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On March 7, 2018, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) disapproved New York's revised water quality criteria for fecal coliform and total coliform (i.e., recreational criteria) as not being protective of the primary contact recreation designated use in certain waters around New York City and not being based on sound science. Since the state did not remedy this disapproval, the EPA is now fulfilling its statutory obligation to promulgate scientifically defensible and protective water quality criteria for these primary contact waters. In the event that the state submits and EPA approves recreational criteria for these waters in New York prior to promulgation of a final federal rule, EPA would no longer be obligated to finalize criteria for such waters.