97-2575. Clean Water Act Section 303(d) Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) Program; Draft TMDL Program Implementation Strategy

[Federal Register Volume 62, Number 24 (Wednesday, February 5, 1997)]
[Notices]
[Pages 5392-5393]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 97-2575]


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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
[FRL-5683-2]


Clean Water Act Section 303(d) Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) 
Program; Draft TMDL Program Implementation Strategy

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency.

ACTION: Notice of availability.

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SUMMARY: EPA's Assistant Administrator for Water hereby makes available 
for public comment a Draft TMDL Program Implementation Strategy. The 
TMDL program addresses waters that do not meet State water quality 
standards even after pollution sources have implemented required 
pollution controls. CWA section 303(d) requires States to identify 
these waters and develop TMDLs for them, with oversight from the 
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). A TMDL allocates pollutant 
loadings among pollution sources in a watershed, and is a basis for 
taking the actions needed to restore a waterbody.
    The Draft TMDL Program Implementation Strategy explains EPA's 
vision, priorities and the steps the Agency will take to help States 
meet TMDL program requirements. The Strategy identifies issues for 
which EPA may develop guidance and/ or make regulatory changes. The 
Strategy also describes activities that are currently underway, have 
been recently initiated, or for which EPA will direct a greater portion 
of its available program resources.
    EPA will use this Draft Strategy to explain the Agency's current 
plans to fully implement the TMDL program and to facilitate broad-based 
public discussion on how the TMDL program can be improved. EPA has 
provided the Draft Strategy as background information to the recently 
formed TMDL Federal Advisory Committee Act (FACA) Committee. The 
Committee will develop recommendations concerning needed changes to 
this Draft Strategy as well as all TMDL related policies, guidance 
regulations, and priorities.

DATES: EPA is accepting comments on the Draft TMDL Program 
Implementation Strategy for 90 days following the date of publication 
of this notice.


[[Page 5393]]


ADDRESSES: Please direct comments on, and requests for, the Draft TMDL 
Program Implementation Strategy to the following: Environmental 
Protection Agency, Assessment and Watershed Protection Division, Office 
of Water (4503F), 401 M Street, SW, Washington, DC 20460.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Theresa G. Tuano, Assessment and 
Watershed Protection Division, Watershed Branch, at the address given 
above; telephone [phone]. The Draft TMDL Program Implementation 
Strategy is also available on the EPA Office of Water Home Page on the 
Internet at the following address: http://www.epa.gov/owowwtr1/tmdl/
index.html. Please refer to the Home Page for instructions on 
submitting electronic comments.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

    Authority: Clean Water Act, 33 U.S.C. 1251 et seq.
Robert Perciasepe,
Assistant Administrator for Water.
[FR Doc. 97-2575 Filed 2-4-97; 8:45 am]
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