Policy & Guidance - Water Quality Criteria and Standards Plan--Priorities for the Future

MEMORANDUM

June 22, 1998

SUBJECT: Water Quality Criteria and Standards Plan--Priorities for the Future

FROM: Robert Perciasepe, Assistant Administrator /s/

Office of Water

TO: Regional Administrators

Regional Water Division Directors

Office of Water Directors

I am pleased to send you the U.S. EPA, Office of Water's Water Quality Criteria and Standards Plan--Priorities for the Future . The Plan presents a vision and strategy for EPA, States and Tribes to work together over the next decade to enhance and improve water quality criteria and standards programs across the country. The Plan describes seven new criteria and standards program initiatives that EPA, in partnership with the States and Tribes, will undertake or complete over the next ten years.

The Plan supports the President's Clean Water Action Plan announced in February 1998. Many of the action items to be accomplished under the Action Plan rely on a strong water quality standards program. Strong water quality standards provide a foundation for the Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) program, National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permitting, nonpoint source control, wetlands protection and other water resources management efforts.

A key action item in the Action Plan is the reduction of nutrient over-enrichment. The Criteria and Standards Plan highlights the criteria and standards activities that need to be accomplished to achieve this goal. The National Nutrient Strategy, recently released by EPA, explains in detail the approach to development of nutrient criteria and standards.

The Plan also complements the Advance Notice of Proposed Rule Making (ANPRM) for the Water Quality Standards Regulations at 40 CFR Part 131, soon to be published in the Federal Register. The Plan describes the new criteria initiatives that EPA will undertake, and the ANPRM discusses and solicits public comment on how these scientific and technical improvements, along with other standards changes, should best be implemented in water quality standards programs by the States and Tribes.

We are releasing the Criteria and Standards Plan as an Interim Final document. I encourage you to take the time to carefully review the Plan and provide us feedback on the priorities, objectives and activities for the water quality criteria and standards program for the next decade. Comments should be submitted to the address noted in the Foreword. We are especially interested in your thoughts on how best to achieve the ambitious number of activities described for each priority area. We are interested in receiving feedback through the end of August, 1998. Your feedback will assist us in assuring the Plan thoroughly reflects the priorities and needs of the Nation.

The Office of Water is sponsoring a national conference, August 24-28, 1998, in Philadelphia, PA on strengthening the nation's water quality standards program. The Criteria and Standards Plan will be discussed extensively at this conference. More information on the conference can be found at http://www.epa.gov/ost or call (703) 998-6862 and press 2190.

The scientific and technical initiatives in this Plan should help to strengthen State and Tribal water quality criteria and standards programs. Your participation in the review, revision and implementation of the Plan will help to ensure that we have charted the correct course.

If you have questions, or need further information on the Plan, please contact Tudor Davies, Director of the Office of Water's Office of Science and Technology at (202) 566-0430.