Withdrawal of Certain Federal Criteria for California

Summary

EPA has taken final action to amend federal regulations to withdraw certain federal water quality criteria for lead, chlorodibromomethane, and dichlorobromomethane applicable to certain waters in California. The state now has adopted certain criteria for these parameters. EPA approved the state site-specific criteria because the Agency determined that the state criteria were scientifically sound and protective of the designated uses of these waters.

Consistent with the emphasis on state primacy for the water quality standards program, EPA has determined that the federally promulgated criteria for these parameters are no longer needed for certain waters in California. The withdrawal of the federally-promulgated criteria will enable California to implement its EPA-approved water quality standards for these parameters.

• Fact Sheet: Final Rule - EPA Withdrawal of Certain Federal Water Quality Criteria for California (pdf) (379.08 KB, October 2018, EPA 823-F-18-002)
• Final Rule: Withdrawal of Certain Federal Water Quality Criteria Applicable to California: Lead, Chlorodibromomethane, and Dichlorobromomethane (October 16, 2018)

Public Hearing and Comments

The 60-day comment period for the proposed rule opened on December 11, 2017 and closed on February 9, 2018. Additionally, EPA held a virtual public hearing so that interested parties could provide oral comments on the rule. The virtual public hearing was on January 25, 2018 from 9:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. Pacific Time. The hearing was recorded and transcribed, and EPA considered all of the oral comments provided along with the written public comments submitted via the docket.

• Federal Register Notice for the Proposed Rule (December 11, 2017)
• Docket available at Regulations.gov (Docket ID No. EPA-HQ-OW-2017-0303)