PRESS PACKET
PROPOSED WATER QUALITY GUIDANCE FOR THE
GREAT LAKES SYSTEM
For Publication in the Federal Register on April 16, 1993
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United Slates Communications. Education.
Environmental Protection And Public Affairs
Agency (A-107)
VEPA Environmental News
EPA ISSUES GREAT LAKES WATER QUALITY GUIDANCE
WEDNESDAY, MARCH 31 1.993
Sean McBlbeay 202-260-1387
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency today proposed water
quality guidance for the Great Lakes ecosystem. The guidance would
require the eight Great Lake states and certain Indian tribes to
establish consistent, scientifically-based controls on toxic pollutants
in the Great Lakes Basin.
"Today's action illustrates the Agency's commitment to ecosystem
protection — where we address environmental problems from a broad,
fully integrated approach," said EPA Administrator* Carol M. Browner.
"This initiative will result in the clean-up, control and prevention of
pollution in the Great Lakes basin."
Pollutants entering the Great Lakes can be retained in the
ecosystem for long periods of time. Certain chemicals also tend to
bioaccumulate in the food chain, becoming concentrated at much higher
concentrations than in open waters of the lakes. Toxic pollutants
originate from various sources, including municipal and industrial
discharges, wet weather runoff and air deposition. States have
identified toxic substances as the most extensive cause of water
quality damage in the Great Lakes basin.
"The special nature of the Great Lakes Ecosystem requires our full
attention. The lakes are extremely vulnerable to persistent pollutants
that accumulate in'the food chain. As a result, the ecosystem's
wildlife have reproductive defects and tumors. Human health is
threatened through consumption of fish and shellfish," Browner said.
The Great Lakes Water Quality Guidance (GLWQ6) is the result of a
cooperative effort by EPA and the eight Great Lake states (Illinois,
Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, New York, Pennsylvania, Ohio and
Wisconsin). The guidance will establish minimum water quality
standards, antidegradation policies, and implementation procedures for
waters of the Great Lake System under the jurisdiction of the Great
Lakes states and Indian tribes.
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“This proposed guidance will give Great Lakes states and tribes
scientifically and technically sound water quality criteria, anti-
degradation policies and implementation procedures needed to protect
the Great Lakes ecosystem from the discharge of toxic pollutants. It
will help ensure clean water there for generations to come,” Browner
said.
The guidance will result in consistent, basin—wide water quality
standards designed to protect human health, aquatic life and wildlife.
The guidance proposes human health criteria for 20 pollutants, aquatic
life criteria for 16 pollutants, and wildlife criteria for 4
pollutants. The guidance also contains methodologies for developing
additional criteria and values for the protection of human health,
aquatic life and wildlife. These will serve as the basis for limits on
dischargers.
The Guidance also includes proposed detailed provisions on
Antidegradation. These provisions would require that any significant
increase in a pollutant discharge to a waterway must be shown to be
necessary and to support important social and economic benefits.
The guidance also contains detailed requirements for establishing
or implementing important elements of National Pollutant Discharge
Elimination System (NPDES) permits and water quality programs.
Today’s proposal marks the culmination of a four—year effort
between the eight Great Lakes states and the Agency. The proposed
Great Lakes Water Quality Guidance is the result of a cooperative
venture involving the Great Lakes states and Indian tribes, the
environmental community, academia, industry, municipalities, and EPA.
“The open process used in this effort has been exemplary and is a
model for the future,” Browner said. “We are very proud of the
cooperative nature of this proposal.”
The Great Lakes are a unique natural resource with unparalleled
economic, recreational and environmental values. They provide habitat
for thousanda of plant and animal species. They contain 20 percent of
the world’s ax .95 percent of the United States’ fresh surface water.
More than 40 11lion people live in the Great Lakes basin and one-
quarter of U.*. industry is located there. More than 23 million people
depend upon the lakes for drinking water.
Development of today’s proposed guidance began as a voluntary,
cooperative effort between EPA and the Great Lakes states to ensure
consistency among their water quality standards, particularly those
standards used in NPDES permitting. In 1989, the Council of Great Lakes
Governors unanimously agreed to participate in this process under the
lead of EPA region 5 (chicago, Ill).
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In 1990, Congress passed the Great Lakes Critical Programs Act,
which incorporated a schedule for completion of the GLWQG. Today’s
proposed guidance fulfills the requirements of the Act. The Great Lake
states and tribes must adopt water quality standards, antidegradation
policies and implementation procedures consistent with the guidance
within two years after the guidance is published in final form.
The Great Lakes Water Quality Guidance is one critical element of
a broad, comprehensive effort underway in the region to protect and
restore this ecosystem. Today’s initiative focuses on the federal,
state, tribal and local commitments to reduce loadings of toxic
pollutants in the Great Lakes system.
“The 164 fish consumption advisories issued by the Great Lake
states are evidence that we are not yet meeting the goals of the Clean
Water Act or the Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement. Today’s guidance
proposes stringent regulation of persistent, bioaccumulative chemicals
to help prevent additional long—term environmental damage,” Browner
said..
The proposed guidance will soon be published in the Federal
Register followed by a 150-day written public comment period. EPA will
also hold a public hearing on August 4 and 5 at its regional office in
chicago, Ill. EPA seeks broad public comment on the guidance and
encourages all interested parties to submit their views during the
public comment period. EPA will review all public comments before
issuing the final Great Lakes guidance.
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Proposed Water Quality Guidance
for the Great Lakes
Xarch 31, 1993
Statement by
Carol X. Browner, Administrator
United States Environmental Protection Agency
I am pleased to announce an innovative ecosystem approach to
protecting the Great Lakes basin. Signing the proposed Water
Quality Guidance for the Great Lakes basin reflects the Clinton
Administration and EPA’s commitment to broad, integrated
ecosystem approaches for addressing environmental problems.
This initiative marks the culmination of a four—year
cooperative effort among the eight Great Lakes States and Indian
Tribes, the environmental community, academia, industry,
municipalities, and EPA. The open dialogue used in this effort
has been exemplary and is a model for the future. This proposal
sets water quality goals for the Great Lakes which, for the first
time, will ensure consistent protection of humans, wildlife and
aquatic life throughout the Great Lakes basin. Once implemented,
this initiative will result in the clean—up, control and
prevention of pollution in the Great Lakes basin.
I am particularly pleased to be here with Senator Levin. He
and his colleagues recognized the Lakes’ importance and were
instrumental in passing the Great Lakes Critical Programs Act in
1990. This Act directed EPA to develop consistent water quality
standards for the Great Lakes System.
The significance of the Great Lakes as a national and
international resource has been one of the major forces behind
this proposal. Collectively, the Great Lakes contain nearly 20
percent of the world’s fresh water and 95 percent of the fresh
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water of the United States. The Lakes and their tributaries
provide a source of drinking water for over 23 million people.
They also are home to 25 percent of U.S. industry. The Lakes
serve as habitat to hundreds of species of mammals, birds,
reptiles, amphibians, fish, and plant life. They provide
recreation and beauty for millions of Americans.
Toxic pollutants in the Lakes originate from a multitude of
sources, including municipal and industrial discharges, wet
weather runoff, and atmospheric deposition. These pollutants
place this great natural- -resource and the residents of the region
at risk. States have identified toxic substances as the most
extensive cause of water quality damages in the Great Lakes
basin.
The Great Lakes are extremely vulnerable to persistent
pollutants that accumulate in the tissues of fish and wildlife.
As a result, the ecosystem’s wildlife have reproductive defects
and tumors. Human health is threatened through consumption of
fish and shellfish.
I might add that we recognize and understand all too
clearly that our water quality goals for the Great Lakes cannot
be achieved, alone. I commend our Canadian partners for their
support in binational water quality improvement objectives.
This innovative approach not only gives guidance to the
Great Lakes but also gives guidance for better ecosystem
protection in the future.
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