§ 125.63 - Establishment of a monitoring program.

§ 125.63 Establishment of a monitoring program.

(a) General requirements.

(1) The applicant must:

(i) Have a monitoring program that is:

(A) Designed to provide data to evaluate the impact of the modified discharge on the marine biota, demonstrate compliance with applicable water quality standards or water quality criteria, as applicable, and measure toxic substances in the discharge, and

(B) Limited to include only those scientific investigations necessary to study the effects of the proposed discharge;

(ii) Describe the sampling techniques, schedules and locations (including appropriate control sites), analytical techniques, quality control and verification procedures to be used in the monitoring program;

(iii) Demonstrate that it has the resources necessary to implement the program upon issuance of the modified permit and to carry it out for the life of the modified permit; and

(iv) Determine the frequency and extent of the monitoring program taking into consideration the applicant's rate of discharge, quantities of toxic pollutants discharged, and potentially significant impacts on receiving water quality, marine biota, and designated water uses.

(2) The Administrator may require revision of the proposed monitoring program before issuing a modified permit and during the term of any modified permit.

(b) Biological monitoring program. The biological monitoring program for both small and large applicants shall provide data adequate to evaluate the impact of the modified discharge on the marine biota.

(1) Biological monitoring shall include to the extent practicable:

(i) Periodic surveys of the biological communities and populations which are most likely affected by the discharge to enable comparisons with baseline conditions described in the application and verified by sampling at the control stations/reference sites during the periodic surveys;

(ii) Periodic determinations of the accumulation of toxic pollutants and pesticides in organisms and examination of adverse effects, such as disease, growth abnormalities, physiological stress, or death;

(iii) Sampling of sediments in areas of solids deposition in the vicinity of the ZID, in other areas of expected impact, and at appropriate reference sites to support the water quality and biological surveys and to measure the accumulation of toxic pollutants and pesticides; and

(iv) Where the discharge would affect commercial or recreational fisheries, periodic assessments of the conditions and productivity of fisheries.

(2) Small applicants are not subject to the requirements of paragraph (b)(1) (ii) through (iv) of this section if they discharge at depths greater than 10 meters and can demonstrate through a suspended solids deposition analysis that there will be negligible seabed accumulation in the vicinity of the modified discharge.

(3) For applicants seeking a section 301(h) modified permit based on:

(i) A current discharge, biological monitoring shall be designed to demonstrate ongoing compliance with the requirements of § 125.62(c);

(ii) An improved discharge or altered discharge other than outfall relocation, biological monitoring shall provide baseline data on the current impact of the discharge and data which demonstrate, upon completion of improvements or alterations, that the requirements of § 125.62(c) are met; or

(iii) An improved or altered discharge involving outfall relocation, the biological monitoring shall:

(A) Include the current discharge site until such discharge ceases; and

(B) Provide baseline data at the relocation site to demonstrate the impact of the discharge and to provide the basis for demonstrating that requirements of § 125.62(c) will be met.

(c) Water quality monitoring program. The water quality monitoring program shall to the extent practicable:

(1) Provide adequate data for evaluating compliance with water quality standards or water quality criteria, as applicable under § 125.62(a)(1);

(2) Measure the presence of toxic pollutants which have been identified or reasonably may be expected to be present in the discharge.

(d) Effluent monitoring program.

(1) In addition to the requirements of 40 CFR part 122, to the extent practicable, monitoring of the POTW effluent shall provide quantitative and qualitative data which measure toxic substances and pesticides in the effluent and the effectiveness of the toxic control program.

(2) The permit shall require the collection of data on a frequency specified in the permit to provide adequate data for evaluating compliance with the percent removal efficiency requirements under § 125.60.