Request for Scientific Views: Draft Updated Aquatic Life Ambient Water Quality Criteria for Aluminum in Freshwater

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is announcing the availability of Draft Updated Aquatic Life Ambient Water Quality Criteria for Aluminum in Freshwater for public comment. EPA first released freshwater criteria for aluminum in 1988 to protect aquatic life from harmful effects of aluminum toxicity. EPA is updating its recommended aluminum criteria to reflect the latest science and to provide users the flexibility to develop site-specific criteria based on site-specific water chemistry. The draft document provides a scientific assessment of ecological effects and is not a regulation. Following closure of this 60-day public comment period, EPA will consider the comments, revise the draft document, as appropriate, and then publish a final document that will provide recommendations for states and authorized tribes to establish water quality standards. The recommendations found in this draft document do not replace or supersede EPA's 1988 national recommended criteria for aluminum in ambient water.