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Laws & Regulations
- Laws
- Regulations
- Federally promulgated standards
- Federal Clean Water Act determinations that new or revised standards are necessary
Laws
- The entire Clean Water Act
- Sections related to water quality standards:
- Section 101(a)
Declaration of Goals and Policy - Section 303
Water Quality Standards and Implementation Plans - Section 401 (PDF) (16 K)
Permits and Licenses - Certification - Section 510 (PDF) (PDF,47 K)
State Authority
- Section 101(a)
- Safe Drinking Water Act
- Endangered Species Act
Regulations
- Water Quality Standards: CFR Title 40 Part 131
- Water Quality Guidance for the Great Lakes System: CFR Title 40 Part 132
Federally promulgated standards
Listed in chronological order, newest first.
- Removing the Federal Antidegradation Policy Applicable to Waters of the United States Within the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania (November 14, 2008)
- Withdrawal of the Federal Water Quality Standards Use Designations for Certain Water Bodies in Idaho
- Fact Sheet (November 5, 2008)
- Docket at Regulations.gov (Docket #: EPA-HQ-OW-2008-0495)
- Federal Regulations establishing methods to implement Puerto Rico's antidegradation policy. Federal Register Notice (December 12, 2007)
- Withdrawal of Federal Marine Aquatic Life Water Quality Criteria for Toxic Pollutants Applicable to Washington State
- Direct Final Rule: Federal Register Notice (July 09, 2007)
- Proposed Rule: Federal Register Notice (July 09, 2007)
- Docket at Regulations.gov
- Final Water Quality Standards Bacteria Rule for Coastal and Great Lakes Recreation Waters (November 8, 2004)
- Withdrawal of Certain Federal Water Quality Criteria Applicable to Alaska, Arkansas, and Puerto Rico (October 29, 2004)
- Development of Water Quality Standards for Indian Country (April 2004)
- Approval of West Virginia Water Quality Standards Federal Register notice (April 6, 2004)
- Water Quality Standards for Oregon (March 2, 2004)
- Water Quality Standards for Puerto Rico
- Fact Sheet
- Federal Register Notice (January 26, 2004)
- Proposal
- Fact Sheet
- Federal Register Notice (October 20, 2003)
- Withdrawal of Federal Nutrient Standards for the State of Arizona (November 6, 2003)
- Withdrawal of Aquatic Life Water Quality Criteria for Copper and Nickel Applicable to South San Francisco Bay, California
- Fact Sheet
- Federal Register Notice (November 6, 2003)
- Proposal
- Fact Sheet
- Federal Register Notice (June 25, 2003)
- Federal Promulgation of State Water Quality Standards for Kansas (July 2003)
- Withdrawal of Certain Federal Human Health and Aquatic Life Water Quality Criteria Applicable to Vermont, the District of Columbia, Kansas and New Jersey
- Fact Sheet
- Federal Register Notice (December 3, 2002)
- Federal Promulgation of State Water Quality Standards for Kentucky (November 2002)
- Federal Promulgation of State Water Quality Standards for Alabama (October 2002)
- Withdrawal of Federal Human Health and Aquatic Life Water Quality Criteria for Toxic Pollutants Applicable to Michigan.
- Fact Sheet
- Federal Register Notice (November 8, 2002)
- Withdrawal of the Federal Designated Use for Shields Gulch in Idaho.
- Fact Sheet (PDF) (84 K)
- Federal Register Notice, (March 13, 2002)
- Federal standards for Indian country (not issued) (PDF) 528 K, 40 pp., About PDF) - unofficial pre-publication copy of the January 19, 2001, proposed rule to promulgate "core" Federal standards in Indian country. EPA is providing this unofficial pre-publication copy for public reference. This document was never published in the Federal Register, and is not an official version upon which EPA ever sought public comment.
- Establishment of Numeric Criteria for Priority Pollutants for the State of California (California Toxics Rule) (May 2000)
- Review and Approval of State and Tribal Water Quality Standards - "Alaska Rule" (April 2000)
- Withdrawal of Certain Federal Human Health and Aquatic Life Water Quality Criteria Applicable to Rhode Island, Vermont, the District of Columbia, Kansas and Idaho (April 12, 2000)
- Establishment of Numeric Criteria for Priority Toxic Pollutants; States' Compliance—Revision of Polychlorinated Biphenyls (PCBs) Criteria (November 1999)
- Advance Notice of Proposed Rule Making (ANPRM) seeking comments from interested parties on possible revisions to the Water Quality Standards Regulation at 40 CFR Part 131 (April 1998)
- Water Quality Standards Applicable to Surface Waters in Idaho (July 1997)
- Fact Sheet
- Federal Register Notice (April 1997)
- Federal Promulgation of State Water Quality Standards for Pennsylvania (December 1996)
- San Francisco Bay/Delta Rule (January 1995)
- National Toxics Rule (Preamble) | National Toxics Rule (CFR) (December 1992)
Federal Clean Water Act determinations that new or revised standards are necessary
- Determination that New or Revised Nutrient Water Quality Standards are Necessary for Florida (January 2009)
- Fact Sheet (January 16, 2009)
- Decision Letter (PDF) (10 pp., 198 K) (signed Januay 14, 2009)
- Florida Department of Environmental Protection Numeric Nutrient Criteria Development Plan
- New Water Quality Standards are Necessary to Protect the Mississippi River for Recreation (December 2008)
- Press Release (December 15, 2008)
- Decision Letter (PDF) (6 pp., 2.2 MB) (signed December 12, 2008)