The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is proposing water quality standards for Kansas. If promulgated as final standards, they would supersede aspects of Kansas' water quality standards that EPA disapproved in 1998. In furtherance of EPA's 1998 disapproval action, EPA is proposing: that all discharges to stream segments for which continuous flow is sustained primarily through the discharge of treated effluent shall protect the states' designated uses; 7Q10, 4B3 or other scientifically defensible design flows approved by EPA shall be used to implement the state's chronic aquatic life criteria; 1Q10, 1B3 or other scientifically defensible design flows approved by EPA shall be used to implement the state's acute aquatic life criteria; implementation procedures for use when applying the states' antidegradation policy to determine whether to allow a lowering of surface water quality by point sources of pollution where nonpoint sources also contribute the pollutant of concern to that body of water; an aquatic life use for one stream segment and a primary contact recreation use for 1,292 stream segments and 164 lakes.
In addition, under its discretionary authority to address state standards that the administrator determines are inconsistent with the Clean Water Act, EPA is proposing: that water quality standards in Kansas apply to all privately owned surface waters in Kansas that are waters of the United States; and numeric human health criteria for alpha- and beta-endosulfan.
Source: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency