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PA EPA SEEKS PUBLIC COMMENT ON CLEAN WATER PROGRAM; RELEASES CLEAN WATER STRATEGY DOCUMENTS

Release Date: 07/10/98
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EPA SEEKS PUBLIC COMMENT ON CLEAN WATER PROGRAM; RELEASES CLEAN WATER STRATEGY DOCUMENTS

On July 7, EPA published a notice in the Federal Register seeking public comment on the future of many aspects of the water quality standards program. The Advance Notice of Proposed Rulemaking on the Water Quality Standards Regulation will provide the basis for a structured national discourse on the future of many aspects of the water quality standards program to ensure that the program fully protects the nation’s waters. It requests public comment on EPA’s current thinking on possible regulatory and policy changes to strengthen and modernize the water quality standards regulation, including facilitating watershed approaches. EPA will take comments until January 4, l999 and will hold three public meetings. The first meeting will be held August 27 and 28 in Philadelphia. Two additional meetings, specific locations yet undetermined, will be held in the mid west and west in late September and October. The Federal Register notice and information on the public meetings are available on the Internet at: https://www.epa.gov/OST/Rules/anprm.html. For more information, contact Rob Wood at 202-260-9536.

In June, EPA released additional documents describing the Agency’s strategy for the nation’s clean water program. The Water Quality Criteria and Standards Plan presents a vision and strategy for EPA, states, and tribes to work together over the next decade to improve water quality standards. The Plan describes seven new program initiatives that EPA will undertake in the coming years. The Water Quality Criteria and Standards Plan will be available soon on the Internet at: https://www.epa.gov/OST/standards/quality.html or contact Bill Swietlick at 202-260-9569.

On June 10, EPA released the National Water Program Agenda for 1998-1999. The Water Agenda presents how the Clean Water Action Plan and the new Safe Drinking Water Act Amendments fit into EPA's Office of Water's broader planning activities for its goal to achieve clean and safe water. Over the coming year, EPA will finalize a multi-year plan that integrates the steps needed to implement the Clean Water Action Plan, the Safe Drinking Water Act Amendments, the Office of Water's tribal strategy, and other long term activities of the agency. The National Water Program Agenda can be found on the Internet at:
https://www.epa.gov/OW/ownews/agenfin.html.


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