Federal Water Quality Standards For Toxic Pollutants In California.pdf

Purpose: This final rule establishes numeric aquatic life and human health criteria for 23 and 57 priority toxic pollutants, respectively, in the State of California. It also includes a compliance schedule provision allowing the state to issue schedules for NPDES permit limits based on federal criteria under certain conditions.

Background:
- Clean Water Act (CWA): Requires states to adopt numeric water quality criteria for priority toxic pollutants where their presence or discharge could interfere with designated uses.
- California's Actions: In 1994, a state court overturned California’s water quality control plans containing criteria for priority toxic pollutants, leaving the state without such standards.
- EPA's Role: This rule fills the gap in California's water quality standards and makes federal criteria legally applicable for inland surface waters, enclosed bays, and estuaries within the state.

Key Points:
- Effective Date: May 18, 2000.
- Affected Entities: Citizens concerned with water quality, industries discharging pollutants to surface waters, and publicly-owned treatment works in California.
- Rationale: EPA determined numeric criteria are necessary in California to protect human health and the environment, as required by CWA section 303(c)(2)(B).
- Criteria Development: Based on EPA's 1987 CWA Amendments criteria guidance process, aquatic life and human health criteria for various pollutants were derived.
- Implementation: The rule includes provisions for wet weather flows and schedules of compliance to aid in implementation.
- Legal Basis: EPA is authorized under CWA sections 304(a) and 501(a) to establish these numeric criteria.

Next Steps:
- Entities affected by this rule should review its provisions and comply with the established criteria.
- For further information, contact Diane E. Fleck or Philip Woods at the EPA's Region 9 Water Division.