goal in deriving
site-specific BAFs is to determine the most accurate estimates of
bioaccumulation feasible for each site.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Heidi L. Bethel, Health and Ecological
Criteria Division (4304T), U.S. EPA, 1200 Pennsylvania Ave., NW.,
Washington, DC 20460; (202) 566-2054; [email protected].
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
I. General Information
A. Where can I find additional information on this document?
EPA solicited scientific views on the draft document in two
separate Federal Register Notices (73 FR 36866 and 73 FR 46624).
Scientific views were accepted at http://www.regulations.gov at Docket
ID No. EPA-HQ-OW-2008-0494. Publicly available docket materials are
available either electronically in http://www.regulations.gov or in
hard copy at the Office of Water Docket/EPA/DC, 1301 Constitution Ave,
NW., EPA West, Room 3334, Washington DC. This Docket Facility is open
from 8:30 a.m. until 4:30 p.m., EDT, Monday through Friday, excluding
legal holidays. The telephone number for the Public Reading Room is
(202) 566-1744, and the telephone number for the Office of Water is
(202) 566-2426.
Scientific views received by EPA and a document indicating EPA's
response to scientific views can also be found at the docket locations
listed above. A range of scientific views were received on the
document. Views received did result in some minor changes to the
document including some changes to table and figure captions; an
example calculation correction and clarification of chemical types for
which the document applies. A comprehensive list of changes to the
document can be found in the response document. Other comments were
addressed in the comment document, but did not result in changes to the
document.
A. Does This Action Apply to Me?
The intended audience for the Site-Specific BAF TSD includes State
and Tribal water quality staff scientists or risk assessors
(``investigators'') who are responsible for deriving State or Tribal
water quality standards, stakeholders interested in developing site-
specific BAFs, and other users interested in site-specific
bioaccumulation issues for other applications.
II. What Are Water Quality Criteria?
Water quality criteria are scientifically derived numeric and/or
narrative values that protect applicable designated uses, e.g., aquatic
life or human health, from the deleterious effects of pollutants in
ambient water. Section 304(a)(1) of the Clean Water Act requires EPA to
develop and publish and, from time to time, revise water quality
criteria to accurately reflect the latest scientific knowledge. Water
quality criteria developed under section 304(a) are based solely on
data and scientific judgments on the relationship between pollutant
concentrations and environmental and human health effects. Section
304(a) criteria do not reflect consideration of economic impacts or the
technological feasibility of meeting the chemical concentrations in
ambient water. Section 304(a) criteria provide guidance to States and
authorized Tribes in adopting water quality standards that ultimately
provide a basis for controlling discharges or releases of pollutants.
The criteria also provide guidance to EPA when promulgating Federal
regulations
[[Page 50183]]
under section 303(c) when such action is necessary.
The 2000 Human Health Methodology, along with the Technical Support
Documents, provides States and authorized Tribes with guidance to
adjust water quality criteria developed by EPA under section 304 to
reflect local conditions or to develop their own water quality criteria
using scientifically defensible methods. EPA believes that ambient
water quality criteria inherently require several risk management
decisions that are, in many cases, better made at the State, Tribal, or
regional level. EPA encourages States and authorized Tribes to use the
final Methodology and Technical Support Documents to develop site-
specific water quality criteria to appropriately reflect local
conditions. The Site-Specific BAF TSD, released with today's
announcement, will assist States and authorized Tribes in development
of site-specific BAFs for use in site-specific ambient water quality
criteria calculations.
III. Background Information on the Bioaccumulation Factors Technical
Support Document Volume III (Site-Specific BAF TSD)
In order to prevent harmful exposures to chemicals in water through
eating contaminated fish and shellfish, national section 304(a) water
quality criteria for protecting human health address chemical
bioaccumulation in aquatic organisms. Bioaccumulation occurs when
aquatic organisms accumulate chemicals in their bodies when they are
exposed to these chemicals through the surrounding media (e.g., water,
food, sediment). The extent of bioaccumulation by aquatic organisms
varies widely depending on the chemical and the species, but it can be
extremely high for some highly persistent and lipid-soluble chemicals.
For such highly bioaccumulative chemicals, concentrations in aquatic
organisms may pose unacceptable human health risks from eating fish and
shellfish even when concentrations in water are too low to cause
unacceptable health risks from drinking the water.
EPA developed detailed procedures and guidelines described in the
2000 Human Health Methodology for estimating bioaccumulation factor
(BAF) values for use in deriving or revising ambient water quality
criteria. The National BAF TSD discusses the technical basis for
developing national BAFs, the underlying assumptions and uncertainties
inherent to the approach, and applying the bioaccumulation component of
the 2000 Human Health Methodology. The Site-Specific BAF TSD expands on
the information presented in the National BAF TSD by providing users
with specific information on how to calculate site-specific BAFs for
use in modifying the national section 304(a) criteria, and is available
on EPA's Web site at http://www.epa.gov/waterscience/criteria/humanhealth/method/index.html. Both documents rely on a framework for
selecting the appropriate procedure for deriving BAFs that is based on
chemical properties, biological activity and scientific information.
The Site-Specific BAF TSD presents methods for States, Tribes and other
interested parties to calculate BAFs that are specific to their site.
The goal in deriving site-specific BAFs is to determine the most
accurate estimates of bioaccumulation feasible for each site.
Dated: September 21, 2009.
Michael H. Shapiro,
Acting Assistant Administrator, Office of Water.
[FR Doc. E9-23631 Filed 9-29-09; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6560-50-P