97-16653. Announcement of stakeholders Meeting on Technologies for Small Drinking Water Systems  

  • [Federal Register Volume 62, Number 122 (Wednesday, June 25, 1997)]
    [Notices]
    [Pages 34260-34261]
    From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
    [FR Doc No: 97-16653]
    
    
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    ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
    
    [FRL-5847-4]
    
    
    Announcement of stakeholders Meeting on Technologies for Small 
    Drinking Water Systems
    
    AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency.
    
    ACTION: Notice of Stakeholders meeting.
    
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    SUMMARY: The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has scheduled a 
    two-day public meeting on EPA's development of the List of Compliance 
    Technologies for Small Drinking Water Systems. The purpose of this 
    meeting is to have a dialogue with stakeholders and the public at large 
    on the process of determining Compliance Technologies for Small 
    Drinking Water Systems. The Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA) Amendments 
    of 1996 (1412(b)(4)(E)(v)) required EPA to publish within 1 year a list 
    of technologies for small systems that meet the Surface Water Treatment 
    Rule (SWTR). The SDWA Amendments of 1996 (11412(b)(4)(E)(ii)) also 
    required EPA to identify technologies that are affordable and which can 
    achieve compliance for categories of systems serving fewer than 10,000 
    when EPA promulgates new national primary drinking water regulations. 
    At the upcoming meeting, EPA is seeking input from national, State, 
    Tribal, municipal, and individual stakeholders and other interested 
    parties on the list of technologies for the SWTR and on the process of 
    developing national level affordability criteria. EPA encourages the 
    full participation of stakeholders throughout this process.
    
    DATES: The stakeholders meeting on Technologies for Small Drinking 
    Water Systems will be held on July 22-23, 1997. The meeting will run 
    from 8:30 a.m to 5:00 p.m. EDT on Tuesday, July 22, and from 8:30 a.m. 
    to 1:00 p.m. EDT on Wednesday, July 23.
    
    ADDRESSES: The meeting will be held at RESOLVE, 1255 23rd Street, N.W., 
    Washington, D.C. 20037. For additional information, please contact the 
    Safe Drinking Water Hotline, at phone: (800) 426-4791, fax: (703) 285-
    1101, or by e-mail at hotline-sdwa@epamail.epa.gov>. Members of the 
    public wishing to attend the meeting may register by phone by 
    contacting the Safe Drinking Water Hotline by July 8, 1997. Those 
    registered for the meeting by July 8 will receive background materials 
    prior to the meeting. Members of the public who cannot attend the 
    meeting in person may participate via conference call and should 
    register with the Safe Drinking Water Hotline by July 8 as well. 
    Members of the public who cannot participate via conference call or in 
    person may submit comments in writing by August 12, 1997 to Tara 
    Cameron, at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 401 M St, SW 
    (4607), Washington, DC, 20460.
    
    FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For general information about the 
    meeting logistics, please contact the Safe Drinking Water Hotline, at 
    phone: (800) 426-4791, fax: (703) 285-1101, or by e-mail at: sdwa@epamail.epa.gov>. For other information on Technologies for Small 
    Drinking Water Systems please contact Tara Cameron, at the U.S. 
    Environmental Protection Agency, Phone: (202) 260-3702, Fax: (202) 260-
    3762.
    
    SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
    
    A. Background
    
        The SDWA, as amended in 1996, states that: Not later than 1 year 
    after the date of enactment of the Safe Drinking Water Act Amendments 
    of 1996, the Administrator shall publish a Compliance Technology List 
    for the SWTR for Small Systems. The new Amendments specifically direct 
    EPA to focus on three small system population size categories: systems 
    serving 10,000-3,301; 3,300-501; and 500-25. For each size category, 
    EPA shall list treatment
    
    [[Page 34261]]
    
    technologies that can achieve compliance with the existing regulations. 
    For future regulations, EPA must determine affordable treatment 
    technologies that can achieve compliance for each of the size 
    categories. Within 2 years of the SDWA Amendments of 1996, EPA must 
    list technologies that achieve compliance with all existing 
    regulations. The List of Compliance Technologies for Small Drinking 
    Water Systems to meet the present SWTR is required to be published by 
    August 1997.
    
    B. Request for Stakeholder Involvement
    
        The upcoming meeting deals specifically with EPA's efforts to 
    compile the initial list of compliance technologies for the SWTR. EPA 
    would like to review the initial list of compliance technologies with 
    stakeholders as well as obtain their inputs on additional technologies 
    that should be considered when EPA updates this list in a year.
        The meeting will be divided into two parts. The first part involves 
    getting feedback from stakeholders on the EPA proposed list of 
    Compliance Technologies for the SWTR which will be distributed in the 
    background materials to those registered for the meeting. The second 
    part involves getting ideas and insights from stakeholders on 
    approaches to the national level affordability criteria that will be 
    used to determine which pathway (compliance technology or a variance) a 
    system will proceed along and which technologies would be available for 
    the system. The issues on affordability criteria do not apply to the 
    first list of technologies for the SWTR; however, they will apply to 
    future rules and EPA therefore wants to begin to get input on these 
    issues.
        The specific issues for discussion at the meeting will be based on 
    the above-mentioned material and will include (but may not be limited 
    to) the following:
        1. The compliance technologies for the filtration component of the 
    SWTR will include some technologies that would fall under the ``other 
    filtration technologies'' as per Sec. 141.73(d). The pilot testing for 
    viability would be waived for those technologies on the compliance 
    technology list. These technologies would be treated like the 
    filtration technologies in Sec. 141.73(a)-(c). Testing to ensure that 
    the system is capable of operating the treatment technology may still 
    be required for these other filtration technologies and the 
    technologies directly identified in the SWTR. What are the 
    stakeholder's opinions about this approach for the other filtration 
    technologies?
        2. Are there Point-Of-Entry units available that could be used to 
    meet the requirements of the Surface Water Treatment Rule? Is it a 
    manageable option?
        3. The primary role of the national-level affordability criteria is 
    to direct a system either into a compliance technology pathway or a 
    variance technology pathway. If the national-level affordability 
    criteria are set very high, then the variance technology pathway will 
    be limited or eliminated and systems will need to install compliance 
    technologies. If the national-level affordability are set very low, the 
    compliance technology pathway will be limited or eliminated and more 
    systems will operate under small system variances. What components 
    should be included in the national-level affordability criteria? What 
    is the best measure of national-level affordability?
        4. The initial list of compliance technologies will be similar to 
    the list of disinfection and filtration technologies in the SWTR. What 
    level of detail would stakeholders like to see on the compliance 
    technologies when the list is updated in August, 1998? Is the 
    compliance technology list the best mechanism to incorporate 
    applicability ranges?
        5. Do stakeholders recommend any specific criteria for 
    distinguishing treatment applications, in relation to the 3 small 
    system categories specified under SDWA? Would design, operational and 
    management capability, chemical reactivity and/or a hazard posed by 
    some technologies (e.g., chlorine dioxide, chlorine gas) be good 
    parameters to consider within the <10,000 population="" pws="" categories?="" the="" public="" is="" invited="" to="" provide="" comments="" on="" the="" issues="" listed="" above="" and="" other="" issues="" related="" to="" the="" list="" of="" compliance="" technologies="" for="" small="" drinking="" water="" systems="" and="" the="" affordable="" criteria="" during="" the="" july="" 22-23,="" 1997="" meeting="" or="" in="" writing="" by="" august="" 12,="" 1997.="" dated:="" june="" 19,="" 1997.="" cynthia="" dougherty,="" director,="" office="" of="" ground="" water="" and="" drinking="" water,="" environmental="" protection="" agency.="" [fr="" doc.="" 97-16653="" filed="" 6-24-97;="" 8:45="" am]="" billing="" code="" 6560-50-p="">

Document Information

Published:
06/25/1997
Department:
Environmental Protection Agency
Entry Type:
Notice
Action:
Notice of Stakeholders meeting.
Document Number:
97-16653
Dates:
The stakeholders meeting on Technologies for Small Drinking Water Systems will be held on July 22-23, 1997. The meeting will run from 8:30 a.m to 5:00 p.m. EDT on Tuesday, July 22, and from 8:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. EDT on Wednesday, July 23.
Pages:
34260-34261 (2 pages)
Docket Numbers:
FRL-5847-4
PDF File:
97-16653.pdf