Proposed Removal of Federal Water Quality Standards for Surface Waters of the Sacramento River, San Joaquin River, and San Francisco Bay and Delta of the State of California

摘要

In December 1994, under the authority of the Clean Water Act (CWA), the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) promulgated a rule establishing four sets of water quality criteria to protect the designated uses for the surface waters of the Sacramento River, San Joaquin River, and San Francisco Bay and Delta of the State of California (Bay/Delta). Subsequent to this promulgation, the State of California adopted water quality standards for the Bay/Delta and submitted them to EPA for approval. On September 26, 1995, the Regional Administrator for EPA Region IX approved the state water quality standards as protective of the designated uses for the relevant waterbodies. Currently, the State of California is in the process of implementing these state-adopted and EPA-approved water quality standards through a state water rights hearing process. Accordingly, EPA's promulgated water quality standards are no longer needed to meet the requirements of the Clean Water Act. Therefore, EPA proposes to remove the rule.