01-8277. Clean Water Act Section 303(d): Final Agency Action on 19 Total Maximum Daily Loads (TMDLs) and Final Agency Action on 54 Determinations That TMDLs Are Not Needed

AGENCY:

Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

ACTION:

Notice of availability.

SUMMARY:

This notice announces the final agency action on 19 TMDLs prepared by EPA Region 6 for waters listed in Louisiana's Mermentau and Vermilion/Teche river basins, under section 303(d) of the Clean Water Act (CWA). This notice also announces the final agency action removing 54 waterbody/pollutant combinations from the Louisiana 303(d) list because TMDLs are not needed. EPA evaluated these waters and prepared the 19 TMDLs needed in response to a Court Order dated October 1, 1999, in the lawsuit Sierra Club, et al. v. Clifford et al., No. 96-0527, (E.D. La.). Under this court order, EPA is required to prepare TMDLs when needed for waters on the Louisiana 1998 section 303(d) list by December 31, 2007. Documents from the administrative record files for the 54 determinations that TMDLs are not needed and the final 19 TMDLs, TMDL calculations and responses to comments may be viewed at http://www.epa.gov/​region6/​water/​tmdl.htm. The administrative record files may be obtained by calling or writing Ms. Caldwell at the above address. Please contact Ms. Caldwell to schedule an inspection.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Ellen Caldwell 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 United States Environmental Protection Agency (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. Discussion of the court's order may be found at 65 FR 54032 (September 6, 2000).

EPA Takes Final Agency Action on 19 TMDLs

By this notice EPA is taking a final agency action on the following 19 TMDLs for waters located within the Mermentau and Vermilion/Teche basins:

Subsegment	Waterbody name	Pollutant
050201	Bayou Plaquemine Brule	Mercury.
050101	Bayou Des Canes	Mercury.
050702	Seventh Ward Canal (Intracoastal Waterway)	Mercury.
060203	Chicot Lake	Mercury.
050901	Coastal Waters of the Gulf of Mexico (Mermentau River Basin Coastal)	Mercury.
061201	Coastal Waters of the Gulf of Mexico (Vermilion-Teche RB-CB & G)	Mercury.
050101	Bayou Des Cannes	Fecal Coliform.
050201	Bayou Plaquemine Brule	Fecal Coliform.
050301	Bayou Nezpique	Fecal Coliform.
050501	Bayou Queue de Tortue	Turbidity.
060208	Bayou Boeuf	Fecal Coliform.
060301	Bayou Teche	Fecal Coliform.
060401	Bayou Teche	Fecal Coliform.
060801	Vermilion River	Fecal Coliform, Dissolved Oxygen, Nitrogen.
060802	Vermilion River	Fecal Coliform, Dissolved Oxygen, Nitrogen.

EPA requested the public to provide EPA with any significant data or information that may impact the 19 TMDLs in 65 FR 19762 (April 12, 2000). The comments received and EPA's response to comments may be found at http://www.epa.gov/​region6/​water/​tmdl.htm.

Final Agency Action Removing 54 Waterbody/Pollutant Combinations From the Louisiana 303(d) List Because TMDLs Are Not Necessary

Waterbody	Waterbody description	Suspected pollutant	Reason for delisting
050101	Bayou Des Cannes—Headwaters to Mermentau	Turbidity	Assessment of new data and information shows it Is meeting Water Quality Standards (WQS).
050102	Bayou Joe Marcel	Turbidity	Assessment of new data and information show it is meeting WQS.
050103	Bayou Mallet	Turbidity	Assessment of new data and information show it is meeting WQS.
050201	Bayou Plaquemine Brule Headwaters to Bayou Des Cannes	Chlorides, Sulfates	Assessment of new data and information show it is meeting WQS.
050301	Bayou Nezpique—Headwaters to Mermentau River	Turbidity	Assessment of new data and information show it is meeting WQS.
050401	Mermentau River—Origin To Lake Arthur	Turbidity	Assessment of new data and information show it is meeting WQS.
050402	Lake Arthur and Lower Mermentau	Turbidity	Assessment of new data and information shows it is meeting WQS.
050501	Bayou Que de Tortue—Headwaters to Mermentau River	Chlorides, Sulfates, Phosphorus	Assessment of new data and information shows it is it meeting WQS.
050602	Intracoastal Waterway	Turbidity	Assessment of new data and information shows it is meeting WQS.
050701	Grand Lake	Turbidity	Assessment of new data and information shows it is meeting WQS.
050702	Intracoastal Waterway	Turbidity	Assessment of new data and information shows it is meeting WQS.
050703	White Lake	Sulfates	Assessment of new data and information shows it is meeting WQS.
050901	Bays and Gulf Waters to State 3-mile Limit	Turbidity	Assessment of new data and information shows it is meeting WQS.
060202	Bayou Cocodrie	Turbidity	Assessment of new data and information shows it is meeting WQS.
060203	Chicot Lake	Turbidity	Assessment of new data and information shows it is meeting WQS.
060204	Bayou Courtableau—Origin to West Atchafalaya Borrow Pit Canal	Chlorides Turbidity	Assessment of new data and information shows it is meeting WQS.
060205	Bayou Teche—Headwaters at Bayou Courtableau to I-10	Turbidity	Assessment of new data and information shows it is meeting WQS.
060207	Bayou des Glaises Diversion Channel	Turbidity	Assessment of new data and information shows it is meeting WQS.
060208	Bayou Boeuf—Headwaters to Bayou Courtableau	Chlorides, Sulfates, Turbidity	Assessment of new data and information shows it is meeting WQS.
060209	Irish Ditch/Big Bayou—Unnamed Ditch to Irish Ditch	Salinity/TDS, Chlorides, Sulfates	Assessment of new data and information shows it is meeting WQS.
060210	Bayou Carron	Turbidity	Assessment of new data and information shows it is meeting WQS.
060211	West Atchafalaya Borrow Pit Canal	Chlorides Turbidity	Assessment of new data and information shows it is meeting WQS.
060212	Chatlin Lake Canal and Bayou DuLac	Turbidity	Assessment of new data and information shows it is meeting WQS.
060401	Bayou Teche—Keystone Locks and Dam to Charenton Canal	Turbidity	Assessment of new data and information shows it is meeting WQS.
060501	Bayou Teche—Charenton Canal to Wax Lake Outlet	Turbidity	Assessment of new data and information shows it is meeting WQS.
060601	Charenton Canal	Turbidity	Assessment of new data and information shows it is meeting WQS.
060701	Tete Bayou	Turbidity	Assessment of new data and information shows it is meeting WQS.
060702	Lake Fausse Point and Dauterive Lake	Turbidity	Assessment of new data and information shows it is meeting WQS.
060703	Bayou du Portage	Turbidity	Assessment of new data and information shows it is meeting WQS.
060801	Vermilion River—Head-waters at Bayou Fusilier-Bourbeaux Junction to New Flanders (Ambassador Caffery Bridge at Hwy 3073)	Chlorides, Salinity/TDS, Turbidity	Assessment of new data and information shows it is meeting WQS.
060802	Vermilion River—From New Flanders (Ambassador Caffery Bridge at Hwy 3073) To Intracoastal Waterway	Salinity/TDS, Chlorides, Temp., Turbidity	Assessment of new data and information shows it is meeting WQS.
060803	Vermilion River Cutoff	Turbidity	Assessment of new data and information shows it is meeting WQS.
060804	Intracoastal Waterway	Turbidity	Assessment of new data and information shows it is meeting WQS.
060901	Bayou Petite Anse	Turbidity	Assessment of new data and information shows it is meeting WQS.
060902	Bayou Carlin (Delcambre Canal)—Lake Peigneur to Bayou Petite Anse (Estuarine)	Turbidity	Assessment of new data and information shows it is meeting WQS.
060903	Bayou Tigre	Turbidity	Assessment of new data and information shows it is meeting WQS.
060904	Vermilion River B890 Basin New Iberia Southern Drainage Canal	Turbidity	Assessment of new data and information shows it is meeting WQS.
060906	Intracoastal Waterway	Turbidity	Assessment of new data and information shows it is meeting WQS.
060909	Lake Peigneur	Turbidity	Assessment of new data and information shows it is meeting WQS.
061102	Intracoastal Waterway	Turbidity	Assessment of new data and information shows it is meeting WQS.

EPA requested the public to provide to EPA any significant data or information that may impact the determination that 54 TMDLs are not necessary in 65 FR 79100 (December 18, 2000). No comments were received.

Dated: March 1, 2001.

Sam Becker,

Acting Director, Water Quality Protection Division, Region 6.