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WaterNews for November 16, 2001WaterNews is a weekly on-line publication that announces publications, policies, and activities of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Office of Water. Inside this week's WaterNews:
1) EPA Sets Final Standards for New Industrial Facilities to Prevent Fish Kills from Cooling WaterOn November 9, 2001, EPA Administrator Christie Whitman signed the first of three scheduled regulations designed to reduce adverse environmental impacts, especially impacts on fish and shellfish, from cooling water intake processes at industrial facilities and power plants. The final rule governs the design, capacity, and construction of new structures at an estimated 121 new manufacturing and electric generating plants over the next 20 years. Manufacturing and electric generating facilities often withdraw water from bays, rivers, and lakes to remove excess heat from the manufacturing processes and electric generation. The cooling water intake process can damage fish and sea life when the intake structures are not properly designed and constructed. The rule and two more rules scheduled over the next three years, are required by the Clean Water Act. The rule is technology-based, although it is flexible: sources are not required to use specific technologies but can innovate and adapt based on local circumstances. It is expected to cost less than $47 million annually, with no impact on the nation’s energy supply. For more information, visit http://www.epa.gov/waterscience/316b/ on the Internet. 2) EPA Makes New Data Available for the Proposed Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations RulemakingEPA is making available new data and information that will be used to develop final regulations for concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFOs). This data and information - provided by industry groups, the general public, and the United States Department of Agriculture - will be used to ensure that the final regulation is technically and economically sound. EPA is considering using this new information to refine the cost and economics model, benefits analysis, proposed permit requirements, and proposed technology requirements. The final regulations will reduce water quality discharges by strengthening the permitting requirements and performance standards for CAFOs. The deadline to submit comments on the proposed regulation has been extended to January 15, 2002. For more information, visit http://cfpub.epa.gov/npdes/home.cfm?program_id=7 on the Internet. 3) EPA Releases Draft Ambient Water Quality Criteria for Atrazine to Protect Aquatic Life in Both Fresh and Salt WaterEPA is releasing draft ambient water quality criteria for atrazine to protect aquatic life in both fresh and salt water. These criteria, when finalized, may form the basis for state and tribal water quality standards used under the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System. EPA is soliciting input on this draft criteria through November 25, 2001. Atrazine is an herbicide used throughout the U.S. to control weeds in agricultural crops. Atrazine is moderately volatile and soluble in water and resistant to natural degradation in water. Because of its chemical properties and widespread use as an herbicide, concerns have been raised over the potential risks posed by exposure of aquatic organisms to atrazine. These draft water quality criteria would protect aquatic organisms from exposure to harmful levels of atrazine in the water. For more information, visit http://www.epa.gov/waterscience/criteria/atrazine/atrazref.html on the Internet. **************************************************************** Please forward this message to your friends and colleagues who share an interest in water-related issues and would like to hear from EPA's Office of Water. To subscribe to the WaterNews listserve: * Send an email message, leave the subject line blank, and address it to: waternews-join@lists.epa.gov * In the body of the message write: Subscribe WaterNews firstname lastname (Please leave one blank space between each word, do not include any other message, and use your actual name- i.e. Subscribe WaterNews Robert Jones) A welcome message will appear in your email box once you are officially subscribed. WaterNews will be sent to you at the end of each week. If you encounter difficulties subscribing to this list server or if you would like to be taken off the WaterNews list server at any time, please send your E-mail address to Gloria Posey at Posey.Gloria@epa.gov.
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