SEPA United States Environmental Protection Agency Office of Water 4303T EPA-820-F-11-015 December 2011 Methods Update Rule - Notice of Data Availability Summary EPA is publishing a notice of data availability (NODA) for the methods update rule which was proposed in the Federal Register on September 23, 2010. The proposed rule would approve several new or revised analytical methods (test procedures) in wastewater regulations. EPA periodically updates analytical methods and generally includes new and revised methods published by EPA, commercial entities, and voluntary consensus organizations (e.g., American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) International, Standard Methods Committee) for use in water quality monitoring programs. These changes and additional methods will provide increased flexibility to the regulated community and laboratories in their selection of analytical methods for use in Clean Water Act programs. The NODA includes additional data received since the proposal on a new ASTM method for the determination of oil and grease. Why is EPA publishing this Notice of Data Availability? EPA described but did not propose the new ASTM method for oil and grease in the September 23, 2010 Federal Register notice. This method was not initially proposed because it uses a different extractant (a membrane rather than a solvent) and a different measurement technique (infrared absorption rather than gravimetry) from the extractant and measurement technique of currently approved methods for oil and grease. Oil and grease is a method-defined parameter which means that the analytical results obtained are dependent on the particular method used. EPA generally docs not approve alternative methods for method-defined parameters based on different extraction and/or measurement techniques because it is unclear how to translate measurements using these alternative methods to those obtained under existing methods for purposes of comparison. However, EPA is considering revising its regulatory requirements for oil and grease based on comments and additional data received on the new ASTM method for oil and grease (ASTM D7575-10). After evaluating the new data, EPA finds that ASTM D7575-10 is a good stand-alone method for the measurement of oil in grease in wastewater for the applicable reporting range (5- 200 mg/L), and that it produces results that are generally very close to results using Method 1664A for those matrices tested. Further, it has certain advantages over the approved method. EPA is particularly persuaded by the substantial advantages associated with the green aspects of this membrane technology (e.g., it does not use an extraction solvent and, therefore, there is no solvent waste and no analyst exposure to the solvent). In the NODA. EPA solicits comment for a 60- days period on the new data and on EPA's consideration of ASTM D7575-10 as an alternative choice for the determination of oil and grease in Clean Water Act programs. For more information You can view the Federal Register Notice at http://www.epa.gov/scitech/methods. In addition, the NODA will be available at http://www.regulations.gov under Docket ID: EPA-HQ-OW-2010-0192. You may also contact Maria Gomez-Taylor at Gomez-Taylor.Maria a epa.gov. ------- |