01-114. Clean Water Act Section 303(d): Availability of Total Maximum Daily Loads (TMDLs)

AGENCY:

Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

ACTION:

Notice of availability.

SUMMARY:

This notice announces the availability for comment of the administrative record file for 88 TMDLs prepared by EPA Region 6 for waters listed in Louisiana's Mermentau and Vermilion/Teche river basins, under section 303(d) of the Clean Water Act (CWA). EPA prepared these TMDLs in response to a Court Order dated October 1, 1999, in the lawsuit Sierra Club, et al. v. Clifford et al., No. 96-0527, (E.D. La.). Under this court order, EPA is required to prepare TMDLs when needed for waters on the Louisiana 1998 section 303(d) list by December 31, 2007.

DATES:

Comments on the 88 TMDLs must be submitted in writing to EPA on or before February 2, 2001.

ADDRESSES:

Comments on the 88 TMDLs should be sent to Ellen Caldwell, Environmental Protection Specialist, Water Quality Protection Division, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Region 6, 1445 Ross Ave., Dallas, TX 75202-2733. For further information, contact Ellen Caldwell at [phone]. The administrative record file for these TMDLs is available for public inspection at this address as well. Copies of the TMDLs and their respective calculations may be viewed at www.epa.gov/​region6/​water/​tmdl.htm,, or obtained by calling or writing Ms. Caldwell at the above address. Please contact Ms. Caldwell to schedule an inspection.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Ellen Caldwell at [phone].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

In 1996, two Louisiana environmental groups, the Sierra Club and Louisiana Environmental Action Network (plaintiffs), filed a lawsuit in Federal Court against the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), styled Sierra Club, et al. v. Clifford et al., No. 96-0527, (E.D. La.). Among other claims, plaintiffs alleged that EPA failed to establish Louisiana TMDLs in a timely manner. Discussion of the court's order may be found at 65 FR 54032 (September 6, 2000).

EPA Seeks Comments on 88 TMDLs

By this notice EPA is seeking comment on the following 88 TMDLs for waters located within the Mermentau and Vermilion/Teche basins:

Subsegment	Waterbody name	Pollutant
060205	Bayou Teche—Headwaters At Bayou Courtableau to I-10	Salinity/TDS.
060211	West Atchafalaya Borrow Pit Canal	Salinity/TDS.
060301	Bayou Teche—I-10 to Keystone Locks and Dam	Salinity/TDS. Chlorides.
050201	Bayou Plaquemine Brule—Head-Waters to Bayou Descannes	Ammonia.
050401	Mermentau River—Origin to Lake Arthur	Ammonia.
060102	Cocodrie Lake	Noxious Aquatic.
		Plants & Ammonia.
		Chlorides.
		Sulfate.
060204	Bayou Courtableau—Origin to West Atchafalaya Borrow Pit Canal	Ammonia. Salinity/TDS.
060203	Chicot Lake	Noxious Aquatic.
		Plants & Nutrients.
050101	Bayou Des Cannes—Headwaters to Mermentau River	Nutrients.
050301	Bayou Nezpique—Headwaters to Mermentau River	Nutrients.
060202	Bayou Cocodrie	Nutrients.
060208	Bayou Boeuf—Headwaters To Bayou Courtableau	Nutrients.
060211	West Atchafalaya Borrow Pit Canal	Sulfates.
060301	Bayou Teche—I-10 to Keystone Locks and Dam	Sulfates.
050101	Bayou Des Cannes—Headwaters to Mermentau River	Total Suspended Solids (TSS).
050102	Bayou Joe Marcel	TSS.
050103	Bayou Mallet	TSS.
050201	Bayou Plaquemine Brule—Headwaters To Bayou Des Cannes	Siltation. TSS.
050301	Bayou Nezpique—Headwaters to Mermentau River	Siltation. TSS.
050302	Mermentau River Basin	Siltation. TSS.
050401	Mermentau River—Origin to Lake Arthur	TSS.
050402	Lake Arthur and Lower Mermentau	TSS.
050501	Bayou Que de Tortue—Headwaters To Mermentau River	TSS. Siltation.
050602	Intracoastal Waterway	TSS.
050701	Grand Lake	TSS.
050702	Intracoastal Waterway	TSS.
050703	White Lake	Siltation.
		TSS.
050901	Bays and Gulf Waters to State 3-mile Limit	Siltation. TSS.
060101	Spring Creek—Headwaters to Cocodrie Lake (Scenic)	TSS.
060102	Cocodrie Lake	Siltation.
060201	Bayou Cocodrie—From U.S. Hwy 167 To the Bayou Boeuf Cocodrie Canal	TSS.
060202	Bayou Cocodrie	TSS.
		Siltation.
060203	Chicot Lake	TSS.
060204	Bayou Courtableau—Origin to West Atchafalaya Borrow Pit Canal	TSS.
060205	Bayou Teche—Headwaters at Bayou Courtableau to I-10	TSS.
060207	Bayou des Glaises Diversion Canal	TSS.
060208	Bayou Boeuf—Headwaters to Bayou Courtableau	TSS.
060210	Bayou Carron	TSS.
060211	West Atchafalaya Borrow Pit Canal	TSS.
060212	Chatlin Lake Canal and Bayou Dulac	TSS.
		Siltation.
060301	Bayou Teche—I-10 to Keystone Locks and Dam	Turbidity. TSS.
060401	Bayou Teche—Keystone Locks and Dam to Charenton Canal	TSS.
060501	Bayou Teche—Charenton Canal to Wax Lake Outlet	TSS.
060601	Charenton Canal	TSS.
060701	Tete Bayou	TSS.
060702	Lake Fausse Point and Dauterive Lake	TSS.
		Siltation.
060703	Bayou du Portage	TSS.
060906	Intracoastal Waterway	TSS.
060907	Franklin Canal	TSS.
		Turbidity.
060801	Vermilion River—Headwaters at Bayou Fusilier-Bourbeaux Junction to New Flanders (Ambassador Caffery Bridge At Hwy 3073)	TSS.
060802	Vermilion River—From New Flanders (Ambassador Caffery Bridge at Hwy 3073 to Intracoastal Waterway)	TSS.
060803	Vermilion River Cutoff	TSS.
060804	Intracoastal Waterway	TSS.
060901	Bayou Petite Anse	TSS.
060902	Bayou Carlin (Delcambre Canal)— Lake Peigneur to Bayou Petite Anse (Estuarine)	TSS.
060903	Bayou Tigre	TSS
060904	Vermilion River B890 Basin New Iberia Drainage Canal	TSS.
060905	New Iberia Southern Drainage Canal	TSS.
		Turbidity.
060909	Lake Peigneur	Siltation.
		TSS.
060910	Boston Canal and Associated Canals (Estuarine)	Siltation. TSS.
		Turbidity.
060911	Vermilion-Teche River Basin	TSS.
061101	Bayou Petite Anse	Siltation.
		TSS.
		Turbidity.
061102	Intracoastal Waterway	TSS.
061103	Freshwater Bayou Canal	TSS.
		Turbidity.

EPA requests that the public provide to EPA any water quality related data and information that may be relevant to the calculations for these TMDLs, or any other comments relevant to these TMDLs. EPA will review all data and information submitted during the public comment period and revise the TMDLs where appropriate. EPA will then forward the TMDLs to the Court and the Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality (LDEQ). LDEQ will incorporate the TMDLs into its current water quality management plan.

Dated: December 21, 2000.

Sam Becker,

Acting Director, Water Quality Protection Division, Region 6.