Aquatic Life Criteria for Cadmium in Oregon

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is establishing a federal Clean Water Act (CWA) aquatic life criterion for freshwaters under the state of Oregon's jurisdiction, to protect aquatic life from the effects of exposure to harmful levels of cadmium. In 2013, EPA determined that the freshwater acute cadmium criterion and freshwater acute and chronic copper criteria that Oregon adopted in 2004 did not meet CWA requirements to protect aquatic life in the state. Since that time, the state adopted revised criteria for copper (which EPA is approving in parallel with this final rulemaking), but has not adopted a revised acute criterion for cadmium and thus EPA is establishing a federal freshwater acute criterion for cadmium that takes into account the best available science, EPA policies, guidance and legal requirements, to protect aquatic life uses in Oregon.