[Federal Register Volume 64, Number 60 (Tuesday, March 30, 1999)]
[Notices]
[Pages 15158-15159]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 99-7772]
[[Page 15158]]
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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
[FRL-6317-4]
Effluent Guidelines Plan Update and Notice of Public Meeting
AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
ACTION: Notice.
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SUMMARY: EPA announces several recent developments in the effluent
guidelines program. The Agency is developing a proposed rule for the
Construction and Development industry and announces a public meeting to
discuss the project. EPA also initiated a preliminary study of the
Aquaculture industry. Finally, EPA announces a revised deadline for the
Iron and Steel Manufacturing rule.
DATES: The public meeting for the Construction and Development
rulemaking will be held on April 20, 1999, from 9:00 a.m. to 12:00
noon.
ADDRESSES: The meeting will take place at the Voice of America
Auditorium, Wilbur J. Cohen Federal Building, 300 block of C Street, SW
(between 3rd and 4th Streets), Washington, DC. See SUPPLEMENTARY
INFORMATION for details on parking and transit. Written inquiries may
be sent to: Engineering and Analysis Division (4303), Environmental
Protection Agency, 401 M Street, SW, Washington, DC 20460.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For the Construction and Development
rulemaking, contact Eric Strassler, telephone 202-260-7150, E-mail:
strassler.eric@epa.gov. For the Aquaculture preliminary study, contact
Michael Clipper, telephone 202-260-1278, E-mail: clipper.mike@epa.gov.
For the Iron and Steel rulemaking, contact George Jett, telephone 202-
260-7151, E-mail: jett.george@epa.gov. Fact sheets on these projects
are available on EPA's website at http://www.epa.gov/OST/guide.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: EPA published its 1998 Effluent Guidelines
Plan on September 4, 1998 (63 FR 47285). The Plan described the
Effluent Guidelines Program and listed regulations that the Agency was
developing or intended to develop. As mentioned in the Plan, several of
these regulation projects are required by a Consent Decree in Natural
Resources Defense Council et al v. Browner (D.D.C. 89-2980, January 31,
1992, as modified). Table 1 in the Plan listed deadlines for the rules,
with a footnote explaining that EPA was discussing extensions to some
deadlines with the plaintiffs. See 63 FR 47286.
By court order dated November 18, 1998, the deadlines set forth in
the Consent Decree for the Iron and Steel rule have been extended, to
the dates noted below. The Agency has begun work on a new rulemaking
project for the Construction and Development industry. The affected
projects are listed in the following table.
Modifications to Effluent Guidelines Deadlines
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Final
Category Proposal action
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Iron and Steel Manufacturing.................. 10/00 4/02
Construction and Development.................. *12/00 *2/02
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*EPA intends to pursue extensions to these deadlines.
Construction and Development Rule
EPA's new rulemaking project for the Construction and Development
industry follows the Agency's publication of a Preliminary Data Summary
on Urban Storm Water Best Management Practices. (Publication number
pending. The report will be available on the EPA website at http://
www.epa.gov/OST/stormwater). The regulations would apply to storm water
discharges associated with construction activities, specifically for
new development, as well as to those associated with re-development
activities. The regulations would address storm water runoff from
construction sites during the active phase of construction, as well as
design considerations to minimize the adverse effects of post-
construction runoff. Entities potentially affected by this rulemaking
would include land developers, home builders, builders of commercial
and industrial property, and other private and public sector
construction site owners and operators.
EPA chose to begin development of effluent guidelines for the
construction and development industry to support applicable state and
local requirements for erosion and sediment controls and storm water
best management practices (BMPs). State and local requirements vary
widely, as does the performance of BMPs used. Sediment loadings from
construction site discharges can be orders of magnitude higher than
those associated with discharges from undisturbed areas. In addition,
construction site runoff can contribute high loadings of nutrients and
metals to receiving streams. Besides contributing pollutants, the
increased runoff volumes and flow rates following development can cause
significant degradation of receiving stream quality. Adverse impacts
include: stream bed scouring and habitat degradation; shoreline erosion
and stream bank widening; loss of fish populations and loss of
sensitive aquatic species; increased frequency of downstream flooding;
and aesthetic degradation.
EPA intends to evaluate the inclusion of design and maintenance
criteria as minimum requirements for a variety of BMPs which are used
at construction sites to prevent or mitigate the impacts of storm water
discharges on surface water quality. Current requirements for
construction site BMPs vary around the United States, ranging from
local erosion and sediment control programs with detailed site plan
requirements and BMP specifications, to communities with few or no
requirements.
EPA also intends to develop effectiveness and applicability
criteria for BMPs that are used to manage post-construction discharges.
By incorporating more water-quality sensitive site design aspects
during the planning phase of projects, the adverse impacts of post-
construction discharges can be minimized substantially.
BMPs used during construction and development activities include
temporary control measures, permanent control measures and low-impact
land-use practices. Temporary control measures include sediment
trapping devices (such as silt fences, vegetated filter strips and
sediment basins) and erosion control devices (such as mulching,
temporary re-vegetation, and application of erosion control mats and
blankets). These measures are used primarily to prevent loss of soil
during the active phase of construction. Permanent measures remain in
place to manage runoff after completion of construction activities, and
may include structural BMPs, such as extended detention wet ponds,
constructed wetland systems, and sand filters. Low-impact development
practices can be incorporated into a site design during the planning
phase of the project, and may include restrictions on the amounts of
impervious surfaces created, preservation of stream buffers and
sensitive areas (such as natural wetlands and riparian corridors),
restrictions on the disturbance of soil and vegetation, and maintenance
of the natural infiltrative capacity of an area.
EPA intends to consider the merits and performance of all
appropriate management measures that can be used to reduce the adverse
impacts of storm water discharges from construction and development
activities. The Agency does not envision requirements for use of
particular BMPs at specific sites, but plans to assist builders in BMP
selection by publishing data on the performance
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to be expected of various BMP types. EPA hopes to build on the
successes of some of the effective state and local programs currently
in place around the country, and to establish nation-wide criteria to
encourage improved BMP selection, design, implementation and
maintenance. The effluent guidelines would also enhance the ``menu'' of
municipal BMPs (associated with the proposed construction, as well as
development and redevelopment ``minimum measures'') scheduled for
release by the Agency under the NPDES ``Phase II'' storm water rule in
2000.
Aquaculture Preliminary Study
EPA conducts preliminary studies to evaluate existing information
on wastewater discharges from industrial categories. The Agency has
begun a study of Aquaculture, also known as fish farming, in response
to comments received during the preparation of the 1998 Effluent
Guidelines Plan.
EPA will summarize available information on aquaculture wastewater
characterization; waste collection, storage, and treatment systems; and
management practices. The Agency will include information on industry
demographics, trends and economics. EPA will also examine environmental
impacts that are associated with wastewater from aquaculture operations
and existing case studies of the costs and benefits of controls to
mitigate these impacts. This information may be used to inform future
decisions on the need to regulate wastewater discharges from this
industry.
Stakeholder Involvement in Effluent Guidelines Projects
EPA relies extensively on the participation of stakeholders as it
develops effluent guidelines. The Agency will be identifying its
information needs for the Construction and Development rule and the
Aquaculture study, and will initiate a data sharing process that will
actively involve interested participants from industry, citizen groups,
state and local governments, other Federal agencies and researchers.
EPA will conduct a public meeting on the Construction and
Development rulemaking project on April 20, 1999, from 9:00 a.m. to
12:00 noon, at the Voice of America Auditorium, Wilbur J. Cohen Federal
Building, 300 block of C Street, SW (between 3rd and 4th Streets),
Washington, DC. The closest Metro subway station is Federal Center, SW
(2 blocks from the Auditorium). Limited public parking is available.
Public garages are located at 301 4th St., SW; Virginia Ave. between
3rd and 4th St., SW; and 6th St. at C St., S.W. Agency staff will
provide background on the effluent guidelines development process and
identify data needs. EPA will answer questions and all stakeholders can
participate in an informal discussion as time allows. This meeting is
not a public hearing and the Agency will not be accepting formal
testimony.
EPA welcomes suggestions on the development of effluent guidelines
and preliminary studies. Internet web pages will be provided to explain
the projects and distribute technical documents for review and comment.
These web pages will be available through the Effluent Guidelines home
page at http://www.epa.gov/OST/guide.
Dated: March 23, 1999.
Tudor T. Davies,
Director, Office of Science and Technology.
[FR Doc. 99-7772 Filed 3-29-99; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6560-50-P
