E6-11529. Clean Water Act Section 303(d): Availability of Total Maximum Daily Loads (TMDL)

AGENCY:

Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

ACTION:

Notice of availability.

SUMMARY:

This notice announces the availability for comment of the administrative record files for 85 TMDLs and the calculations for these TMDLs prepared by EPA Region 6 for waters listed in the Red River, Sabine River, and Terrebonne Basins of Louisiana, under section 303(d) of the Clean Water Act (CWA). These TMDLs were completed in response to a court order in the lawsuit styled Sierra Club, et al. v. Clifford, et al., No. 96-0527, (E.D. La.).

DATES:

Comments must be submitted in writing to EPA on or before August 21, 2006.

ADDRESSES:

Comments on the 85 TMDLs should be sent to Diane Smith, Environmental Protection Specialist, Water Quality Protection Division, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Region 6, 1445 Ross Ave., Dallas, TX 75202-2733 or e-mail: [e-mail]. For further information, contact Diane Smith at [phone] or fax [phone]. The administrative record files for the 85 TMDLs are available for public inspection at this address as well. Documents from the administrative record files may be viewed at http://www.epa.gov/​region6/​water/​tmdl.htm,, or obtained by calling or writing Ms. Smith at the above address. Please contact Ms. Smith to schedule an inspection.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Diane Smith 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 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. EPA proposes 63 of these TMDLs pursuant to a consent decree entered in this lawsuit.

EPA Seeks Comment on 85 TMDLs

By this notice EPA is seeking comment on the following 85 TMDLs for waters located within Louisiana basins:

Subsegment	Waterbody name	Pollutant
100306	Kelly Bayou—AR State Line to Black Bayou	Fecal Coliform.
100309	Cross Bayou	Turbidity, TDS, Chloride, Sulfate, and TSS.
100406	Flat River—Headwaters to Loggy Bayou	Fecal Coliform and TDS.
100602	Boggy Bayou	Turbidity and Sedimentation/siltation.
100603	Wallace Lake	Turbidity and Sedimentation/siltation.
100701	Black Lake Bayou	Turbidity, TDS, and Sedimentation/siltation.
100704	Kepler Creek	TDS.
100707	Castor Creek—Headwaters to Black Lake Bayou	Fecal Coliform.
100708	Unnamed Tributary to Castor Creek near Town of Castor	Sulfate and TDS.
100709	Grand Bayou—Headwaters to Black Lake Bayou	Fecal Coliform.
100710	Unnamed Tributary to Grand Bayou near Town of Hall Summit	TDS, Chloride, and Sulfate.
100801	Saline Bayou—from its origin near Arcadia to LA Hwy 156 in Winn Parish (scenic)	Fecal Coliform.
100804	Unnamed Tributary to Saline Bayou near Town of Arcadia	TDS and Sulfate.
100901	Nantaches Creek—Headwaters to Nantaches Lake	Fecal Coliform.
101101	Cane River—above Natchitoches to Red River	TDS and Chloride.
101103	Bayou Kisatchie—entrance and into Kisatchie National Forest to Old River (scenic)	Fecal Coliform and TDS.
101301	Rigolette Bayou—Headwaters to Red River	Fecal Coliform.
101303	Latt Creek—Headwaters to Latt Lake	TDS.
101401	Buhlow Lake (Pineville)	Turbidity.
101503	Old Saline Bayou—from Saline Lake to Red River	Turbidity.
101505	Larto Lake	Turbidity, TDS, and Sulfate.
101601	Bayou Cocodrie—from Little Cross Bayou to Wild Cow Bayou (scenic)	Turbidity.
101602	Cocodrie Lake	Turbidity.
110202	Pearl Creek—from its origin to its entrance into Sabine River (scenic)	Fecal Coliform.
110401	Bayou Toro—Headwaters to LA Hwy 473	Fecal Coliform.
110402	Bayou Toro—LA Hwy 473 to its entrance into Sabine River	Fecal Coliform.
110501	West Anacoco Creek—Headwaters to Vernon Lake	Fecal Coliform.
110504	Bayou Anacoco—Vernon Lake to Anacoco Lake	Fecal Coliform.
110601	Vinton Waterway	Turbidity.
120101	Bayou Portage	TDS, Chloride, Fecal Coliform, and TSS.
120102	Bayou Poydras	Sediment, Sulfate, TDS, TSS, and Fecal Coliform.
120104	Bayou Grosse Tete	Fecal Coliform and TDS.
120105	Chamberlin Canal	Fecal Coliform, TSS, and Sediment.
120106	Bayou Plaquemine	Turbidity.
120109	Intracoastal Waterway	Fecal Coliform.
120110	Bayou Cholpe	TDS and Sulfate.
120111	Bayou Maringouin—Headwaters to East Atchafalaya Basin Levee	Fecal Coliform and TDS.
120112	Bayou Fordoche	Fecal Coliform and TDS.
120201	Lower Grand River and Belle River	Fecal Coliform and Sulfate.
120206	Grand Bayou and Little Grand Bayou	Fecal Coliform.
120301	Bayou Terrebonne	Fecal Coliform.
120502	Bayou Grand Caillou	Fecal Coliform.
120503	Bayou Petit Caillou	Fecal Coliform.
120504	Bayou Petit Caillou	Fecal Coliform.
120506	Bayou du Large	Fecal Coliform.
120507	Bayou Chauvin	Fecal Coliform.
120508	Houma Navigation Canal	Fecal Coliform.
120602	Bayou Terrebonne	Fecal Coliform.
120605	Bayou Pointe au Chien	Fecal Coliform.
120606	Bayou Blue	Fecal Coliform.
120701	Bayou Grand Caillou	Fecal Coliform.
120703	Bayou du Large	Fecal Coliform.
120707	Lake Boudreaux	Fecal Coliform.
120708	Lost Lake, Four League Bay	Fecal Coliform.

EPA requests that the public provide to EPA any water quality related data and information that may be relevant to the calculations for the 85 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 Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality (LDEQ). The LDEQ will incorporate the TMDLs into its current water quality management plan.

Dated: July 13, 2006.

Miguel I. Flores,

Director, Water Quality Protection Division (6WQ).