©ERA
United States
Environmental Protection
Agency
Office of Water
                                                   4303T
                       Final Methods Update Rule
821-F-12-001
                                                  April  2012
Summary
EPA has issued a final rule to approve several
new or revised analytical methods, or test
procedures, for measuring regulated pollutants
in wastewater.

The full title of this final rule is "Guidelines
Establishing Test Procedures for the Analysis of
Pollutants Under the Clean Water Act; Analysis
and Sampling Procedures."

Through this rule, EPA is adding to 40 CFR 136
new and revised methods published by EPA,
voluntary consensus organizations (e.g., ASTM
International and the Standard Methods
Committee) and commercial entities, for use in
water quality monitoring programs. These new
and revised methods will provide increased
flexibility to the regulated community and
laboratories in their selection of analytical
methods for use in Clean Water Act programs.

Why is EPA Making these Changes?
EPA approves analytical methods for measuring
regulated pollutants in wastewater. The
regulated community and laboratories use these
approved methods for determining compliance
with National Pollutant Discharge Elimination
System (NPDES) permits or other monitoring
requirements. Often, these entities have a choice
in deciding which approved method they will
use to measure a pollutant because more than
one approved method is available.

Some of these additional analytical methods are
new methods (i.e., introduce a new technology
or establish a method for a pollutant for the first
time) to the NPDES program. Others are
updated versions of previously approved
methods. Some are approved methods that have
been cited within effluent guideline regulations,
and EPA is now adding them to 40 CFR  136 to
assist stakeholders in finding Agency-approved
methods for wastewater regulatory programs.
                          This rule also provides clarification of the
                          process for requesting limited or nationwide
                          review of alternate test procedures (ATP) and
                          additional examples of allowed flexibility to
                          modify approved analytical methods.  It also
                          includes new standardized quality assurance and
                          quality control (QA/QC) requirements, and
                          makes some changes to sample collection,
                          preservation, and holding times.

                                Methods Update Rule Includes:

                            •   New and Revised Wastewater Methods
                            •   Examples of Allowed Method Flexibility
                            •   New QA/QC Requirements
                            •   Clarifications and  Corrections to Previously
                               Approved Methods
                            •   Revisions to Preservation and Holding Times
                          For More Information
                          You can view the Federal Register notice at
                          http: //www .epa. gov/scitech/methods. In
                          addition, the final rule 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@epa.gov.

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