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Stressor Identification Guidance Document; Notice of Availability

Note: EPA no longer updates this information, but it may be useful as a reference or resource.

 [Federal Register: March 7, 2001 (Volume 66, Number 45)]
[Notices]
[Page 13738]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr07mr01-64]

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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[FRL-6948-9]


Stressor Identification Guidance Document; Notice of Availability

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

ACTION: Notice of availability.

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SUMMARY: EPA is announcing the availability of the Stressor
Identification Guidance Document (EPA 822-B-00-025) published under the
authority of Section 304(a)(2) of the Clean Water Act (CWA). This
technical guidance document is designed to assist water quality
managers in identifying unknown causes of biological impairments in any
type of water body. Section 101(a) of the Clean Water Act states that
it is the objective of the Act to restore and maintain the chemical,
physical and biological integrity of the Nation's waters. To achieve
this objective, numerous States and Tribes are using biological
assessments and biocriteria to help protect the Nation's waters. Using
these tools, State and Tribal water quality experts are finding water
bodies where the fish, invertebrate, algae or plant communities (or
other aquatic life) have been detrimentally impacted by different
singular or multiple causes. In many cases, the cause, or causes, of
these biological impairments have not yet been identified. The Stressor
Identification Guidance Document provides a logical, scientific process
by which State, Tribal, and other water quality experts can evaluate
available information to identify the stressor(s) causing the
biological impairments. The process has three main steps: (1) List
candidate causes of impairment, (2) analyze the evidence, and (3)
characterize the causes. When evidence is adequate, using this
guidance, investigators should be able to successfully identify the
likely cause, or causes. This guidance will also help investigators
identify where evidence is weak or lacking and needs to be developed to
be able to successfully identify the stressor(s). Once the causes of
the biological impairments are identified, water resource managers will
be better able to locate the sources of the stressor, or stressors, and
take management actions aimed at improving the biological condition of
the water body.
    This guidance is advisory in nature and its use is not mandatory.
As such this guidance does not impose legally-binding requirements on
EPA, the States, Tribes, industry, the public or any other entity.
    Availability of Documents: The guidance document is being published
by EPA with the title and document number; Stressor Identification
Guidance Document (EPA-822-B-00-025), dated December 2000. Paper copies
can be obtained from the U.S. EPA, Water Resource Center by phone at:
(202) 260-7786, or by sending an e-mail to the Center at center.water-
resource@epa.gov, or through conventional mail by sending a letter of
request to U.S. EPA Water Resource Center, Ariel Rios Building, 1200
Pennsylvania Ave., Washington, DC 20460. Copies of the document may
also be obtained from the U.S. EPA National Center for Environmental
Publications and Information (NCEPI), 11029 Kenwood Road, Cincinnati,
OH 45242 or (513) 489-8190. The document and fact sheet are also
available on the EPA website at www.epa.gov/OST/biocriteria.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Susan Cormier at (513) 569-7995 or
email at cormier.susan@epa.gov; Glenn Suter at (513) 569-7808 or by
email at suter.glenn@epa.gov; Sue Norton at (202) 564-3246 or by email
at norton.susan@epa.gov; or William Swietlik at (202) 260-9569 or by e-
mail at swietlik.william@epa.gov.

    Dated: January 17, 2001.
Geoffrey H. Grubbs,
Director, Office of Science and Technology.
[FR Doc. 01-5563 Filed 3-6-01; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6560-50-P

 
 

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