National Primary Drinking Water Regulations: Analytical Method for Uranium

The Environmental Protection Agency is taking direct final action to approve the use of three additional analytical methods for compliance determinations of uranium in drinking water. These methods use an inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) technology that has gained wide acceptance in the analytical community. EPA believes that ICP-MS analytical methods could be more cost-effective, less labor-intensive or more sensitive than some of the technologies previously approved in the December 2000 Radionuclides rule. (65 FR 76708) This rule does not withdraw approval of any previously approved monitoring methods for uranium. EPA is publishing this rule without prior proposal because we view this as noncontroversial and anticipate no adverse comment. However, in the "Proposed Rules" section of today's Federal Register publication, we are publishing a separate document that will serve as the proposal to National Primary Drinking Water Regulations: Analytical Method for Uranium if adverse comments are filed. Through this action, EPA only requests comment on whether approval of the ICP-MS methods published by EPA, American Society of Testing and Materials International (ASTM), and the Standard Methods Committee (EPA 200.8, ASTM D5673-03, and SM 3125), is appropriate for compliance determinations of uranium in drinking water. Readers should please note that EPA is not requesting comment on any other use of these three ICP- MS methods, use of any other ICP-MS method, or any issue associated with the uranium standard or its implementation, and EPA will not respond to any comments other than those concerning the approval of these specific methods (as cited) for compliance determinations of uranium in drinking water.