96-17551. A Public Meeting on Method Flexibility and Streamlining Approval of Analytical Methods at 40 CFR Part 136

[Federal Register Volume 61, Number 133 (Wednesday, July 10, 1996)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 36328-36329]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 96-17551]


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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
40 CFR Part 136

[FRL-5535-4]


A Public Meeting on Method Flexibility and Streamlining Approval 
of Analytical Methods at 40 CFR Part 136

AGENCY: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

ACTION: Notice of meeting.

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SUMMARY: The Office of Science and Technology within EPA's Office of 
Water is conducting a public meeting on approaches to method 
flexibility and streamlining the proposal and promulgation of 
analytical methods at 40 CFR Part 136 under Section 304(h) of the Clean 
Water Act and at 40 CFR Part 141 under Sections 1401 and 1445 of the 
Safe Drinking Water Act. This public meeting on streamlining EPA's 
water methods approval programs will be held in conjunction with the 
Trace Metals Workshop announced concurrently in the Federal Register.
    This public meeting follows a series of three public meetings on 
streamlining held in Seattle, Washington on September 28, 1995, in 
Boston, Massachusetts on January 25, 1996, and in Chicago, Illinois on 
February 14, 1996. The Seattle meeting was announced in an FR notice 
titled, ``A Public Meeting and Availability of Documents on 
Streamlining Approval of Analytical Methods at 40 CFR Part 136 and 
flexibility in Existing Test Methods'' [FRL-5294-6] published in the 
Federal Register on September 12, 1995 at 60 FR 47325. This FR notice 
provided extensive supplementary information regarding the 304(h) 
streamlining effort and made available several supporting documents. 
The supporting documents and summaries of the Seattle, Boston, and 
Chicago public meetings can be obtained through the contact identified 
in this notice.

DATES: EPA will conduct the public meeting on 304(h) streamlining on 
Wednesday, July 24, 1996, in Denver, Colorado. Registration for the 
meeting will begin at 8 a.m. The meeting will be held from 9 a.m. to 5 
p.m.

ADDRESSES: The meeting will be held in the USGS Lecture Hall, Building 
25, Denver Federal Center, 6th & Kipling, Denver, Colorado.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Questions concerning this notice can 
be directed to Marion Thompson by phone at [phone] or by 
facsimile at [phone].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Meeting arrangements are being coordinated 
by DynCorp, Inc. For information on registration, contact Cindy 
Simbanin, 300 N. Lee Street, Suite 500, Alexandria, VA 22314. Phone: 
[phone]. Facsimile number: [phone]. Space is limited and 
reservations are being taken on a first come, first served basis. No 
fees will be charged to attend.
    Hotel reservations may be made by contacting the Comfort Suites in 
Lakewood, Colorado at [phone]. The hotel address is 11909 W. 6th 
Avenue, Lakewood, Colorado 80033. Single occupancy guest rates are 
$83.55, including tax. When making reservations, you must specify that 
you are affiliated with the EPA Meeting to qualify for the quoted rate.
    Accommodations are limited, so please make your reservations early. 
The Comfort Suites does not provide transportation to/from the airport 
or to the Federal Center. Guests should take the Airport shuttle to/
from the airport and use taxi service to the Federal Center. The 
Federal Center is within walking distance of the Comfort Suites, but it 
is not an easy walk due to the location of the main gate into the 
Federal Center.
    Title: A Public Meeting on Method Flexibility and Streamlining 
Approval of Analytical Methods at 40 CFR Part 136

Abstract

    Under Section 304(h) of the Clean Water Act, EPA is responsible for 
promulgating analytical methods at 40 CFR Part 136 for use in 
monitoring pollutant discharges. EPA uses these methods to support 
development of effluent guidelines promulgated at 40 CFR Parts 400-499, 
and both EPA and the regulated community use the methods for 
establishing compliance with National Pollutant Discharge Elimination 
System (NPDES) permits and other monitoring purposes. The methods 
approved for use at 40 CFR Part 136 have been developed by EPA, by 
industrial associations such as the American Society for Testing 
Materials, and by other governmental agencies such as the U.S. 
Geological Survey. In the past, the methods proposal and promulgation 
process has been cumbersome, and has not provided the flexibility to 
take advantage of new analytical technologies in a timely manner. In 
response to the Administration's Environmental Technology Initiative, 
EPA is proposing a comprehensive Section 304(h) streamlining initiative 
to increase method flexibility to allow use of emerging technologies 
and to expedite the method approval process, to encourage development 
of new methods and technologies by organizations outside of EPA.
    The Office of Ground Water and Drinking Water within EPA's Office 
of Water is also developing approaches to increasing method flexibility 
and streamlining the approval of analytical methods at 40 CFR Part 141 
under Sections 1401 and 1445 of the Safe Drinking Water Act. EPA is 
coordinating these efforts with the CWA Section 304(h) streamlining 
effort in an overall initiative to streamline its water methods 
approval programs.
    EPA has held three public meetings to outline plans for method 
flexibility and for streamlining proposal and promulgation of new 
methods, and to elicit stakeholder views regarding these plans. EPA had 
compiled and evaluated stakeholder input received at the public 
meetings and has revised its approach to streamlining accordingly.

Agenda Topics

    The purpose of the public meetings on 304(h) streamlining is to 
outline plans for method flexibility and for streamlining proposal and 
promulgation of new methods at 40 CFR Part 136 under Section 304(h) of 
the Clean Water Act, and to elicit stakeholder views regarding these 
plans. The following topics will be addressed at the public meetings:
     Increasing method flexibility to allow use of new 
technologies and to identify modifications that are acceptable within 
the scope of existing methods and do not require proposal of an 
alternate method

--Interpretation of flexibility in existing 40 CFR Part 136 methods
--Advantages and disadvantages of method flexibility (no flexibility, 
limited flexibility, and unlimited flexibility)
--Proposal to allow nearly unlimited ``front-end'' method modifications 
as long as the determinative technique is not changed and method 
performance is demonstrated to be equivalent

     Establishing standardized quality control (QC) and QC 
acceptance criteria to support determination of method equivalency
     Streamlining the method proposal process to take advantage 
of emerging analytical technologies in a timely manner

--Standardized format for preparing new methods

[[Page 36329]]

--Three-tiered method validation process based on method use
--OST coordination of method submission and approval
     Harmonization of 40 CFR Part 136 methods with other EPA 
methods to allow standardization of methods across EPA programs
     Other streamlining issues

--Standardized data elements for reporting, to allow access to Agency 
databases in a standardized data format
--Withdrawal of 40 CFR Part 136 methods that contain outdated 
technologies
--Incorporating new methods into the Federal Register by reference and 
making them available through other suitable venues, to reduce 
publication expense

    Dated: July 3, 1996.
James Hanlon,
Deputy Director, Office of Science and Technology.
[FR Doc. 96-17551 Filed 7-9-96; 8:45 am]
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