Revisions to the Water Quality Planning and Management Regulation and Revisions to the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System Program in Support of Revisions to the Water Quality Planning and Management Regulation

Today's final rule revises and clarifies the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) current regulatory requirements for establishing Total Maximum Daily Loads (TMDLs) under the Clean Water Act (CWA) so that TMDLs can more effectively contribute to improving the nation's water quality. Clean water has been a national goal for many decades. While significant progress has been made, particularly in stemming pollution from factories and city sewage systems, major challenges remain. These challenges call for a focused effort to identify polluted waters and enlist all those who enjoy, use, or depend on them in the restoration effort. Today's action will establish an effective and flexible framework to move the country toward the goal of clean water for all Americans. It establishes a process for making decisions in a common sense, cost effective way on how best to restore polluted waterbodies. It is based on identifying and implementing necessary reductions in both point and nonpoint sources of pollutants as expeditiously as practicable. States, Territories, and authorized Tribes will develop more comprehensive lists of all waterbodies that do not attain and maintain water quality standards. States, Territories, and authorized Tribes will schedule, based on priority factors, the establishment of all necessary TMDLs over 10 years, with an allowance for another five years where necessary. The rule also specifies elements of approvable TMDLs, including implementation plans which contain lists of actions and expeditious schedules to reduce pollutant loadings. States, Territories, and authorized Tribes will provide the public with opportunities to comment on methodologies, lists, prioritized schedules, and TMDLs prior to submission to EPA. The rule lays out specific timeframes under which EPA will assure that lists of waters and TMDLs are completed as scheduled, and necessary National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permits are issued to implement TMDLs. The fi