EPA published preliminary regulatory determinations for nine contaminants together with the determination process, rationale and supporting technical information for each contaminant to seek comment from the public (67 FR 38222). The nine contaminants include three inorganic compounds (IOCs) (manganese, sodium, and sulfate); three synthetic organic compounds (SOCs) (aldrin, dieldrin, and metribuzin); two volatile organic compounds (VOCs) (hexachlorobutadiene and naphthalene); and one microbial contaminant, Acanthamoeba. EPA's preliminary determination was that no regulatory action was appropriate for any of the nine contaminants.
The Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA), as amended in 1996, directs the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to publish a list of contaminants (referred to as the Contaminant Candidate List, or CCL) to assist in priority-setting efforts for the Agency's drinking water program. SDWA also directs the Agency to select five or more contaminants every five years from the current CCL and determine whether or not to regulate these contaminants with a National Primary Drinking Water Regulation (NPDWR).
EPA received 15 comments from individuals or organizations on the preliminary regulatory determinations for the nine contaminants. The agency has reviewed these comments and, after careful consideration, decided that no regulatory action is appropriate, at this time, for the nine CCL contaminants published in the June 2002 notice. Regulation of the nine contaminants would not present a meaningful opportunity for health risk reduction for persons served by public water systems (PWSs).
The action describes the statutory requirements for the CCL, the analysis EPA used to make the regulatory determinations, a summary of relevant public comments with the Agency's responses, a summary of the nine CCL contaminants, and the Agency's findings for each contaminant.
For more information, call 800-426-4791.
Source: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
