Browsing by Author "United States Environmental Protection Agency Office of Water"
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Item 2001 Update of Ambient Water Quality Criteria for Cadmium(United States Environmental Protection Agency, 2001-04) United States Environmental Protection Agency Office of WaterThis update document provides guidance to States and Tribes authorized to establish water quality standards under the Clean Water Act (CWA) to protect aquatic life from acute and chronic effects of cadmium. Under the CWA, States and Tribes are to establish water quality criteria to protect designated uses. While this document constitutes U.S. EPA's scientific recommendations regarding ambient concentrations of cadmium, this document does not substitute for the CWA or U.S. EPA's regulations; nor is it a regulation itself. Thus, it cannot impose legally binding requirements on U.S. EPA, States, Tribes, or the regulated community, and might not apply to a particular situation based upon the circumstances. State and Tribal decision-makers retain the discretion to adopt approaches on a case-by-case basis that differ from this guidance when appropriate. U.S. EPA may change this guidance in the future.Item 2003 National Clean Water Act Recognition Awards Ceremony(United States Environmental Protection Agency, 2003-09) United States Environmental Protection Agency Office of WaterNo abstract available.Item 25 Years of the Safe Drinking Water Act: Protecting Our Health from Source to Tap(United States Environmental Protection Agency, 1999-12) United States Environmental Protection Agency Office of WaterNo abstract available.Item Ambient Aquatic Life Water Quality Criteria for Atrazine - Revised Draft(United States Environmental Protection Agency, 2003-10) United States Environmental Protection Agency Office of WaterThis document provides guidance to States and Tribes authorized to establish water quality standards under the Clean Water Act (CWA) to protect aquatic life from acute and chronic effects of atrazine. Under the CWA, States and Tribes are to establish water quality criteria to protect designated uses. While this document constitutes U.S. EPA's scientific recommendations regarding ambient concentrations of atrazine, this document does not substitute for the CWA or U.S. EPA's regulations; nor is it a regulation itself. Thus, it cannor impose legally binding requirements on U.S. EPA, States, Tribes, or the regulated community, and it might not apply to a particular situation based upon the circumstances. State and Tribal decision-makers retain the discretion to adopt approaches on a case-by-case basis that differ from this guidance when appropriate. U.S. EPA may change this guidance in the future.Item Ambient Aquatic Life Water Quality Criteria for Tributylin (TBT) - Final(United States Environmental Protection Agency, 2003-12) United States Environmental Protection Agency Office of WaterThis document provides guidance to States and Tribes authorized to establish water quality standards under the Clean Water Act (CWA) to protect aquatic life from acute and chronic effects of tributylin (TBT). Under the CWA, States and Tribes are to establish water quality criteria to protect designated uses. While this document constitutes U.S. EPA's scientific recommendations regarding ambient concentrations of TBT, this document does not substitute for the CWA or U.S. EPA's regulations; nor is it a regulation itself. Thus, it cannot impose legally binding requirements on U.S. EPA, States, Tribes, or the regulated community, and it might not apply to a particular situation based upon the circumstances. State and Tribal decision-makers retain the discretion to adopt approaches on a case-by-case basis that differ from this guidance when appropriate. U.S. EPA may change this guidance in the future.Item Ambient Water Quality Criteria Recommendations: Information Supporting the Development of State and Tribal Nutrient Criteria for Rivers and Streams in Nutrient Ecoregion IX(United States Environmental Protection Agency, 2000-12) United States Environmental Protection Agency Office of WaterThis document presents EPA's nutrient criteria for Rivers and Streams in Nutrient Ecoregion IX. These criteria provide EPA's recommendations to States and authorized Tribes for use in establishing their water quality standards consistent with section 303 (c) of CWA. Under section 303(c) of the CWA, States and authorized Tribes have the primary responsibility for adopting water quality standards as State or Tribal law or regulation. The standards must contain scientifically defensible water quality criteria that are protective of designated uses. EPA's recommended section 304(c) criteria are not laws or regulations - they are guidance that States and Tribes may use as a starting point for the criteria for their water quality standards.Item Ambient Water Quality Criteria Recommendations: Information Supporting the Development of State and Tribal Nutrient Criteria for Rivers and Streams in Nutrient Ecoregion V(United States Environmental Protection Agency, 2001-12) United States Environmental Protection Agency Office of WaterThis document presents EPA's nutrient criteria for Rivers and Streams in Nutrient Ecoregion V. These criteria provide EPA's recommendations to States and authorized Tribes for use in establishing their water quality standards consistent with section 303(c) of the Clean Water Act (CWA). Under section 303(c) of the CWA, States and authorized Tribes have the primary responsibility for adopting water quality standards as part of State or Tribal law or regulation. Federal regulations require States and Tribal Standards to contain scientifically defensible water quality criteria that are protective of designated uses. EPA's recommended section 304(a) criteria are not laws or regulations; they are guidance that States and Tribes may use as a starting point in creating their own water quality standards.Item Appendix to Bioaccumulation Testing and Interpretation for the Purpose of Sediment Quality Assessment: Status and Needs - Chemical-Specific Summary Tables(United States Environmental Protection Agency, 2000-02) United States Environmental Protection Agency Office of Water; United States Environmental Protection Agency Office of Solid WasteThe document is an appendix to Bioaccumulation Testing and Interpretation for the Purpose of Sediment Quality Assessment: Status and Needs. It summarizes information on chemical characteristics, including water solubilities, half-lives, and partition coefficients (log Kow and Log Koc); human health concerns; wildlife and aquatic organism partitioning factors; and food chain multipliers. A brief profile of the chemical's toxicity, mode of action, and potential for bioaccumulation is also included. Daily intake levels of concern for the protection of human health were compiled, including estimated values for carcinogenic endpoints (slope factors) and noncarcinogenic endpoints (reference doses) for the oral ingestion exposure pathway, and EPA's carcinogenic classifications are provided. Factors affecting partitioning of the chemical in relation to wildlife and aquatic organisms, food chain multipliers (biomagnification factors), toxic effects and mode of action, and other information were compiled from various sources. Data in the chemical summary tables will be useful in addressing the following issues pertaining to bioaccumulation: What species are potentially available for testing?; How should we account for differential partitioning of bioaccumulative contaminants among tissues?; How can bioaccumulation methods be used to assess population-level effects?; How can tissue-specific residue levels be coupled with chronic toxicity response data to develop dose-response relationships for bioaccumulative contaminants?Item Aquatox (Release 2) - Modeling Environmental Fate and Ecological Effects in Aquatic Ecosystems - Volume 2: Technical Documentation(United States Environmental Protection Agency, 2004-01) United States Environmental Protection Agency Office of WaterVolume 2: Technical Documentation provides detailed documentation of the concepts and constructs of the model so that its suitability for given applications can be determined.Item Aquatox for Windows - A Modular Fate and Effects Model for Aquatic Ecosystems Release 1.1 - Volume 3: Model Varification Reports Addendum(United States Environmental Protection Agency, 2001-11) United States Environmental Protection Agency Office of WaterThe ecosystem model AQUATOX is one of the few general ecological risk models that represents the combined environmental fate and effects of toxic chemicals. The model also represents conventional pollutants, such as nutrients and sediments, and considers several trophic levels, including attached and planktonic algae, submerged aquatic vegetation, several types of invertebrates, and several types of fish. It has been implemented for streams, small rivers, ponds, lakes, and reservoirs. The AQUATOX model is described in these documents. Volume 1: User's Manual describes the usage of the model. Volume 2: Technical Documentation provides detailed documentation of the concepts and constructs of the model so that its suitability for given applications can be determined. Volume 3: Model Validation Reports presents three model varification studies for different environmental stressors and in different waterbody types. The validations were performed using test versions of the model which had only very minor differences from Release Version 1; the specific test version is noted in the title of each report. This Addendum to Volume 3 presents a calibration and validation study for the use of AQUATOX to simulate periphyton in streams. Constructs were added to AQUATOX in order to better represent periphyton dynamics; these are described in the text.Item AQUATOX for Windows: A Modular Fate and Effects Model for Aquatic Ecosystems - Release 1 - Volume 2: Technical Documentation(United States Environmental Protection Agency, 2000-09) United States Environmental Protection Agency Office of WaterThe ecosystem model AQUATOX is one of the few general ecological risk models that represents the combined environmental fate and effects of toxic chemicals. The model also represents conventional pollutants, such as nutrients and sediments, and considers several trophic levels, including attached and planktonic algae, submerged aquatic vegetation, several types of invertebrates, and several types of fish. It has been implemented for streams, small rivers, ponds, lakes, and reservoirs. The AQUATOX model is described in these documents. Volume 1: User's Manual describes the usage of the model. Because the model is menu-driven and runs under Microsoft Windows on microcomputers, it is user-friendly and little guidance is required. Volume 2: Technical Documentation provides detailed documentation of the concepts and constructs of the model so that its suitability for given applications can be determined. Volume 3: Validation Studies presents three model validation studies performed for different environmental stressors and in different waterbody types.Item Assessing and Monitoring Floatable Debris(United States Environmental Protection Agency, 2002-08) United States Environmental Protection Agency Office of WaterThis document provides examples of monitoring and assessment programs that have been established in the United States to address the impact of floatable debris, as well as examples of mitigation activities to address floatable debris, and contact information. Section 1 of the document discusses some of the impacts of floatable debris on the aquatic environment, and describes the current legislation available to address those impacts. Section 2 of this document discusses the types and origins of floatable debris. Section 3 discusses a variety of plans and programs that have been developed and implemented to assess and monitor floatable debris. Section 4 presents recommendations for developing assessment and monitoring programs that were presented in the Marine Debris Survey Manual, developed by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and Chapter 16 of EPA's Volunteer Estuary Monitoring: A Methods Manual (USEPA, 1993). Section 5 provides a number of examples of prevention and mitigation activities associated with floatable debris that are underway around the country.Item Bacterial Water Quality Standards for Recreational Waters (Freshwater and Marine Waters) Status Report(United States Environmental Protection Agency, 1998-05) United States Environmental Protection Agency Office of WaterThe purpose of the Status Report is to provide a brief overview of the bacterial water quality standards that have been adopted by states for their marine and fresh recreational waters in the United States. This report is based on consultations with EPA water quality standards coordinators. The report is accurate as of September 1997; however, there may be revisions to standards that are not reflected in this report. EPA will update the report periodically to reflect new information. The following tables contain updated information on the bacterial water quality standards that have been adopted by states, territories, and tribes to protect human health from waterborne diseases within their jurisdictions. The information is presented in summary format for both states/territories and tribes. The standards are also described in more detail. The summary is organized first by EPA region, and then by state, territory, and tribe within each region. For the precise regulatory language applicable to a particular state, the reader should consult the water quality standards of that state. Copies of state water quality standards may be obtained from the state's water quality management agency or its equivalent. The reader should also note that these may not be the only guidelines or standards in effect for recreational waters in a particular location. It is not uncommon for a local health agency to develop and adopt site-specific guidelines as part of their public health codes. Although EPA is compiling a catalog of these guidelines, one should consult with the appropriate local health agency to obtain detailed information.Item Bay Scallop Restoration Project in Chincoteague Bay(United States Environmental Protection Agency, 1999-04) United States Environmental Protection Agency Office of WaterNo abstract available.Item Beach and Your Coastal Watershed(United States Environmental Protection Agency, 1998-04) United States Environmental Protection Agency Office of WaterNo abstract available.Item BEACH Program(United States Environmental Protection Agency, 1997-09) United States Environmental Protection Agency Office of WaterNo abstract available.Item Beyond SRF: A Workbook for Financing CCMP Implementation(United States Environmental Protection Agency, 1996-08) United States Environmental Protection Agency Office of WaterThe Oceans and Coastal Protection Division in the Office of Wetlands, Oceans and Watersheds, Office of Water, of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, is engaged in an ongoing effort to provide resource managers with information, tools, and products they can use to carry out their missions effectively. This workbook introduces states, tribal, and local officials to potential approaches for financing various aspects of coastal protection, especially those identified under the auspices of the National Estuary Program (NEP). Because the NEP has a fairly well defined process, including development and implementation of Comprehensive Conservation and Management Plans (CCMPs), the workbook focuses explicitly on financing actions developed under the NEP. However, the concepts should apply equally well in evaluating sources of funding for all watershed protection efforts, as well as other environmental or natural resource protection programs.Item Bibliography of Methods for Marine and Estuarine Monitoring(United States Environmental Protection Agency, 1995-04) United States Environmental Protection Agency Office of WaterThis document is designed to give coastal managers a single reference for the broad spectrum of sampling and analytical methods that are in use today. Because of the complexity of estuarine and marine environments and associated issues, no single monitoring methods manual can be applied to all situations. This document, therefore, provides the coastal manager with a starting point for identifying and selecting appropriate methods for use in the National Estuary Program, Ocean Dumping Program and other coastal monitoring programsItem Big Darby Creek Case Study: A Profile of Watershed Threats and Protection in a Midwest Landscape(United States Environmental Protection Agency, 2000-12) United States Environmental Protection Agency Office of WaterThis report presents the results of a 1996 inquiry by an EPA team into the circumstances and events that affected the natural environment of Big Darby Creek and its supporting watershed, just west of Columbus, Ohio. In the inquiry, which covered the 25-30 year period ending in 1996, the team investigated both the threats to the aquatic values and resources of the watershed, and also the way in which watershed inhabitants, organizations and various levels of government responded to them. The report is presented in the following order. Part II introduces the reader to the natural and political setting of the Big Darby Creek watershed, and its special values. Part III is a short account of the events and circumstances threatening and protecting the watershed; it provides a historical framework for detailed discussion later in the report. Part IV elaborates the various kinds of threats the watershed experienced-the stresses affecting the environment and their human sources. Parts V and VI continue with detailed discussions of the information available to the team. Part V narrates and comments on the major clusers of threats and responses int he watershed: those relating to proposed damming o Big Darby Creek, to agricultural practices and to residential development. It identifies factors and groups involved in creating and responding to particular threats. Part VI then considers such factos and forces (e.g., scientific knowledge, organizations, availability of resources, local government) separately, and comments on their apparent significance in the Big Darby Creek setting. Part VII adds concluding observations to those already set out in earlier chapters of the report regarding threats, why and how they occurred, and what can be concluded about their containment.Item Bioaccumulation Testing and Interpretation for the Purpose of Sediment Quality Assessment: Status and Needs(United States Environmental Protection Agency, 2000-02) United States Environmental Protection Agency Office of Water; United States Environmental Protection Agency Office of Solid WasteThe purpose of this document is to describe existing knowledge on the use of bioaccumulation data as part of sediment quality assessments. This document: Provides a comprehensive summary of existing knowledge on bioaccumulation; Provides a compilation of exposure and effects data for persistent, bioaccumulative chemicals; Discusses factors that affect the bioavailability of sediment-associated contaminants; Identifies how various programs currently use bioaccumulation data for sediment management decisions; Identifies issues and research needs for interpreting bioaccumulation data for the purpose of assessing sediment quality.