National Management Measures To Control Nonpoint Source Pollution From Hydromodification, 40517-40519 [E6-11248]
Download as PDF
Federal Register / Vol. 71, No. 136 / Monday, July 17, 2006 / Notices
rwilkins on PROD1PC63 with NOTICES
Availability of Meeting Materials: The
Air Quality Criteria for Lead (Second
External Review Draft), Volumes I and
II (May 2005) can be accessed via the
Agency’s NCEA Web site at: https://
cfpub.epa.gov/ncea/cfm/
recordisplay.cfm?deid=141779https://
cfpub.epa.gov/ncea/cfm/
recordisplay.cfm?deid=154041. NCEA–
RTP plans to post the revised draft
Executive Summary and Chapter 7
(Integrative Synthesis) on the NCEA
Web Site by August 1, 2006. Any
questions concerning the second draft
Lead AQCD should be directed to Dr.
Lori White, NCEA–RTP, at phone: (919)
541–3146, or e-mail: white.lori@epa.gov.
A copy of the draft agenda for the
CASAC teleconference and other
meeting materials will be posted on the
SAB Web site prior to this meeting at:
https://www.epa.gov/sab/panels/
casac_lead_review_panel.htm.
Procedures for Providing Public Input:
Interested members of the public may
submit relevant written or oral
information for the CASAC Lead Review
Panel to consider during the advisory
process. Oral Statements: In general,
individuals or groups requesting an oral
presentation at a public teleconference
will be limited to three minutes per
speaker, with no more than a total of 30
minutes for all speakers. Interested
parties should contact Mr. Butterfield,
CASAC DFO, in writing (preferably via
e-mail), by August 8, 2006, at the
contact information noted above, to be
placed on the list of public speakers for
this meeting. Written Statements:
Written statements should be received
in the SAB Staff Office by August 11,
2006, so that the information may be
made available to the CASAC Panel for
their consideration prior to this
teleconference. Written statements
should be supplied to the DFO in the
following formats: one hard copy with
original signature, and one electronic
copy via e-mail (acceptable file format:
Adobe Acrobat PDF, WordPerfect, MS
Word, MS PowerPoint, or Rich Text
files in IBM–PC/Windows 98/2000/XP
format).
Accessibility: For information on
access or services for individuals with
disabilities, please contact Mr.
Butterfield at the phone number or
e-mail address noted above, preferably
at least ten days prior to the meeting, to
give EPA as much time as possible to
process your request.
Dated: July 11, 2006.
Anthony F. Maciorowski,
Associate Director for Science, EPA Science
Advisory Board Staff Office.
[FR Doc. E6–11247 Filed 7–14–06; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6560–50–P
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17:41 Jul 14, 2006
Jkt 208001
ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION
AGENCY
[EPA–HQ–OW–2006–0021; FRL–8198–5]
National Management Measures To
Control Nonpoint Source Pollution
From Hydromodification
Environmental Protection
Agency (EPA).
ACTION: Notice of availability.
AGENCY:
SUMMARY: EPA is requesting comment
on draft technical guidance for
managing nonpoint source pollution
from hydromodification. The term
hydromodification refers to an activity
that alters the geometry and physical
characteristics of a stream or river in
such a way that the flow patterns
change. This guidance is intended to
provide technical assistance to states,
territories, authorized tribes, and the
public for managing hydromodification
and reducing nonpoint source pollution
of surface and ground water. The
guidance provides background
information about nonpoint source
pollution from activities associated with
channelization and channel
modification, dams, and streambank
and shoreline erosion. It discusses the
broad concepts of assessing and
addressing water quality problems on a
watershed level, and it presents up-todate technical information about how to
reduce nonpoint source pollution from
hydromodification. Implementation of
the guidance will result in increased use
of scientifically sound, cost-effective
hydromodification management
measures, and will support states in
their efforts to implement their
Nonpoint Source Control Programs.
DATES: Comments must be received on
or before October 16, 2006.
ADDRESSES: Submit your comments,
identified by Docket ID No. EPA–HQ–
OW–2006–0021 by one of the following
methods:
—www.regulations.gov: Follow the online instructions for submitting
comments.
—E-mail: OW-Docket@epa.gov
—Mail: Office of Water Docket,
Environmental Protection Agency,
Mailcode: 4101T, 1200 Pennsylvania
Avenue, NW., Washington, DC 20460
—Hand Delivery: Office of Water
Docket, Environmental Protection
Agency, Public Reading Room, Room
B102, EPA West Building, 1301
Constitution Avenue, NW.,
Washington, DC. Such deliveries are
only accepted during the Docket’s
normal hours of operation, and
special arrangements should be made
for deliveries of boxed information.
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Fmt 4703
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40517
Instructions: Direct your comments to
Docket ID No. EPA–HQ–OW–2006–
0021. EPA’s policy is that all comments
received will be included in the public
docket without change and may be
made available online at
www.regulations.gov, including any
personal information provided, unless
the comment includes information
claimed to be Confidential Business
Information (CBI) or other information
whose disclosure is restricted by statute.
Do not submit information that you
consider to be CBI or otherwise
protected through www.regulations.gov.
The www.regulations.gov Web site is an
‘‘anonymous access’’ system, which
means EPA will not know your identity
or contact information unless you
provide it in the body of your comment.
If you send an e-mail comment directly
to EPA without going through
www.regulations.gov your e-mail
address will be automatically captured
and included as part of the comment
that is placed in the public docket and
made available on the Internet. If you
submit an electronic comment, EPA
recommends that you include your
name and other contact information in
the body of your comment and with any
disk or CD–ROM you submit. If EPA
cannot read your comment due to
technical difficulties and cannot contact
you for clarification, EPA may not be
able to consider your comment.
Electronic files should avoid the use of
special characters, any form of
encryption, and be free of any defects or
viruses. For additional information
about EPA’s public docket visit the EPA
Docket Center homepage at https://
www.epa.gov/epahome/dockets.htm.
Docket: All documents in the docket
are listed in the www.regulations.gov
index. Although listed in the index,
some information is not publicly
available, e.g., CBI or other information
whose disclosure is restricted by statute.
Certain other material, such as
copyrighted material, will be publicly
available only in hard copy. Publicly
available docket materials are available
either electronically in
www.regulations.gov or in hard copy at
the Office of Water Docket,
Environmental Protection Agency,
Public Reading Room, Room B102, EPA
West Building, 1301 Constitution
Avenue, NW., Washington, DC. The
Public Reading Room is open from 8:30
a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through
Friday, excluding legal holidays. The
telephone number for the Public
Reading Room is (202) 566–1744, and
the telephone number for the Office of
Water Docket is (202) 566–2426.
The complete text of the draft
guidance is available on EPA’s Internet
E:\FR\FM\17JYN1.SGM
17JYN1
40518
Federal Register / Vol. 71, No. 136 / Monday, July 17, 2006 / Notices
site on the Nonpoint Source Control
Branch’s homepage at https://
www.epa.gov/owow/nps/pubs.html.
Copies of the complete draft guidance
can also be obtained upon request.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Chris Solloway, Assessment and
Watershed Protection Division, Office of
Water, Mailcode: 4503T, Environmental
Protection Agency, 1200 Pennsylvania
Avenue, NW., Washington, DC 20460;
telephone number (202) 566–1202; fax
number (202) 566–1437; e-mail address:
Solloway.chris@epa.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
I. General Information
A. Interested Entities
Entities potentially interested in
today’s notice are those that manage
watersheds potentially affected by
hydromodification. Categories and
entities interested in today’s notice
include:
Category
Examples of interested entities
State/Local/Tribal Government .................................................................
Water Quality Officials, Public Land Management Officials, Association
of State and Interstate Water Pollution Control Administrators.
Army Corps of Engineers, Natural Resources Conservation Service
(USDA), Forest Service (USDA), National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration, Department of Transportation.
Resource Management Associations, Trade Group Associations, Professional Associations, Environmental Groups.
Federal Government .................................................................................
Non-government organizations ................................................................
This table is not intended to be
exhaustive, but rather provides a guide
for readers regarding entities likely to be
interested in this notice. This table lists
the types of entities that EPA is aware
could potentially be interested in this
notice. Other types of entities not listed
in the table could also be interested.
rwilkins on PROD1PC63 with NOTICES
B. What Should I Consider as I Prepare
My Comments for EPA?
1. Submitting CBI. Do not submit this
information to EPA through
www.regulations.gov or e-mail. Clearly
mark the part or all of the information
that you claim to be CBI. For CBI
information in a disk or CD ROM that
you mail to EPA, mark the outside of the
disk or CD ROM as CBI and then
identify electronically within the disk or
CD ROM the specific information that is
claimed as CBI). In addition to one
complete version of the comment that
includes information claimed as CBI, a
copy of the comment that does not
contain the information claimed as CBI
must be submitted for inclusion in the
public docket. Information so marked
will not be disclosed except in
accordance with procedures set forth in
40 CFR part 2.
2. Tips for Preparing Your Comments.
When submitting comments, remember
to:
• Identify the rulemaking by docket
number and other identifying
information (subject heading, Federal
Register date and page number).
• Follow directions—The agency may
ask you to respond to specific questions
or organize comments by referencing a
Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) part
or section number.
• Explain why you agree or disagree;
suggest alternatives and substitute
language for your requested changes.
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17:41 Jul 14, 2006
Jkt 208001
• Describe any assumptions and
provide any technical information and/
or data that you used.
• If you estimate potential costs or
burdens, explain how you arrived at
your estimate in sufficient detail to
allow for it to be reproduced.
• Provide specific examples to
illustrate your concerns, and suggest
alternatives.
• Explain your views as clearly as
possible, avoiding the use of profanity
or personal threats.
• Make sure to submit your
comments by the comment period
deadline identified.
II. Background
In 1993, under the authority of section
6217(g) of the Coastal Zone Act
Reauthorization Amendments, EPA
issued Guidance Specifying
Management Measures for Sources of
Nonpoint Pollution in Coastal Waters.
That guidance document details
management measures appropriate for
the control of five categories of nonpoint
sources of pollution in the coastal zone:
agriculture, forestry, urban areas,
marinas and recreational boating, and
hydromodification. The document also
includes management measures for
wetlands, riparian areas, and vegetated
treatment systems because they are
important to the abatement of nonpoint
source pollution in coastal waters.
States and territories were required to
adopt measures ‘‘in conformity’’ with
the coastal management measures
guidance for their Coastal Nonpoint
Pollution Control Programs.
State, territory, and tribal water
quality assessments continue to identify
nonpoint source pollution as a major
cause of degradation in surveyed waters
nationwide. In 1987, Congress enacted
section 319 of the Clean Water Act to
establish a national program to control
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nonpoint sources of water pollution.
Under section 319, states, territories,
and tribes address nonpoint source
pollution by assessing the nonpoint
source pollution problems within the
state, territory, or tribal lands;
identifying the sources of pollution; and
implementing management programs to
control the pollution. Section 319 also
authorizes EPA to award grants to states,
territories, and tribes to assist them in
implementing management programs
that EPA has approved. Program
implementation includes nonregulatory
and regulatory programs, technical
assistance, financial assistance,
education, training, technology transfer,
and demonstration projects. In fiscal
year 2005, Congress appropriated and
EPA awarded approximately $207
million for state nonpoint source
management program grants.
The 1993 management measures
guidance focused on conditions of and
examples from the coastal zone. The
draft national management measures
guidance is intended to expand the
focus nationwide to provide technical
guidance on effective measures for
managing hydromodification for the
abatement of nonpoint source pollution.
Although the practices detailed in the
1993 coastal guidance apply generally to
inland areas, EPA has recognized the
utility of developing and publishing
technical guidance that explicitly
addresses nonpoint source pollution on
a nationwide basis. Moreover,
additional information and examples
from research and experience to date
with implementation of the
management measures are available to
enrich the national guidance. These
changes have helped to prompt the
revision and expansion of the
hydromodification chapter of the 1993
guidance.
E:\FR\FM\17JYN1.SGM
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Federal Register / Vol. 71, No. 136 / Monday, July 17, 2006 / Notices
III. Scope of the Draft
Hydromodification Guidance—Sources
of Nonpoint Source Pollution
Addressed
Dated: July 6, 2006.
Benjamin H. Grumbles,
Assistant Administrator, Office of Water.
[FR Doc. E6–11248 Filed 7–14–06; 8:45 am]
The draft technical guidance
continues to focus on the major sources
of pollution from hydromodification
identified for the 1993 coastal guidance
by EPA in consultation with a number
of other Federal agencies and other
leading national experts, including
several experts from the U.S. Army
Corps of Engineers. Specifically, the
guidance identifies management
measures for the following:
Channelization and Channel
Modification
• Physical and Chemical
Characteristics of Surface Water
• Instream and Riparian Habitat
Restoration
• Dams
• Erosion and Sediment Control
• Chemical and Pollutant Control
• Protection of Surface Water Quality
and Instream and Riparian Habitat
• Streambank and Shoreline Erosion
• Eroding Streambanks and
Shorelines
BILLING CODE 6560–50–P
IV. Approach Used To Develop
Guidance
The draft management measures
guidance is based in large part on the
1993 coastal guidance. The coastal
guidance was developed using a
workgroup approach to draw upon
technical expertise within other Federal
agencies as well as state water quality
and coastal zone management agencies.
The 1993 text has been expanded to
include information on the application
and effectiveness of hydromodification
BMPs from recent research, the cost of
installing BMPs, watershed-scale and
ecological impacts of hydromodification
activities, and certification programs for
personnel involved in construction and
dam removal.
rwilkins on PROD1PC63 with NOTICES
V. Request for Comments
EPA is soliciting comments on the
draft guidance on nonpoint source
management measures for
hydromodification. The Agency is
soliciting additional information and
supporting data on the measures
specified in this guidance and on
additional measures that may be as
effective or more effective in controlling
nonpoint source pollution from
hydromodification. EPA requests that
commenters focus their comments on
the technical soundness of the draft
management measures guidance.
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17:41 Jul 14, 2006
Jkt 208001
ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION
AGENCY
[Docket # EPA–RO4–SFUND–2006–0595;
FRL–8198–2]
Henry Wood Preserving Superfund
Site; Hemingway, Williamsburg
County, SC; Notice of Settlement
Environmental Protection
Agency.
ACTION: Notice of settlement.
AGENCY:
SUMMARY: Under section 122(h)(1) of the
Comprehensive Environmental
Response, Compensation and Liability
Act (CERCLS), the United States
Environmental Protection Agency has
entered into a proposed settlement for
the reimbursement of past response
costs concerning the Henry Wood
Preserving Superfund Site located in
Hemingway, Willamsburg County,
South Carolina.
DATES: The Agency will consider public
comments on the settlements until
August 16, 2006. The Agency will
consider all comments received and
may modify or withdraw its consent to
the settlements if comments received
disclose facts or considerations which
indicate that the settlements are
inappropriate, improper, or inadequate.
ADDRESSES: Copies of the settlement are
available from Ms. Paula V. Batchelor.
Submit your comments, identified by
Docket ID No. EPA–RO4–SFUND–2006–
0595 or Site name Henry Wood
Preserving Superfund Site by one of the
following methods:
• https://www.regulations.gov: Follow
the on-line instructions for submitting
comments.
• E-mail: Batchelor.Paula@epa.gov.
• Fax: 404/562–8842/Attn: Paula V.
Batchelor.
• Mail: Ms. Paula V. Batchelor, U.S.
EPA Region 4, WMD–SEIMB, 61 Forsyth
Street, SW., Atlanta, Georgia 30303. ‘‘In
addition, please mail a copy of your
comments on the information collection
provisions to the Office of Information
and Regulatory Affairs, Office of
Management and Budget (OMB), Attn:
Desk Officer for EPA, 725 17th St. NW.,
Washington, DC 20503.’’ Instructions:
Direct your comments to Docket ID No.
EPA–RO4–SFUND–2006–0595. EPA’s
policy is that all comments received
will be included in the public docket
without change and may be made
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40519
available online at https://
www.regulations.gov, including any
personal information provided, unless
the comment includes information
claimed to be Confidential Business
Information (CBI) or other information
whose disclosure is restricted by statute.
Do not submit information that you
consider to be CBI or otherwise
protected through https://
www.regulations.gov or e-mail. The
https://www.regulations.gov Web site is
an ‘‘anonymous access’’ system, which
means EPA will not know your identity
or contact information unless you
provide it in the body of your comment.
If you send an e-mail comment directly
to EPA without going through https://
www.regulations.gov your e-mail
address will be automatically captured
and included as part of the comment
that is placed in the public docket and
made available on the Internet. If you
submit an electronic comment, EPA
recommends that you include your
name and other contact information in
the body of your comment and with any
disk or CD–ROM you submit. If EPA
cannot read your comment due to
technical difficulties and cannot contact
you for clarification, EPA may not be
able to consider your comment.
Electronic files should avoid the use of
special characters, any form of
encryption, and be free of any defects or
viruses. For additional information
about EPA’s public docket visit the EPA
Docket Center homepage at https://
www.epa.gov/epahome/dockets.htm.
Docket: All documents in the docket
are listed in the https://
www.regulations.gov index. Although
listed in the index, some information is
not publicly available, e.g., CBI or other
information whose disclosure is
restricted by statute. Certain other
material, such as copyrighted material,
will be publicly available only in hard
copy. Publicly available docket
materials are available either
electronically in https://
www.regulations.gov or in hard copy at
the U.S. EPA Region 4 office located at
61 Forsyth Street, SW., Atlanta, Georgia
30303. Regional office is open from 7
a.m. until 6:30 p.m. Monday through
Friday, excluding legal holidays.
Written comments may be submitted
to Ms. Batchelor within 30 calendar
days of the date of this publication.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Paula V. Batchelor at 404/562–8887
E:\FR\FM\17JYN1.SGM
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Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 71, Number 136 (Monday, July 17, 2006)]
[Notices]
[Pages 40517-40519]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E6-11248]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
[EPA-HQ-OW-2006-0021; FRL-8198-5]
National Management Measures To Control Nonpoint Source Pollution
From Hydromodification
AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
ACTION: Notice of availability.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: EPA is requesting comment on draft technical guidance for
managing nonpoint source pollution from hydromodification. The term
hydromodification refers to an activity that alters the geometry and
physical characteristics of a stream or river in such a way that the
flow patterns change. This guidance is intended to provide technical
assistance to states, territories, authorized tribes, and the public
for managing hydromodification and reducing nonpoint source pollution
of surface and ground water. The guidance provides background
information about nonpoint source pollution from activities associated
with channelization and channel modification, dams, and streambank and
shoreline erosion. It discusses the broad concepts of assessing and
addressing water quality problems on a watershed level, and it presents
up-to-date technical information about how to reduce nonpoint source
pollution from hydromodification. Implementation of the guidance will
result in increased use of scientifically sound, cost-effective
hydromodification management measures, and will support states in their
efforts to implement their Nonpoint Source Control Programs.
DATES: Comments must be received on or before October 16, 2006.
ADDRESSES: Submit your comments, identified by Docket ID No. EPA-HQ-OW-
2006-0021 by one of the following methods:
--www.regulations.gov: Follow the on-line instructions for submitting
comments.
--E-mail: OW-Docket@epa.gov
--Mail: Office of Water Docket, Environmental Protection Agency,
Mailcode: 4101T, 1200 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW., Washington, DC 20460
--Hand Delivery: Office of Water Docket, Environmental Protection
Agency, Public Reading Room, Room B102, EPA West Building, 1301
Constitution Avenue, NW., Washington, DC. Such deliveries are only
accepted during the Docket's normal hours of operation, and special
arrangements should be made for deliveries of boxed information.
Instructions: Direct your comments to Docket ID No. EPA-HQ-OW-2006-
0021. EPA's policy is that all comments received will be included in
the public docket without change and may be made available online at
www.regulations.gov, including any personal information provided,
unless the comment includes information claimed to be Confidential
Business Information (CBI) or other information whose disclosure is
restricted by statute. Do not submit information that you consider to
be CBI or otherwise protected through www.regulations.gov. The
www.regulations.gov Web site is an ``anonymous access'' system, which
means EPA will not know your identity or contact information unless you
provide it in the body of your comment. If you send an e-mail comment
directly to EPA without going through www.regulations.gov your e-mail
address will be automatically captured and included as part of the
comment that is placed in the public docket and made available on the
Internet. If you submit an electronic comment, EPA recommends that you
include your name and other contact information in the body of your
comment and with any disk or CD-ROM you submit. If EPA cannot read your
comment due to technical difficulties and cannot contact you for
clarification, EPA may not be able to consider your comment. Electronic
files should avoid the use of special characters, any form of
encryption, and be free of any defects or viruses. For additional
information about EPA's public docket visit the EPA Docket Center
homepage at https://www.epa.gov/epahome/dockets.htm.
Docket: All documents in the docket are listed in the
www.regulations.gov index. Although listed in the index, some
information is not publicly available, e.g., CBI or other information
whose disclosure is restricted by statute. Certain other material, such
as copyrighted material, will be publicly available only in hard copy.
Publicly available docket materials are available either electronically
in www.regulations.gov or in hard copy at the Office of Water Docket,
Environmental Protection Agency, Public Reading Room, Room B102, EPA
West Building, 1301 Constitution Avenue, NW., Washington, DC. The
Public Reading Room is open from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through
Friday, excluding legal holidays. The telephone number for the Public
Reading Room is (202) 566-1744, and the telephone number for the Office
of Water Docket is (202) 566-2426.
The complete text of the draft guidance is available on EPA's
Internet
[[Page 40518]]
site on the Nonpoint Source Control Branch's homepage at https://
www.epa.gov/owow/nps/pubs.html. Copies of the complete draft guidance
can also be obtained upon request.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Chris Solloway, Assessment and
Watershed Protection Division, Office of Water, Mailcode: 4503T,
Environmental Protection Agency, 1200 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW.,
Washington, DC 20460; telephone number (202) 566-1202; fax number (202)
566-1437; e-mail address: Solloway.chris@epa.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
I. General Information
A. Interested Entities
Entities potentially interested in today's notice are those that
manage watersheds potentially affected by hydromodification. Categories
and entities interested in today's notice include:
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Category Examples of interested entities
------------------------------------------------------------------------
State/Local/Tribal Government.......... Water Quality Officials, Public
Land Management Officials,
Association of State and
Interstate Water Pollution
Control Administrators.
Federal Government..................... Army Corps of Engineers,
Natural Resources Conservation
Service (USDA), Forest Service
(USDA), National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration,
Department of Transportation.
Non-government organizations........... Resource Management
Associations, Trade Group
Associations, Professional
Associations, Environmental
Groups.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
This table is not intended to be exhaustive, but rather provides a
guide for readers regarding entities likely to be interested in this
notice. This table lists the types of entities that EPA is aware could
potentially be interested in this notice. Other types of entities not
listed in the table could also be interested.
B. What Should I Consider as I Prepare My Comments for EPA?
1. Submitting CBI. Do not submit this information to EPA through
www.regulations.gov or e-mail. Clearly mark the part or all of the
information that you claim to be CBI. For CBI information in a disk or
CD ROM that you mail to EPA, mark the outside of the disk or CD ROM as
CBI and then identify electronically within the disk or CD ROM the
specific information that is claimed as CBI). In addition to one
complete version of the comment that includes information claimed as
CBI, a copy of the comment that does not contain the information
claimed as CBI must be submitted for inclusion in the public docket.
Information so marked will not be disclosed except in accordance with
procedures set forth in 40 CFR part 2.
2. Tips for Preparing Your Comments. When submitting comments,
remember to:
Identify the rulemaking by docket number and other
identifying information (subject heading, Federal Register date and
page number).
Follow directions--The agency may ask you to respond to
specific questions or organize comments by referencing a Code of
Federal Regulations (CFR) part or section number.
Explain why you agree or disagree; suggest alternatives
and substitute language for your requested changes.
Describe any assumptions and provide any technical
information and/or data that you used.
If you estimate potential costs or burdens, explain how
you arrived at your estimate in sufficient detail to allow for it to be
reproduced.
Provide specific examples to illustrate your concerns, and
suggest alternatives.
Explain your views as clearly as possible, avoiding the
use of profanity or personal threats.
Make sure to submit your comments by the comment period
deadline identified.
II. Background
In 1993, under the authority of section 6217(g) of the Coastal Zone
Act Reauthorization Amendments, EPA issued Guidance Specifying
Management Measures for Sources of Nonpoint Pollution in Coastal
Waters. That guidance document details management measures appropriate
for the control of five categories of nonpoint sources of pollution in
the coastal zone: agriculture, forestry, urban areas, marinas and
recreational boating, and hydromodification. The document also includes
management measures for wetlands, riparian areas, and vegetated
treatment systems because they are important to the abatement of
nonpoint source pollution in coastal waters. States and territories
were required to adopt measures ``in conformity'' with the coastal
management measures guidance for their Coastal Nonpoint Pollution
Control Programs.
State, territory, and tribal water quality assessments continue to
identify nonpoint source pollution as a major cause of degradation in
surveyed waters nationwide. In 1987, Congress enacted section 319 of
the Clean Water Act to establish a national program to control nonpoint
sources of water pollution. Under section 319, states, territories, and
tribes address nonpoint source pollution by assessing the nonpoint
source pollution problems within the state, territory, or tribal lands;
identifying the sources of pollution; and implementing management
programs to control the pollution. Section 319 also authorizes EPA to
award grants to states, territories, and tribes to assist them in
implementing management programs that EPA has approved. Program
implementation includes nonregulatory and regulatory programs,
technical assistance, financial assistance, education, training,
technology transfer, and demonstration projects. In fiscal year 2005,
Congress appropriated and EPA awarded approximately $207 million for
state nonpoint source management program grants.
The 1993 management measures guidance focused on conditions of and
examples from the coastal zone. The draft national management measures
guidance is intended to expand the focus nationwide to provide
technical guidance on effective measures for managing hydromodification
for the abatement of nonpoint source pollution. Although the practices
detailed in the 1993 coastal guidance apply generally to inland areas,
EPA has recognized the utility of developing and publishing technical
guidance that explicitly addresses nonpoint source pollution on a
nationwide basis. Moreover, additional information and examples from
research and experience to date with implementation of the management
measures are available to enrich the national guidance. These changes
have helped to prompt the revision and expansion of the
hydromodification chapter of the 1993 guidance.
[[Page 40519]]
III. Scope of the Draft Hydromodification Guidance--Sources of Nonpoint
Source Pollution Addressed
The draft technical guidance continues to focus on the major
sources of pollution from hydromodification identified for the 1993
coastal guidance by EPA in consultation with a number of other Federal
agencies and other leading national experts, including several experts
from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Specifically, the guidance
identifies management measures for the following:
Channelization and Channel Modification
Physical and Chemical Characteristics of Surface Water
Instream and Riparian Habitat Restoration
Dams
Erosion and Sediment Control
Chemical and Pollutant Control
Protection of Surface Water Quality and Instream and
Riparian Habitat
Streambank and Shoreline Erosion
Eroding Streambanks and Shorelines
IV. Approach Used To Develop Guidance
The draft management measures guidance is based in large part on
the 1993 coastal guidance. The coastal guidance was developed using a
workgroup approach to draw upon technical expertise within other
Federal agencies as well as state water quality and coastal zone
management agencies.
The 1993 text has been expanded to include information on the
application and effectiveness of hydromodification BMPs from recent
research, the cost of installing BMPs, watershed-scale and ecological
impacts of hydromodification activities, and certification programs for
personnel involved in construction and dam removal.
V. Request for Comments
EPA is soliciting comments on the draft guidance on nonpoint source
management measures for hydromodification. The Agency is soliciting
additional information and supporting data on the measures specified in
this guidance and on additional measures that may be as effective or
more effective in controlling nonpoint source pollution from
hydromodification. EPA requests that commenters focus their comments on
the technical soundness of the draft management measures guidance.
Dated: July 6, 2006.
Benjamin H. Grumbles,
Assistant Administrator, Office of Water.
[FR Doc. E6-11248 Filed 7-14-06; 8:45 am]
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