Withdrawal of Federal Human Health and Aquatic Life Water Quality Criteria for Toxic Pollutants Applicable to Michigan

EPA is taking direct final action to amend the Federal regulations to withdraw water quality criteria applicable to Michigan. In 1992, EPA promulgated Federal regulations establishing water quality criteria for priority toxic pollutants for 12 States and two territories, including Michigan, that had not fully complied with Clean Water Act (CWA); these regulations are known as the "National Toxics Rule" or "NTR". Thereafter, EPA published regulations pursuant to section 118 of the CWA to establish consistent enforceable protections for the Great Lakes system (Water Quality Guidance for the Great Lakes System). In compliance with the Water Quality Guidance for the Great Lakes System, Michigan adopted water quality standards on July 29, 1997, which included numeric water quality criteria and methodologies for deriving numeric criteria for the same priority toxic pollutants included in the NTR. EPA approved these standards on August 4, 2000. Since Michigan now has criteria, effective under the CWA, for the same priority toxic pollutants in the NTR, EPA has determined that the Federally promulgated criteria are no longer needed. In this direct final rule, EPA is withdrawing Michigan from the NTR without prior proposal because EPA views this action as noncontroversial and does not anticipate adverse comment.