Ambient Water Quality Criteria; Aniline and 2,4-Dimethylphenol; Notice ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

SUMMARY: The purpose of this notice is to extend the comment period for

and make corrections to the table in 58 FR 61910 entitled ``Ambient

Water Quality Criteria Aniline and 2,4-Dimethylphenol.''

DATES: Written comments should be submitted on or before March 28, 1994

and should be addressed as indicated below.

ADDRESSES: Requests for documents should be sent to: Aniline and 2,4-

Dimethylphenol Proposal Water Resource Center, (RC-4100) U.S.

Environmental Protection Agency, 401 M Street SW., Washington, DC

20460.

Send written comments on the draft documents to: Aniline and 2,4-

Dimethylphenol Proposal, Comment Clerk; Water Docket (MC-4101), U.S.

Environmental Protection Agency, 401 M Street SW., Washington, DC

20460.

Commenters are requested to submit any references cited in their

comments. Commenters are also requested to submit an original and 3

copies of their written comments and enclosures. Commenters who want

receipt of their comments acknowledged should include a self-addressed,

stamped envelope. No facsimiles (faxes) will be accepted.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Call Ecological Risk Assessment Branch

at (202)260-0658.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background Information

Section 304(a)(1) of the Clean Water Act (33 U.S.C. 1314(a)(1)),

directs EPA to develop and publish criteria reflecting the latest

scientific knowledge on the identifiable effects of pollutants on

public health and welfare, aquatic life and recreation.

The draft criteria announced in 58 FR 61910 are intended to protect

aquatic life and were derived using the 1985 ``Guidelines for Deriving

Numerical National Water Quality Criteria for the Protection of Aquatic

Organisms and Their Uses'' (50 FR 30784). All of the criteria developed

by EPA using this methodology are summarized in Quality Criteria for

Water 1986 (1986 ``Gold Book'') (which is updated periodically.)

EPA's criteria documents provide a comprehensive aquatic

toxicological evaluation of each chemical. For toxic pollutants, the

documents tabulate the relevant acute and chronic toxicity information

for aquatic life and derive the criteria maximum concentrations (acute

criteria) and criteria continuous concentrations (chronic criteria)

which the Agency recommends to protect aquatic life resources. The

proposed criteria announced today are not intended to protect human

health and do not address human health concerns.

Correction of Table

This notice corrects a table in the Federal Register notice on the

availability of draft documents proposing Ambient Water Quality

Criteria for the protection of aquatic life for two chemicals which

appeared at 58 FR 61910. In the table on page 61911, the column headed

Proposed FW acute criterion for the entry Aniline is corrected to read

28 g/L and the column headed Proposed FW chronic criterion for

the entry Aniline is corrected to read 14 g/L. The table as

corrected is shown below:

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

CWA 307(a) Proposed FW Proposed SW Proposed FW Proposed SW

Pollutant priority acute acute chronic chronic

pollutant criterion criterion criterion criterion

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Aniline................................... No 28 g/L m>g/L m>g/L m>g/L

2,4-Dimethylphenol........................ Yes 1,300 g/L m>g/L m>g/L m>g/L

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Request for Comments

EPA is soliciting comments on the proposed criteria documents and

extending the comment period for an additional 60 days to March 25,

1994. If issued in final form, the proposed documents would supersede

material specific to the aquatic life toxicity of these chemicals as

published in any previous ambient water quality criteria documents.

Specifically, Acute and Chronic Criteria for the protection of aquatic

life within proposed ``Ambient Aquatic Life Water Quality Criteria for

2,4-DIMETHYLPHENOL'' would, upon finalization, supersede guidance given

in the previous Ambient Water Quality Criteria for 2,4-dimethylphenol

(USEPA, 1980). The proposed criteria were derived using improved

procedures and additional information.

The Agency is soliciting additional toxicological data on the

pollutants covered by today's notice. Data suitable (as specified in

the Agency's guidelines for developing aquatic life criteria) for

determining the bioconcentration of Aniline in freshwater (FW) or

saltwater (SW) organisms is of particular interest. The Agency is also

soliciting comments on the scientific basis for the criteria values,

the appropriate analytical techniques for measuring attainment of

criteria, and the allowable duration and frequency for exceeding the

criteria. The proposed criteria announced today, if published in final

form, would serve as guidance to the States in developing water quality

standards pursuant to 40 CFR part 131.

Dated: January 18, 1994.

Martha G. Prothro,

Deputy Assistant Administrator for Water.

[FR Doc. 94-1623 Filed 1-25-94; 8:45 am]

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