View all text of Part 132 [§ 132.1 - § 132.6]

§ 132.4 - State adoption and application of methodologies, policies and procedures.

(a) The Great Lakes States and Tribes shall adopt requirements applicable to waters of the Great Lakes System for the purposes of sections 118, 301, 303, and 402 of the Clean Water Act that are consistent with:

(1) The definitions in § 132.2;

(2) The Methodologies for Development of Aquatic Life Criteria and Values in appendix A of this part;

(3) The Methodology for Development of Bioaccumulation Factors in appendix B of this part;

(4) The Methodologies for Development of Human Health Criteria and Values in appendix C of this part;

(5) The Methodology for Development of Wildlife Criteria in appendix D of this part;

(6) The Antidegradation Policy in appendix E of this part; and

(7) The Implementation Procedures in appendix F of this part.

(b) Except as provided in paragraphs (g), (h), and (i) of this section, the Great Lakes States and Tribes shall use methodologies consistent with the methodologies designated as Tier I methodologies in appendixes A, C, and D of this part, the methodology in appendix B of this part, and the procedures in appendix F of this part when adopting or revising numeric water quality criteria for the purposes of section 303(c) of the Clean Water Act for the Great Lakes System.

(c) Except as provided in paragraphs (g), (h), and (i) of this section, the Great Lakes States and Tribes shall use methodologies and procedures consistent with the methodologies designated as Tier I methodologies in appendixes A, C, and D of this part, the Tier II methodologies in appendixes A and C of this part, the methodology in appendix B of this part, and the procedures in appendix F of this part to develop numeric criteria and values when implementing narrative water quality criteria adopted for purposes of section 303(c) of the Clean Water Act.

(d) The water quality criteria and values adopted or developed pursuant to paragraphs (a) through (c) of this section shall apply as follows:

(1) The acute water quality criteria and values for the protection of aquatic life, or site-specific modifications thereof, shall apply to all waters of the Great Lakes System.

(2) The chronic water quality criteria and values for the protection of aquatic life, or site-specific modifications thereof, shall apply to all waters of the Great Lakes System.

(3) The water quality criteria and values for protection of human health, or site-specific modifications thereof, shall apply as follows:

(i) Criteria and values derived as HCV-Drinking and HNV-Drinking shall apply to the Open Waters of the Great Lakes, all connecting channels of the Great Lakes, and all other waters of the Great Lakes System that have been designated as public water supplies by any State or Tribe in accordance with 40 CFR 131.10.

(ii) Criteria and values derived as HCV-Nondrinking and HNV-Nondrinking shall apply to all waters of the Great Lakes System other than those in paragraph (d)(3)(i) of this section.

(4) Criteria for protection of wildlife, or site-specific modifications thereof, shall apply to all waters of the Great Lakes System.

(e) The Great Lakes States and Tribes shall apply implementation procedures consistent with the procedures in appendix F of this part for all applicable purposes under the Clean Water Act, including developing total maximum daily loads for the purposes of section 303(d) and water quality-based effluent limits for the purposes of section 402, in establishing controls on the discharge of any pollutant to the Great Lakes System by any point source with the following exceptions:

(1) The Great Lakes States and Tribes are not required to apply these implementation procedures in establishing controls on the discharge of any pollutant by a wet weather point source. Any adopted implementation procedures shall conform with all applicable Federal, State and Tribal requirements.

(2) The Great Lakes States and Tribes may, but are not required to, apply procedures consistent with procedures 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, and 9 of appendix F of this part in establishing controls on the discharge of any pollutant set forth in Table 5 of this part. Any procedures applied in lieu of these implementation procedures shall conform with all applicable Federal, State, and Tribal requirements.

(f) The Great Lakes States and Tribes shall apply an antidegradation policy consistent with the policy in appendix E for all applicable purposes under the Clean Water Act, including 40 CFR 131.12.

(g) For pollutants listed in Table 5 of this part, the Great Lakes States and Tribes shall:

(1) Apply any methodologies and procedures acceptable under 40 CFR part 131 when developing water quality criteria or implementing narrative criteria; and

(2) Apply the implementation procedures in appendix F of this part or alternative procedures consistent with all applicable Federal, State, and Tribal laws.

(h) For any pollutant other than those in Table 5 of this part for which the State or Tribe demonstrates that a methodology or procedure in this part is not scientifically defensible, the Great Lakes States and Tribes shall:

(1) Apply an alternative methodology or procedure acceptable under 40 CFR part 131 when developing water quality criteria; or

(2) Apply an alternative implementation procedure that is consistent with all applicable Federal, State, and Tribal laws.

(i) Nothing in this part shall prohibit the Great Lakes States and Tribes from adopting numeric water quality criteria, narrative criteria, or water quality values that are more stringent than criteria or values specified in § 132.3 or that would be derived from application of the methodologies set forth in appendixes A, B, C, and D of this part, or to adopt antidegradation standards and implementation procedures more stringent than those set forth in appendixes E and F of this part.