Rules and Regulations. Notice of availability

Agency: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
Action: Notice of availability
Citation: FR Doc. 00-25930 · FRL-6883-4

Summary

This document announces the availability for comment of the administrative record file for six TMDLs prepared by EPA Region 6 for waters listed in Louisiana's Mermentau and Vermilion/Teche river basins, under section 303(d) of the Clean Water Act (CWA). EPA prepared these TMDLs in response to a Court Order dated October 1, 1999, in the lawsuit *Sierra Club, et al. * v. Clifford et al., No. 96-0527, (E.D. La. Oct. 1, 1999). Under this court order, EPA is required to prepare TMDLs when needed for waters on the Louisiana 1998 section 303(d) list by December 31, 2007.

Dates

Comments on the six TMDLs must be submitted in writing to EPA on or before November 9, 2000.

Supplementary Information

In 1996, two Louisiana environmental groups, the Sierra Club and Louisiana Environmental Action Network (plaintiffs), filed a lawsuit in Federal Court against the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), styled *Sierra Club, et al. * v. Clifford et al., No. 96-0527, (E.D. La. Oct. 1, 1999). Among other claims, plaintiffs alleged that EPA failed to establish Louisiana TMDLs in a timely manner. Discussion of the court's order may be found at 65 FR 54032 (September 6, 2000). EPA Seeks Comments on Six TMDLs By this notice EPA is seeking comment on the following six TMDLs for waters located within the Mermentau and Vermilion/Teche basins: Subsegment Waterbody name Pollutant 060212 Chatlin Lake Canal and Bayou DuLac Fecal Coliform. 060901 Bayou Petite Anse Fecal Coliform. 060701 Tete Bayou Fecal Coliform. 060703 Bayou du Portage Fecal Coliform. 060909 Lake Peigneur Fecal Coliform. 060911 Vermilion-Teche River Basin Fecal Coliform. EPA requests that the public provide to EPA any water quality related data and information that may be relevant to the calculations for these TMDLs, or any other comments relevant to these TMDLs. EPA will review all data and information submitted during the public comment period and revise the six TMDLs where appropriate. EPA will then forward the TMDLs to the Court and the Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality (LDEQ). LDEQ will incorporate the TMDLs into its current water quality management plan. Dated: September 25, 2000. Sam Becker, Acting Director, Water Quality Protection Division, Region 6. [FR Doc. 00-25930 Filed 10-6-00; 8:45 am]