Withdrawal of Federal Marine Aquatic Life Water Quality Criteria for Toxic Pollutants Applicable to Washington State

EPA is proposing to amend the Federal regulations to withdraw its 1992 federally promulgated marine copper and cyanide chronic aquatic life water quality criteria for Washington State, thereby enabling Washington to implement its current EPA-approved chronic numeric criteria for copper and cyanide that cover all marine waters of the State. In 1992, EPA promulgated Federal regulations establishing water quality criteria for priority toxic pollutants for 12 States, including Washington, and two Territories that had not fully complied with the Clean Water Act (CWA). These regulations are known as the "National Toxics Rule" or "NTR." On November 18, 1997, Washington adopted revised chronic marine aquatic life criteria for copper and cyanide, the only two marine aquatic life priority toxic pollutants in the NTR applicable to Washington. These revisions included a chronic marine aquatic life water quality criterion for copper for all marine waters and a chronic site-specific cyanide criterion for the Puget Sound. EPA approved these criteria on February 6, 1998. On August 1, 2003, Washington adopted revisions to its water quality standards, including a chronic marine criterion for cyanide for all marine waters except the Puget Sound. EPA approved this criterion on May 23, 2007. Since Washington now has marine copper and cyanide chronic aquatic life criteria effective under the CWA that EPA has approved as protective of Washington's designated uses, EPA is proposing to amend the NTR to withdraw the federally promulgated criteria.