Revisions to the Methodology for Deriving Ambient Water Quality Criteria for the Protection of Human Health (2000)

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EPA is announcing the availability of final revisions to the Methodology for Deriving Ambient Water Quality Criteria for the Protection of Human Health (2000) (hereafter "2000 Human Health Methodology") published pursuant to section 304(a)(1) of the Clean Water Act (CWA). The 2000 Human Health Methodology supersedes the existing Guidelines and Methodology Used in the Preparation of Health Effect Assessment Chapters of the Consent Decree Water Criteria Documents, published by EPA in November 1980 (USEPA, 1980) (hereafter "1980 AWQC National Guidelines" or "1980 Methodology"). Today's Notice is intended to support the requirements of section 304(a)(1) of the CWA that EPA periodically revise criteria for water quality to accurately reflect the latest scientific knowledge on the kind and extent of all identifiable effects on health and welfare that may be expected from the presence of pollutants in any body of water, including ground water. These revisions are prompted by the many significant scientific advances that have occurred during the past 20 years in such key areas as cancer and noncancer risk assessments, exposure assessments, and bioaccumulation assessments. These revisions a