View Rule

This entry has been revised to combine three proposed rulemakings (RIN 2040-AF71, 2040-AF72, 2040-AF73) that EPA has now decided to combine into this entry. EPA is proposing to amend the Federal regulations to withdraw the following criteria: a) certain aquatic life criteria for lead applicable to California's Los Angeles River and its tributaries; b) certain human health (water & organism) criteria for dichlorobromomethane applicable to a segment of New Alamo Creek and a segment of Ulatis Creek in California; and, c) certain human health (water & organism) criteria for chlorodibromomethane applicable to a segment of New Alamo Creek and a segment of Ulatis Creek in California. On May 18, 2000, EPA promulgated a final rule known as the California Toxics Rule or CTR that established numeric water quality criteria for priority toxic pollutants for certain waters in the State of California. Since California now has adopted, and EPA has approved, criteria for lead dichlorobromomethane and chlorodibromomethane which are applicable the water quality standards for purposes of the Clean Water Act, EPA has determined that certain federally promulgated criteria for these parameters are no longer needed for certain waters in California. This proposed rule, if promulgated, will not remove any water quality protections. Rather, it will remove a federal regulation that essentially duplicates State regulation. The withdrawal of the federally promulgated criteria will enable California to implement their EPA-approved water quality criteria for these parameters in certain waters in California as the applicable Clean Water Act water quality standards.