81 FR 19176 - Recommended Aquatic Life Ambient Water Quality Criteria for Cadmium-2016
ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY Federal Register Volume 81, Issue 64 (April 4, 2016)
Federal Register Volume 81, Issue 64 (April 4, 2016)
| Page Range | 19176-19178 | |
| FR Document | 2016-07647 |
[Federal Register Volume 81, Number 64 (Monday, April 4, 2016)] [Notices] [Pages 19176-19178] From the Federal Register Online [www.thefederalregister.org] [FR Doc No: 2016-07647] ----------------------------------------------------------------------- ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY [EPA-HQ-OW-2015-0753; FRL 9944[dash]46-OW] Recommended Aquatic Life Ambient Water Quality Criteria for Cadmium--2016 AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). ACTION: Notice of availability. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- SUMMARY: The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is announcing the release of recommended aquatic life water quality criteria for cadmium. EPA has updated its national recommended ambient water quality criteria for cadmium in order to reflect the latest scientific information, and current EPA policies and methods. EPA's water quality criteria for cadmium provides recommendations to states and tribes authorized to establish water quality standards under the Clean Water Act. In adopting water quality standards, states set exposure protections for aquatic life; acute exposure to cadmium results in lethality, while chronic exposure to cadmium negatively impacts growth, development, behavior, reproduction, and immune and endocrine systems in aquatic life. Cadmium enters the environment by natural and human processes, however, human sources, such as mining and urban processes, are responsible for contributing approximately 90 percent of the cadmium found in surface waters. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mike Elias, Health and Ecological Criteria Division, Office of Water (Mail Code 4304T), Environmental Protection Agency, 1200 Pennsylvania Avenue NW., Washington, DC 20460; telephone number: (202) 566-0120; email address: [email protected]. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: I. General Information A. How can I get copies of this document and other related information? 1. Docket. EPA has established a docket for this action under Docket ID No. EPA-HQ-OW-2015-0753. Publicly available docket materials are available either electronically through www.regulations.gov or in hard copy at the Water Docket in the EPA Docket Center, (EPA/DC) EPA West, Room 3334, 1301 Constitution Ave. NW., Washington, DC. The EPA Docket Center Public Reading Room is open from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday, excluding legal holidays. The telephone number for the Public Reading Room is (202) 566-1744, and the telephone number for the Water Docket is (202) 566-2426. 2. Electronic Access. You may access this Federal Register document electronically from the Government Printing Office under the ``Federal Register'' listings on FDSys (http://www.thefederalregister.org/fdsys/browse/collection.action?collectionCode=FR). II. What are EPA's recommended water quality criteria? EPA's recommended water quality criteria are scientifically derived numeric values that protect aquatic life or human health from the deleterious effects of pollutants in ambient water. Section 304(a)(1) of the Clean Water Act (CWA) directs EPA to develop and publish and, from time to time, revise criteria for protection of aquatic life and human health that accurately reflect the latest scientific knowledge. Water quality criteria developed under section 304(a) are based solely on data and the latest scientific knowledge on the relationship between pollutant concentrations and environmental and human health effects. Section 304(a) criteria do not reflect consideration of economic impacts or the technological [[Page 19177]] feasibility of meeting pollutant concentrations in ambient water. EPA's recommended section 304(a) criteria provide technical information to states and authorized tribes in adopting water quality standards (WQS) that ultimately provide a basis for assessing water body health and controlling discharges or releases of pollutants. Under the CWA and its implementing regulations, states and authorized tribes are to adopt water quality criteria to protect designated uses (e.g., public water supply, aquatic life, recreational use, or industrial use). EPA's recommended water quality criteria do not substitute for the CWA or regulations, nor are they regulations themselves. EPA's recommended criteria do not impose legally binding requirements. States and authorized tribes have the discretion to adopt, where appropriate, other scientifically defensible water quality criteria that differ from these recommendations. III. What is cadmium and why is EPA concerned about it? Cadmium is a naturally occurring metal found in mineral deposits and distributed widely at low concentrations in the environment. Cadmium's primary industrial uses are for the manufacturing of batteries, pigments, plastic stabilizers, metal coatings, alloys and electronics. Recently, cadmium has been used in manufacturing nanoparticles (quantum dots) for use in solar cells and color displays. Cadmium is a non-essential metal with no biological function in aquatic life. Acute exposure causes mortality. Chronic exposure leads to adverse effects on growth, reproduction, immune and endocrine systems, development and behavior in aquatic organisms. IV. Information on the Aquatic Life Ambient Water Quality Criteria for Cadmium EPA prepared an update of the chronic aquatic life criteria document for cadmium based on the latest scientific information and current EPA policies and methods, including EPA's Guidelines for Deriving Numerical National Water Quality Criteria for the Protection of Aquatic Organisms and Their Uses (1985) (EPA/R-85-100) and Guidelines for Ecological Risk Assessment (1998) (EPA/630/R-95/002F). The 2016 updated criteria include new data for 75 species and 49 genera not previously represented. The freshwater acute criterion was derived to be protective of aquatic species and further lowered to protect the commercially and recreationally important rainbow trout, consistent with procedures described in EPA's current aquatic life criteria guidelines. The freshwater acute value is slightly lower (i.e., more stringent) than the 2001 acute criterion for dissolved cadmium. The freshwater chronic criterion is slightly higher (i.e., less stringent) compared to the 2001 criterion for dissolved cadmium; this modest increase is primarily due to the inclusion of four new genera, and the reanalysis of other data. The estuarine/marine acute criterion for dissolved cadmium is slightly more stringent than the 2001 recommended criterion, which is primarily due to the addition of new sensitive genera. Changes in suggested values between 2001 and 2016 can be found in Table 1 below. Table 1--Summary of 2001 and 2016 Aquatic Life AWQC for Cadmium -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 2016 AWQC update 2001 AWQC ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Acute (1-hour, dissolved Chronic (4-day, dissolved Acute (1-day, dissolved Chronic (4-day, Cd) \c\ Cd) Cd) dissolved Cd) -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Freshwater (Total Hardness = 100 mg/L as 1.8 [micro]g/L\b\........ 0.72 [micro]g/L.......... 2.0 [micro]g/L\b\........ 0.25 [micro]g/L. CaCO[ihel3]) \a\. Estuarine/marine............................. 33 [micro]g/L............ 7.9 [micro]g/L........... 40 [micro]g/L............ 8.8 [micro]g/L. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- \a\ Freshwater acute and chronic criteria are hardness-dependent and were normalized to a hardness of 100 mg/L as CaCO[ihel3] to allow the presentation of representative criteria values. \b\ Lowered to protect the commercially and recreationally important species (rainbow trout), as per the 1985 Guidelines, Stephen et al. (1985). \c\ The duration of the 2016 acute criteria was changed to 1-hour to reflect the 1985 Guidelines-based recommended acute duration. V. What is the relationship between the water quality criteria and state or tribal water quality standards? As part of the WQS triennial review process defined in section 303(c)(1) of the CWA, the states and authorized tribes are responsible for maintaining and revising WQS. Standards consist of designated uses, water quality criteria to protect those uses, a policy for antidegradation, and may include general policies for application and implementation. Section 303(c)(1) requires states and authorized tribes to review and modify, if appropriate, their WQS at least once every three years. States and authorized tribes must adopt water quality criteria that protect designated uses. Protective criteria are based on a sound scientific rationale and contain sufficient parameters or constituents to protect the designated uses. Criteria may be expressed in either narrative or numeric form. States and authorized tribes have four options when adopting water quality criteria for which EPA has published section 304(a) criteria. They may: (1) Establish numerical values based on recommended section 304(a) criteria; (2) Adopt section 304(a) criteria modified to reflect site-specific conditions; (3) Adopt criteria derived using other scientifically defensible methods; or (4) Establish narrative criteria where numeric criteria cannot be established or to supplement numerical criteria (40 CFR 131.11(b)). EPA's regulation at 40 CFR 131.20(a) provides that if a state does not adopt new or revised criteria parameters for which EPA has published new or updated recommendations, then the state shall provide an explanation when it submits the results of its triennial review to the Regional Administrator consistent with CWA section 303(c)(1). The updated cadmium criteria supersede EPA's previous 304(a) criteria for cadmium. Consistent with 40 CFR 131.21, new or revised water quality criteria adopted into law or regulation by states and authorized tribes on or after May 30, 2000 are applicable water quality standards for CWA purposes only after EPA approval. VI. Additional Information EPA conducted a contractor-led and independent external peer review of the draft Aquatic Life Ambient Water Quality Criteria for Cadmium document in October 2015. This document was released for 60 day public comment in 2016 and has been updated accordingly. The document may be found at: http://www.regulations.gov. [[Page 19178]] Dated: March 28, 2016. Joel Beauvais, Deputy Assistant Administrator, Office of Water. [FR Doc. 2016-07647 Filed 4-1-16; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 6560-50-P
![19176 Federal Register / Vol. 81, No. 64 / Monday, April 4, 2016 / Notices
Center Public Reading Room is open be included as part of the comment that aquatic life. Cadmium enters the
from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday is placed in the official public docket, environment by natural and human
through Friday, excluding legal and made available in EPA’s electronic processes, however, human sources,
holidays. The telephone number for the public docket. If EPA cannot read your such as mining and urban processes, are
Public Reading Room is (202) 566–1744, comment due to technical difficulties responsible for contributing
and the telephone number for the OEI and cannot contact you for clarification, approximately 90 percent of the
Docket is (202) 566–1752. EPA may not be able to consider your cadmium found in surface waters.
An electronic version of the public comment. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
docket is available through Use of the www.regulations.gov Web Mike Elias, Health and Ecological
www.regulations.gov. You may use site to submit comments to EPA Criteria Division, Office of Water (Mail
www.regulations.gov to submit or view electronically is EPA’s preferred method Code 4304T), Environmental Protection
public comments, access the index for receiving comments. The electronic Agency, 1200 Pennsylvania Avenue
listing of the contents of the official public docket system is an ‘‘anonymous NW., Washington, DC 20460; telephone
public docket, and access those access’’ system, which means EPA will number: (202) 566–0120; email address:
documents in the public docket that are not know your identity, email address, elias.mike@epa.gov.
available electronically. Once in the or other contact information unless you
system, key in the appropriate docket SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
provide it in the body of your comment.
identification number then select In contrast to EPA’s electronic public I. General Information
‘‘search’’. docket, EPA’s electronic mail (email)
It is important to note that EPA’s system is not an ‘‘anonymous access’’ A. How can I get copies of this
policy is that public comments, whether system. If you send an email comment document and other related
submitted electronically or in paper, directly to the Docket without going information?
will be made available for public through www.regulations.gov, your 1. Docket. EPA has established a
viewing online at www.regulations.gov email address is automatically captured docket for this action under Docket ID
without change, unless the comment and included as part of the comment No. EPA–HQ–OW–2015–0753. Publicly
contains copyrighted material, CBI, or that is placed in the official public available docket materials are available
other information whose disclosure is docket, and made available in EPA’s either electronically through
restricted by statute. Information electronic public docket. www.regulations.gov or in hard copy at
claimed as CBI and other information
Dated: March 23, 2016. the Water Docket in the EPA Docket
whose disclosure is restricted by statute
Lorie J. Schmidt, Center, (EPA/DC) EPA West, Room
is not included in the official public
docket or in the electronic public Associate General Counsel.
3334, 1301 Constitution Ave. NW.,
docket. EPA’s policy is that copyrighted Washington, DC. The EPA Docket
[FR Doc. 2016–07491 Filed 4–1–16; 8:45 am]
material, including copyrighted material Center Public Reading Room is open
BILLING CODE 6560–50–P
contained in a public comment, will not from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday
be placed in EPA’s electronic public through Friday, excluding legal
docket but will be available only in ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION holidays. The telephone number for the
printed, paper form in the official public AGENCY Public Reading Room is (202) 566–1744,
docket. Although not all docket and the telephone number for the Water
[EPA–HQ–OW–2015–0753; FRL 9944-46– Docket is (202) 566–2426.
materials may be available OW]
electronically, you may still access any 2. Electronic Access. You may access
of the publicly available docket this Federal Register document
Recommended Aquatic Life Ambient
materials through the EPA Docket electronically from the Government
Water Quality Criteria for Cadmium—
Center. Printing Office under the ‘‘Federal
2016
Register’’ listings on FDSys (http://
B. How and to whom do I submit AGENCY: Environmental Protection www.gpo.gov/fdsys/browse/
comments? Agency (EPA). collection.action?collectionCode=FR).
You may submit comments as ACTION: Notice of availability. II. What are EPA’s recommended water
provided in the ADDRESSES section. quality criteria?
Please ensure that your comments are SUMMARY: The Environmental Protection
submitted within the specified comment Agency (EPA) is announcing the release EPA’s recommended water quality
period. Comments received after the of recommended aquatic life water criteria are scientifically derived
close of the comment period will be quality criteria for cadmium. EPA has numeric values that protect aquatic life
marked ‘‘late.’’ EPA is not required to updated its national recommended or human health from the deleterious
consider these late comments. ambient water quality criteria for effects of pollutants in ambient water.
If you submit an electronic comment, cadmium in order to reflect the latest Section 304(a)(1) of the Clean Water Act
EPA recommends that you include your scientific information, and current EPA (CWA) directs EPA to develop and
name, mailing address, and an email policies and methods. EPA’s water publish and, from time to time, revise
address or other contact information in quality criteria for cadmium provides criteria for protection of aquatic life and
the body of your comment and with any recommendations to states and tribes human health that accurately reflect the
disk or CD ROM you submit. This authorized to establish water quality latest scientific knowledge. Water
mstockstill on DSK4VPTVN1PROD with NOTICES
ensures that you can be identified as the standards under the Clean Water Act. In quality criteria developed under section
submitter of the comment and allows adopting water quality standards, states 304(a) are based solely on data and the
EPA to contact you in case EPA cannot set exposure protections for aquatic life; latest scientific knowledge on the
read your comment due to technical acute exposure to cadmium results in relationship between pollutant
difficulties or needs further information lethality, while chronic exposure to concentrations and environmental and
on the substance of your comment. Any cadmium negatively impacts growth, human health effects. Section 304(a)
identifying or contact information development, behavior, reproduction, criteria do not reflect consideration of
provided in the body of a comment will and immune and endocrine systems in economic impacts or the technological
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![19178 Federal Register / Vol. 81, No. 64 / Monday, April 4, 2016 / Notices
Dated: March 28, 2016. of Labor v. The American Coal • Federal eRulemaking Portal: http://
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mstockstill on DSK4VPTVN1PROD with NOTICES
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Document Created: 2016-04-02 03:54:11
Document Modified: 2016-04-02 03:54:11
| Category | Regulatory Information | |
| Collection | Federal Register | |
| sudoc Class | AE 2.7: GS 4.107: AE 2.106: | |
| Publisher | Office of the Federal Register, National Archives and Records Administration | |
| Section | Notices | |
| Action | Notice of availability. | |
| Contact | Mike Elias, Health and Ecological Criteria Division, Office of Water (Mail Code 4304T), Environmental Protection Agency, 1200 Pennsylvania Avenue NW., Washington, DC 20460; | |
| FR Citation | 81 FR 19176 |
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