US EPA’s 304(a) Criteria Revisions

Do They Affect Me?

Missouri Water Water Seminar

REGFORM

September 10, 2015

Rob Morrison, P.E.

Barr Engineering Co.

Jefferson City, MO 65109

Missouri’s Designated Uses

[10 CSR 20-7.031(1)(C)]

• Protection and Propagation of Fish, Shellfish, and Wildlife*

– Warm Water Habitat

– Cool Water Habitat *rebuttable presumption

– Cold Water Habitat

– Ephemeral Aquatic Habitat

– Modified Aquatic Habitat

– Limited Aquatic Habitat

• Recreation in and on the Water*

– Whole Body Contact A & B

– Secondary Contact

• Human Health Protection*

– Consumption of Fish Only

Missouri’s Designated Uses

[10 CSR 20-7.031(1)(C)]

• Irrigation+

• Livestock and Wildlife Protection + + presumed use

• Drinking Water Supply

• Industrial Water Supply

• Storm and flood-water Storage Attenuation

• Habitat for Resident ad Migratory Wildlife Species

• Recreational, Cultural, Educational, Scientific, and Natural Aesthetic Values

• Hydrologic Cycle Maintenance

Water Quality Criteria

(40 CFR 131.3, 131.11)

• Narrative or Numeric

–Numeric criteria must have a basis

• Protect a designated use

• Include:

–Aquatic Life Criteria

–Human Health Criteria

–Biological Criteria

–Nutrient Criteria

4

Numeric Criteria

(40 CFR 131.11)

Criteria must have a Basis • Numeric Criteria

–304(a) guidance

• Aquatic Life Protection

• Human Health Protection

–Organism (Fish) Only

–Organism (Fish) + Water

–304(a) guidance to reflect site specific conditions (e.g. hardness dependent criteria)

–Other Scientifically Defensible Methods

Missouri Water Quality Criteria

[10 CSR 20-7.031(4), (5), and Table A, B1, B2, B3]

• General Criteria [10 CSR 20 – 7.031 (4)]

• Numeric Criteria [ 10 CSR 20 – 7.031 (5), Table A, B1, B2, B3]

–Aquatic Life Protection

–Human Health Protection (Fish Consumption Only)

–Whole Body Contact Recreation (A/B)

– Secondary Contact Recreation

–Drinking Water Supply

– Livestock and Wildlife Protection

– Irrigation

–Groundwater Protection

Basis of Current Missouri WQ numeric criteria

Aquatic Life Criteria and Human Health Protection

–Current 304(a) criteria

– Former 304(a) criteria

• 1980s & 90s criteria documents

–AQL for ammonia (1999)

–AQL for copper (1997)

–Unknown or documentation not readily apparent

–AQL for arsenic

Missouri Numeric Water Quality Criteria/US EPA 304(a) Criteria

Crosswalk

Designated Use/Pollutant Missouri Water Quality Criteria US EPA 304(a) Criteria

AQL – Metals/Inorganics 25 24

AQL – Other (e.g. organics, pesticides)

16 35

AQL/HHF – Metals/Inorganics 0 11

AQL/HHF – Other (e.g. organics, pesticides)

3 15

HHF – Metals/Inorganics 2 6

HHF – Other (e.g. organics, pesticides)

76 86

Total 122 177

Missouri Water Quality Standards vs. US EPA 304(a) Criteria

Significant

Unexpected

*

Arsenic (Table A) vs 304(a)

• Missouri Numeric Water Quality Criteria [unknown basis]

–Aquatic Life Protection (AQL)

• Chronic only

–HHF (not included)

• 304(a) criteria

–Aquatic Life Protection (1995)

• Acute/Chronic

–Human Health Protection (1992)

• Organism Only

• Organism + Water

Arsenic

MoWQS vs. US EPA 304(a) Criteria

Protection of Aquatic Life Human Health Protection - Fish

Consumption

Water Quality Criteria

Effluent Limitation Water Quality

Criteria Effluent Limitation

Acute Chronic Maximum

Daily Average Monthly

Water + Organism

Organism Only

Maximum Daily

Average Monthly

MoWQS - 20 32.9 16.4 - - - -

304(a) 340 150 246 123 0.018 0.14 0.036 0.018

Ammonia (Tables B1, B2, and B3)

• Missouri Numeric Water Quality Criteria [1999, 304(a) criteria]

–Aquatic Life Protection (AQL)

• Acute – pH, CDH, CLH/WWH

• Chronic – pH, temperature, Salmonids (P/A), ELS (P/A)

Ammonia [304(a) criteria]

304(a) criteria (2013)

–Aquatic Life Protection (AQL)

• Acute - pH, temperature

• Chronic – pH, temperature

Ammonia Revision – Affecting Effluent Limits?

Aquatic Life Criteria (acute, mg/l)

Aquatic Life Criteria (chronic, mg/l)

Maximum Daily Limit (mg/l)

Average Monthly Limit (mg/l)

304(a) criteria

Summer (2013) 3.4 0.69 36.4 12

304(a) criteria,

Winter (2013) 13 2.3 141 53

MoWQS, Summer 12.1 1.5 132 44

MoWQS, Winter 12.1 3.1 132 50

1 MGD Discharge to the Missouri River

Aluminum (Table A)

• Missouri Numeric Water Quality Criteria [1988, 304(a) criteria]

–Aquatic Life Protection (AQL)

• Acute (dissolved?) – 750 µg/l

• No Chronic

• 304(a) criteria (1988)

–Aquatic Life Protection (AQL)

• Acute (total recoverable) - 750 µg/l

• Chronic (total recoverable) – 87 µg/l (pH footnote)

Aluminum Effluent Limits Missouri WQS vs. EPA 304(a) criteria

Aquatic Life (acute, µg/l)

Aquatic Life (chronic, µg/l)

Maximum Daily Limit (µg/l)

Average Monthly Limit (µg/l)

304(a) 750 87 152 76

MoWQS 750 N.A. 750 373

What’s on the Horizon Pertaining to 304(a) Criteria

Aquatic Life Revisions

• Selenium (proposed 2014 revisions)

Current Recommended

Criterion 2014 External Peer Review Draft Criterion

Magnitude Duration Magnitude Duration

Chronic

5 ug/L

4-day

average

15.2 mg/kg dw in fish eggs or

ovaries2

Instantaneous

measurement7

8.1 mg/kg dw in fish whole-body, or

11.8 mg/kg dw in fish muscle

(skinless, boneless fillet)3

Instantaneous

measurement7

1.3 µg/L in lentic aquatic systems

4.8 µg/L in lotic aquatic systems4

30-day

average

𝑊𝑄𝐶𝑖𝑛𝑡 𝑊𝑄𝐶30−𝑑�𝑦 − 𝐶�𝑘𝑔𝑟𝑛𝑑(1 − 𝑓𝑖𝑛𝑡)

=

𝑓𝑖𝑛𝑡

Intermittent

Exposure6:

Number of

days fewer than 30 with

an elevated

concentration

Acute

CMC =

1/[(f1/CMC1)

+

(f2/CMC2)]1

1-hr

average

None5

Criteria Frequency: Water column criteria not to be exceeded more than once in three years on

average. Fish tissue criteria are never to be exceeded.

What’s on the Horizon Pertaining to 304(a) Criteria

Aquatic Life Criteria

• Chloride

• Cadmium

http://water.epa.gov/scitech/swguidance/standards/criteria/current/index.cfm

References, credits, etc.

Questions, Thanks &

Contact Info

Rob Morrison, P.E.

Barr Engineering Co.

1001 Diamond Ridge, Suite 1100

Jefferson City, MO

573-638-5025

rmorrison@barr.com