EPA Review of the 2000 Water Quality Standards
Decisions by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) on their review of the 2000 Texas Surface Water Quality Standards. The 1997 standards remain in effect for provisions not approved or acted upon by EPA.
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EPA Review Process
EPA must approve the 2000 Standards before TCEQ may use them for federal permitting programs and other Clean Water Act (CWA) purposes. State standards become effective for CWA purposes on the date of EPA approval.
EPA did not take action on the state's proposed 2000 Standards in total. Instead, it reviewed and acted upon them over time. As it completes its review, EPA sends letters to TCEQ documenting what it approves, disapproves, or on which it takes no action.
TCEQ uses provisions from the 1997 and subsequent revisions of the Standards in administering its federal permitting programs, depending on which provisions from each revision year EPA has approved. A webpage for each Standards revision year describes what actions EPA has taken for that revision and what items are still pending EPA action. If EPA either disapproves or is still reviewing a portion of the Standards, the language of the prior revision year remains in effect for CWA purposes.
Back to topTimeline of EPA Action
The EPA Timeline of Approval of the Standards summarizes the dates on which the EPA notified the TCEQ of its decisions and the subjects of those decisions.
Letters Documenting the EPA's Decisions
The following letters document the EPA's decisions on specific provisions of the 2000 Standards:
Provisions Not Approved
See Not Approved by EPA for portions of the 1997 Standards that are still applicable for federal permits administered by TCEQ because 1) EPA disapproved a new or revised item in the 2000 Standards or 2) EPA has stated it will not take action on an item in the 2000 Standards.
Staff Contact
For more information, please e-mail standards@tceq.texas.gov, call the Water Quality Planning Division at 512-239-6682, or mail to TCEQ, Water Quality Planning Division, MC-234, PO Box 13087, Austin, Texas 78711-3087.