Draft Technical Support Document: Recommended Estimates for Missing Water Quality Parameters for Application in EPA's Biotic Ligand Model, 7784-7786 [2016-03119]

Download as PDF 7784 Federal Register / Vol. 81, No. 30 / Tuesday, February 16, 2016 / Notices Agreement. For purposes of commenting on the Programmatic Agreement, we propose to restrict the service list for Project No. 2322–060 as follows: mstockstill on DSK4VPTVN1PROD with NOTICES Dr. John Eddins, Advisory Council on Historic Preservation, 401 F Street NW., Suite 308, Washington, DC 20001–2637 Kirk F. Mohney, SHPO, Maine Historic Preservation Commission, 55 Capitol Street, 65 State House Station, Augusta, ME 04333–0065 Robin K. Reed or Representative, Maine Historic Preservation Commission, 55 Capitol Street, 65 State House Station, Augusta, ME 04333–0065 Frank Dunlap and Representative, Brookfield Renewable Energy Group, 26 Katherine Drive, Hallowell, ME 04347 Jennifer Pictou, THPO, or Representative, Aroostook Band of Micmac, 7 Northern Road, Presque Isle, ME 04769 Chris Sockalexis, THPO, or Representative, Penobscot Indian Nation, 12 Wabanaki Way, Indian Island, ME 04468 Donald Soctomah, THPO, Passamaquoddy Tribe—Pleasant Point, or Representative, P.O. Box 159, Princeton, ME 04668 Chief William Nicolas, Sr. or Representative, Passamaquoddy Tribe—Indian Township, P.O. Box 301, Princeton, ME 04668 Chief Brenda Commander or Representative, Houlton Band of Maliseet, 88 Bell Road, Littleton, ME 04730 David Saunders, Bureau of Indian Affairs, Eastern Region, 545 Marriott Drive, Suite 700, Nashville, TN 37214 Harold Peterson, Bureau of Indian Affairs, Eastern Region, 545 Marriott Drive, Suite 700, Nashville, TN 37214 Any person on the official service list for the above-captioned proceedings may request inclusion on the restricted service list, or may request that a restricted service list not be established, by filing a motion to that effect within 15 days of this notice date. A copy of any such motion must be filed with the Secretary, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, 888 First Street NE., Washington, DC 20426 and must be served on each person whose name appears on the official service list. If no such motions are filed, the restricted service list will be effective at the end of the 15 day period. Otherwise, a further notice will be issued ruling on the motion. VerDate Sep<11>2014 22:15 Feb 12, 2016 Jkt 238001 Dated: February 9, 2016. Nathaniel J. Davis, Sr., Deputy Secretary. [FR Doc. 2016–03021 Filed 2–12–16; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 6717–01–P DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY Federal Energy Regulatory Commission [Docket No. AD16–16–000] Implementation Issues Under the Public Utility Regulatory Policies Act of 1978; Notice of Technical Conference Take notice that the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission plans to hold a technical conference in the abovecaptioned docket on implementation issues under the Public Utility Regulatory Policies Act of 1978, 16 U.S.C. 796(17)–(18), 824a–3 (2012) (PURPA). The technical conference will take place on June 29, 2016. The conference will be held at the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, 888 First Street NE., Washington, DC 20426. The technical conference will be webcast and transcribed. Further information concerning topics and speakers, as well as matters relevant to the organization of the technical conference, will be provided at a later date in supplemental notices. Dated: February 9, 2016. Nathaniel J. Davis, Sr., Deputy Secretary. [FR Doc. 2016–03016 Filed 2–12–16; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 6717–01–P ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY [FRL 9942–42–OA] Local Government Advisory Committee (LGAC); Notice of Charter Renewal Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). ACTION: Notice. AGENCY: Notice is hereby given that the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has determined that, in accordance with the provisions of the Federal Advisory Committee Act (FACA), 5 U.S.C. App. 2, the Local Government Advisory Committee (LGAC) is a necessary committee which is in the public interest. Accordingly, LGAC will be renewed for an additional two-year period. The purpose of LGAC is to provide advice and recommendations to PO 00000 Frm 00043 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 EPA’s Administrator on ways to improve its partnership with Local Governments and provide more efficient and effective environmental protection. Inquiries may be directed to Frances Eargle, Designated Federal Officer, LGAC, U.S. EPA, (Mail Code 1301A), 1200 Pennsylvania Avenue NW., Washington, DC 20460, or eargle.frances@epa.gov. Dated: February 4, 2016. Nichole Distefano, Associate Administrator, Office of Congressional and Intergovernmental Relations. [FR Doc. 2016–03101 Filed 2–12–16; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 6560–50–P ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY [EPA–HQ–OW–2015–0469; FRL–9942–26– OW] Draft Technical Support Document: Recommended Estimates for Missing Water Quality Parameters for Application in EPA’s Biotic Ligand Model Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). ACTION: Notice of availability. AGENCY: The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is announcing availability of the draft technical support document: Recommended Estimates for Missing Water Quality Parameters for Application in EPA’s Biotic Ligand Model for public comment. In 2007, EPA published updated criteria for freshwater copper using the Biotic Ligand Model (BLM), a bioavailability model that relies on ten water quality input parameters to estimate copper criteria protective of aquatic life in freshwater. This draft technical support document summarizes data analysis approaches EPA used to develop recommendations for default values for water quality parameters used in the Freshwater Copper BLM when data are lacking. These default values may also be used to fill in missing water quality input parameters in the application of other metal BLM models as well, when data are lacking. Following closure of this 30 day public comment period, EPA will consider the comments, revise the document, as appropriate, and then publish a final technical support document that will serve as a source of information for states, tribes, territories, and other stakeholders. DATES: Comments must be received on or before March 17, 2016. SUMMARY: E:\FR\FM\16FEN1.SGM 16FEN1 Federal Register / Vol. 81, No. 30 / Tuesday, February 16, 2016 / Notices Submit your comments, identified by Docket ID No. EPA–HQ– OW–2015–0469, to the Federal eRulemaking Portal: https:// www.regulations.gov. Follow the online instructions for submitting comments. Once submitted, comments cannot be edited or withdrawn. EPA may publish any comment received to its public docket. Do not submit electronically any information you consider to be Confidential Business Information (CBI) or other information whose disclosure is restricted by statute. Multimedia submissions (audio, video, etc.) must be accompanied by a written comment. The written comment is considered the official comment and should include discussion of all points you wish to make. EPA will generally not consider comments or comment contents located outside of the primary submission (i.e., on the web, cloud, or other file sharing system). For additional submission methods, the full EPA public comment policy, information about CBI or multimedia submissions, and general guidance on making effective comments, please visit https:// www2.epa.gov/dockets/commentingepa-dockets. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Kathryn Gallagher, Health and Ecological Criteria Division, Office of Water (Mail Code 4304T), Environmental Protection Agency, 1200 Pennsylvania Avenue NW., Washington, DC 20460; telephone: (202) 564–1398; email address: gallagher.kathryn@ epa.gov. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: ADDRESSES: mstockstill on DSK4VPTVN1PROD with NOTICES I. General Information A. How can I get copies of this document and other related information? 1. 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 Water Docket, EPA/ DC, EPA West, Room 3334, 1301 Constitution Ave. 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 Water Docket is (202) 566–2426. For additional VerDate Sep<11>2014 22:15 Feb 12, 2016 Jkt 238001 information about EPA’s public docket, visit EPA Docket Center homepage at https://www.epa.gov/epahome/ dockets.htm. II. What is the relationship between state or tribal water quality standards and the draft technical support document? Recommended estimates for missing water quality parameters for application in EPA’s biotic ligand model? As part of the water quality standards triennial review process defined in section 303(c)(1) of the CWA, the states and authorized tribes are responsible for maintaining and revising water quality standards. Water quality standards consist of designated uses, water quality criteria to protect those uses, a policy for antidegradation, and may include general policies for application and implementation. States and authorized tribes must adopt water quality criteria that protect designated uses. Protective criteria are based on a sound scientific rationale and contain sufficient parameters or constituents to protect the designated uses. States and authorized tribes have four options when adopting water quality criteria for which EPA has published section 304(a) criteria. They can: (1) Establish numerical values based on recommended section 304(a) criteria; (2) Adopt section 304(a) criteria modified to reflect site-specific conditions; (3) Adopt criteria derived using other scientifically defensible methods; or (4) Establish narrative criteria where numeric criteria cannot be established or to supplement numerical criteria (40 CFR 131.11(b)). The current 304(a) criteria recommendation for freshwater copper relies on implementation of the BLM model. The model requires 10 inputs to determine the criteria. This technical support document provides default values for 8 of the 10 parameters, where site-specific data are not available, and thereby facilitates the use of the BLM model. The document describes the methods used to estimate missing parameters. III. Information on the Draft Technical Support Document Recommended Estimates for Missing Water Quality Parameters for Application in EPA’s Biotic Ligand Model The Biotic Ligand Model (BLM) is used to derive Aquatic Life Ambient water quality criteria for copper in freshwater. The BLM requires 10 input parameters: Temperature, pH, dissolved PO 00000 Frm 00044 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 7785 organic carbon, alkalinity, calcium, magnesium, sodium, potassium, sulfate, and chloride to derive water quality criteria. In 2007, EPA published updated criteria for freshwater copper using the biotic ligand model. An ongoing implementation challenge for state water quality standards is completing a parameter database for BLM use when a site has missing model input parameters. EPA developed approaches to estimate missing water quality parameters including geochemical ions (calcium, magnesium, sodium, potassium, sulfate, chloride, and alkalinity) and dissolved organic carbon (DOC). For geochemical ions (GI) parameter estimates, specific conductivity was combined with geostatistical techniques (Kriging) to generate protective estimates for use in the BLM when data are not available. DOC estimates were derived using several water quality databases including the National Organic Carbon Database, Storage and Retrieval Data System, National Waters Information System, Wadeable Stream Assessment, and National River and Stream Assessment (NRSA) database. This draft support document provides default recommended values that could be used to fill in missing water quality input parameters when data are lacking for 8 of 10 BLM parameters. Default recommended values for GI parameters are 10th percentile ecoregional, streamorder specific values. Default recommended values for DOC are 10th percentile ecoregional values. These default values could also be used to fill in missing water quality input parameters in the application of other metal BLM models as well, when data are lacking. In addition, the document also recommends that the other two parameters, temperature and pH, be measured directly in the field. Sitespecific data are always preferable for use in the BLM and should be used to develop copper criteria via the BLM when possible. Users of the BLM are encouraged to sample their water body of interest, and to analyze the samples for the constituent (parameter) concentrations as a basis for determining BLM inputs, when possible. This document underwent an internal EPA review and an independent contractor-led external peer review. IV. Solicitation of Scientific Views EPA is soliciting additional scientific views, data, and information regarding the science and technical approach used in the derivation of this draft technical document. E:\FR\FM\16FEN1.SGM 16FEN1 7786 Federal Register / Vol. 81, No. 30 / Tuesday, February 16, 2016 / Notices Dated: February 4, 2016. Elizabeth Southerland, Director, Office of Science and Technology. [FR Doc. 2016–03119 Filed 2–12–16; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 6560–50–P ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY [FRL–9942–45–OEI] Agency Information Collection Activities OMB Responses Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). ACTION: Notice. AGENCY: This document announces the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) responses to Agency Clearance requests, in compliance with the Paperwork Reduction Act (44 U.S.C. 3501 et seq.). An agency may not conduct or sponsor, and a person is not required to respond to, a collection of information unless it displays a currently valid OMB control number. The OMB control numbers for EPA regulations are listed in 40 CFR part 9 and 48 CFR chapter 15. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Courtney Kerwin (202) 566–1669, or email at kerwin.courtney@epa.gov and please refer to the appropriate EPA Information Collection Request (ICR) Number. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: SUMMARY: mstockstill on DSK4VPTVN1PROD with NOTICES OMB Responses to Agency Clearance Requests OMB Approvals EPA ICR Number 2031.08; Protection of Stratospheric Ozone: Request for Applications from Critical Use Exemption for the Phase out of Methyl Bromide (Renewal); 40 CFR part 82; was approved with change on 8/4/2015; OMB Number 2060–0482; expires on 8/ 31/2018. EPA ICR Number 2207.06; Exchange Network Grants Progress Reports (Renewal); 2 CFR parts 200 and 1500; was approved without change on 8/4/ 2015; OMB Number 2025–0006; expires on 8/31/2018. EPA ICR Number 2183.06; Drug Testing for Contractor Employees (Renewal); 5 CFR parts 731, 732 and 736; was approved without change on 8/ 4/2015; OMB Number 2030–0044; expires on 8/31/2018. EPA ICR Number 2159.06; Background Checks for Contractor Employees (Renewal); 5 CFR parts 731, 732 and 736; was approved without change on 8/4/2015; OMB Number 2030–0043; expires on 8/31/2018. VerDate Sep<11>2014 22:15 Feb 12, 2016 Jkt 238001 EPA ICR Number 2494.01; Survey of the Public and Commercial Building Industry (New); was approved without change on 8/5/2015; OMB Number 2070–0193; expires on 8/31/2018. EPA ICR Number 1250.10; Request for Contractor Access to TSCA Confidential Business Information (CBI); 15 CFR part 2613; was approved without change on 8/11/2015; OMB Number 2070–0075; expires on 8/31/2018. EPA ICR Number 1365.10; AsbestosContaining Materials in Schools and Asbestos Model Accreditation Plans (Renewal); 40 CFR part 763 subpart E appendix C, 40 CFR part 763 subpart E; was approved without change on 8/17/ 2015; OMB Number 2070–0091; expires on 8/31/2018. EPA ICR Number 2403.03; EG for Sewage Sludge Incinerators (Renewal); 40 CFR part 60, subparts A and MMMM; was approved without change on 8/18/ 2015; OMB Number 2060–0661; expires on 8/31/2015. EPA ICR Number 2025.06; NESHAP for Friction Materials Manufacturing (Renewal); 40 CFR part 63, subpart QQQQQ and 40 CFR part 63, subpart A; was approved without change on 8/18/ 2015; OMB Number 2060–0481; expires on 8/31/2018. EPA ICR Number 1284.10; NSPS for Polymeric Coating of Supporting Substrates Facilities (Renewal); 40 CFR part 60, subparts VVV and A; was approved without change on 8/18/2015; OMB Number 2060–0181; expires on 8/ 31/2018. EPA ICR Number 1643.08; Application Requirements for the Approval and Delegation of Federal Air Toxics Programs to State, Territorial, Local, and Tribal Agencies (Renewal); 40 CFR part 63, subpart E; was approved without change on 8/18/2015; OMB Number 2060–0264; expires on 8/31/ 2018. EPA ICR Number 2303.04; NESHAP for Ferroalloys Production Area Sources (Renewal); 40 CFR part 63, subpart YYYYYY and subpart A; was approved with change on 8/18/2015; OMB Number 2060–0625; expires on 8/31/ 2018. EPA ICR Number 2014.06; Reporting and Recordkeeping Requirements of the HCFC Allowance System (Change); 40 CFR part 82, subpart A; was approved without change on 8/18/2015; OMB Number 2060–0498; expires on 4/30/ 2016. EPA ICR Number 2466.01; Revisions to the Total Coliform Rule (Final Rule) (Revision); 40 CFR parts 141 and 142; was approved without change on 8/18/ 2015; OMB Number 2040–0288; expires on 8/31/2018. PO 00000 Frm 00045 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 EPA ICR Number 1789.09; NESHAP for Natural Gas Transmission and Storage (Renewal); 40 CFR part 63, subparts HHH and A; was approved without change on 8/19/2015; OMB Number 2060–0418; expires on 8/31/ 2018. EPA ICR Number 1684.18; Emissions Certification and Compliance Requirements for Nonroad Compression-Ignition Engines and OnHighway Heavy Duty Engines (Renewal); 40 CFR part 63, subpart YYYYYY; 40 CFR part 1042, subparts C, D, G and H; 40 CFR parts 85, 86, 89, 94, 1027, 1039, 1042, 1045, 1060, 1065, and 1068; was approved with change on 8/ 20/2015; OMB Number 2060–0287; expires on 8/31/2018. EPA ICR Number 1051.13; NSPS for Portland Cement Plants (Renewal); 40 CFR part 40, subparts A and F; was approved without change on 8/21/2015; OMB Number 2060–0025; expires on 8/ 31/2018. EPA ICR Number 0276.15; Experimental Use Permits (EUPs) for Pesticides (Renewal); 40 CFR part 172; was approved without change on 8/21/ 2015; OMB Number 2070–0040; expires on 8/31/2018. EPA ICR Number 2455.02; Revision to the Export Provisions of the Cathode Ray Tube (CRT) Rule (Final Rule); 40 CFR part 261; was approved without change on 8/21/2015; OMB Number 2050–0208; expires on 8/31/2018. EPA ICR Number 1630.12; Oil Pollution Act Facility Response Plans (Renewal); 40 CFR parts 112.20, 112.21, and 40 CFR part 112, subpart D; was approved without change on 8/21/2015; OMB Number 2050–0135; expires on 8/ 31/2018. EPA ICR Number 0664.11; NSPS for Bulk Gasoline Terminals (Renewal); 40 CFR part 60, subparts XX and A; was approved without change on 8/24/2015; OMB Number 2060–0006; expires on 8/ 31/2018. Comment Filed EPA ICR Number 2517.01; Proposed Rule Related Addendum to the Existing EPA ICR Entitled: Chemical-Specific Rules; Toxic Substances Control Act Section 8(a) (Proposed Rule); 40 CFR part 704; OMB filed comment on 8/21/ 2015. EPA ICR Number 2394.04; Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Fuel Efficiency Standards (Proposed Rule for Medium- and Heavy-Duty Engines and Vehicles—Phase 2); 40 CFR parts 1043, 1065, 1066, 1068, 22, 600, 85, 86, 1033, 1036, 1037, 1039, 1042, 523, 5234, 534 and 535; OMB filed comment on 8/21/ 2015. E:\FR\FM\16FEN1.SGM 16FEN1

Agencies

[Federal Register Volume 81, Number 30 (Tuesday, February 16, 2016)]
[Notices]
[Pages 7784-7786]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2016-03119]


-----------------------------------------------------------------------

ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[EPA-HQ-OW-2015-0469; FRL-9942-26-OW]


Draft Technical Support Document: Recommended Estimates for 
Missing Water Quality Parameters for Application in EPA's Biotic Ligand 
Model

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

ACTION: Notice of availability.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is announcing 
availability of the draft technical support document: Recommended 
Estimates for Missing Water Quality Parameters for Application in EPA's 
Biotic Ligand Model for public comment. In 2007, EPA published updated 
criteria for freshwater copper using the Biotic Ligand Model (BLM), a 
bioavailability model that relies on ten water quality input parameters 
to estimate copper criteria protective of aquatic life in freshwater. 
This draft technical support document summarizes data analysis 
approaches EPA used to develop recommendations for default values for 
water quality parameters used in the Freshwater Copper BLM when data 
are lacking. These default values may also be used to fill in missing 
water quality input parameters in the application of other metal BLM 
models as well, when data are lacking. Following closure of this 30 day 
public comment period, EPA will consider the comments, revise the 
document, as appropriate, and then publish a final technical support 
document that will serve as a source of information for states, tribes, 
territories, and other stakeholders.

DATES: Comments must be received on or before March 17, 2016.

[[Page 7785]]


ADDRESSES: Submit your comments, identified by Docket ID No. EPA-HQ-OW-
2015-0469, to the Federal eRulemaking Portal: https://www.regulations.gov. Follow the online instructions for submitting 
comments. Once submitted, comments cannot be edited or withdrawn. EPA 
may publish any comment received to its public docket. Do not submit 
electronically any information you consider to be Confidential Business 
Information (CBI) or other information whose disclosure is restricted 
by statute. Multimedia submissions (audio, video, etc.) must be 
accompanied by a written comment. The written comment is considered the 
official comment and should include discussion of all points you wish 
to make. EPA will generally not consider comments or comment contents 
located outside of the primary submission (i.e., on the web, cloud, or 
other file sharing system). For additional submission methods, the full 
EPA public comment policy, information about CBI or multimedia 
submissions, and general guidance on making effective comments, please 
visit https://www2.epa.gov/dockets/commenting-epa-dockets.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Kathryn Gallagher, Health and 
Ecological Criteria Division, Office of Water (Mail Code 4304T), 
Environmental Protection Agency, 1200 Pennsylvania Avenue NW., 
Washington, DC 20460; telephone: (202) 564-1398; email address: 
gallagher.kathryn@epa.gov.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

I. General Information

A. How can I get copies of this document and other related information?

    1. 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 Water Docket, EPA/DC, EPA 
West, Room 3334, 1301 Constitution Ave. 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 Water 
Docket is (202) 566-2426. For additional information about EPA's public 
docket, visit EPA Docket Center homepage at https://www.epa.gov/epahome/dockets.htm.

II. What is the relationship between state or tribal water quality 
standards and the draft technical support document?

Recommended estimates for missing water quality parameters for 
application in EPA's biotic ligand model?

    As part of the water quality standards triennial review process 
defined in section 303(c)(1) of the CWA, the states and authorized 
tribes are responsible for maintaining and revising water quality 
standards. Water quality standards consist of designated uses, water 
quality criteria to protect those uses, a policy for antidegradation, 
and may include general policies for application and implementation. 
States and authorized tribes must adopt water quality criteria that 
protect designated uses. Protective criteria are based on a sound 
scientific rationale and contain sufficient parameters or constituents 
to protect the designated uses. States and authorized tribes have four 
options when adopting water quality criteria for which EPA has 
published section 304(a) criteria. They can:
    (1) Establish numerical values based on recommended section 304(a) 
criteria;
    (2) Adopt section 304(a) criteria modified to reflect site-specific 
conditions;
    (3) Adopt criteria derived using other scientifically defensible 
methods; or
    (4) Establish narrative criteria where numeric criteria cannot be 
established or to supplement numerical criteria (40 CFR 131.11(b)).
    The current 304(a) criteria recommendation for freshwater copper 
relies on implementation of the BLM model. The model requires 10 inputs 
to determine the criteria. This technical support document provides 
default values for 8 of the 10 parameters, where site-specific data are 
not available, and thereby facilitates the use of the BLM model. The 
document describes the methods used to estimate missing parameters.

III. Information on the Draft Technical Support Document

Recommended Estimates for Missing Water Quality Parameters for 
Application in EPA's Biotic Ligand Model

    The Biotic Ligand Model (BLM) is used to derive Aquatic Life 
Ambient water quality criteria for copper in freshwater. The BLM 
requires 10 input parameters: Temperature, pH, dissolved organic 
carbon, alkalinity, calcium, magnesium, sodium, potassium, sulfate, and 
chloride to derive water quality criteria. In 2007, EPA published 
updated criteria for freshwater copper using the biotic ligand model. 
An ongoing implementation challenge for state water quality standards 
is completing a parameter database for BLM use when a site has missing 
model input parameters. EPA developed approaches to estimate missing 
water quality parameters including geochemical ions (calcium, 
magnesium, sodium, potassium, sulfate, chloride, and alkalinity) and 
dissolved organic carbon (DOC). For geochemical ions (GI) parameter 
estimates, specific conductivity was combined with geostatistical 
techniques (Kriging) to generate protective estimates for use in the 
BLM when data are not available. DOC estimates were derived using 
several water quality databases including the National Organic Carbon 
Database, Storage and Retrieval Data System, National Waters 
Information System, Wadeable Stream Assessment, and National River and 
Stream Assessment (NRSA) database.
    This draft support document provides default recommended values 
that could be used to fill in missing water quality input parameters 
when data are lacking for 8 of 10 BLM parameters. Default recommended 
values for GI parameters are 10th percentile ecoregional, stream-order 
specific values. Default recommended values for DOC are 10th percentile 
ecoregional values. These default values could also be used to fill in 
missing water quality input parameters in the application of other 
metal BLM models as well, when data are lacking. In addition, the 
document also recommends that the other two parameters, temperature and 
pH, be measured directly in the field. Site-specific data are always 
preferable for use in the BLM and should be used to develop copper 
criteria via the BLM when possible. Users of the BLM are encouraged to 
sample their water body of interest, and to analyze the samples for the 
constituent (parameter) concentrations as a basis for determining BLM 
inputs, when possible.
    This document underwent an internal EPA review and an independent 
contractor-led external peer review.

IV. Solicitation of Scientific Views

    EPA is soliciting additional scientific views, data, and 
information regarding the science and technical approach used in the 
derivation of this draft technical document.


[[Page 7786]]


    Dated: February 4, 2016.
Elizabeth Southerland,
Director, Office of Science and Technology.
[FR Doc. 2016-03119 Filed 2-12-16; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6560-50-P
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