{"abstract":"This action proposes to amend the Federal regulations to withdraw aquatic life water quality criteria for copper and nickel applicable to south San Francisco Bay, California. South San Francisco Bay is the area of San Francisco Bay that is located south of the Dumbarton Bridge. On May 18, 2000, EPA promulgated Federal regulations establishing water quality criteria for priority toxic pollutants for the State of California, since the State had not complied with the Clean Water Act. This regulation is known as the \"California Toxics Rule\" or \"CTR.\" Thereafter, on May 22, 2002, the California Regional Water Quality Control Board, San Francisco Bay Region (the RWQCB), adopted amendments to its Water Quality Control Plan for the San Francisco Bay Basin (Basin Plan). The amendments contained copper and nickel aquatic life water quality criteria for south San Francisco Bay. The State of California calls these criteria site-specific water quality objectives or site-specific objectives. The State of California's State Water Resources Control Board (SWRCB) and Office of Administrative Law (OAL) then reviewed and approved the Basin Plan amendments containing the site-specific objectives. On January 9, 2003, the SWRCB submitted the Basin Plan amendment containing the site- specific objectives to EPA Region 9 for review and approval. On January 21, 2003, EPA Region 9 approved the copper and nickel aquatic life site-specific objectives for south San Francisco Bay. Since the State of California now has aquatic life site-specific objectives, effective under the Clean Water Act (CWA), for copper and nickel for south San Francisco Bay, EPA has determined that the Federally-promulgated copper and nickel aquatic life criteria are no longer needed for south San Francisco Bay. In this proposed rule, EPA is proposing to withdraw the copper and nickel aquatic life criteria for south San Francisco Bay from the CTR.","action":"Proposed rule.","agencies":[{"raw_name":"ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY","name":"Environmental Protection Agency","id":145,"url":"https://www.federalregister.gov/agencies/environmental-protection-agency","json_url":"https://www.federalregister.gov/api/v1/agencies/145","parent_id":null,"slug":"environmental-protection-agency"}],"body_html_url":"https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/full_text/html/2003/06/25/03-16231.html","cfr_references":[{"chapter":null,"citation_url":null,"part":131,"title":40}],"citation":"68 FR 37926","comment_url":null,"comments_close_on":"2003-07-25","correction_of":null,"corrections":[],"dates":"All written comments received on or before July 25, 2003, will be considered in preparation of the final rule. Comments postmarked after this date may not be considered.","disposition_notes":null,"docket_ids":["FRL-7519-4"],"dockets":[],"document_number":"03-16231","effective_on":null,"end_page":37929,"executive_order_notes":null,"executive_order_number":null,"full_text_xml_url":"https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/full_text/xml/2003/06/25/03-16231.xml","html_url":"https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2003/06/25/03-16231/water-quality-standards-withdrawal-of-federal-aquatic-life-water-quality-criteria-for-copper-and","images":{},"images_metadata":{},"json_url":"https://www.federalregister.gov/api/v1/documents/03-16231?publication_date=2003-06-25","mods_url":"https://www.govinfo.gov/metadata/granule/FR-2003-06-25/03-16231/mods.xml","not_received_for_publication":null,"page_length":4,"page_views":{"count":44,"last_updated":"2026-09-20 18:15:07 -0400"},"pdf_url":"https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR-2003-06-25/pdf/03-16231.pdf","presidential_document_number":null,"proclamation_number":null,"public_inspection_pdf_url":null,"publication_date":"2003-06-25","raw_text_url":"https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/full_text/text/2003/06/25/03-16231.txt","regulation_id_number_info":{},"regulation_id_numbers":[],"regulations_dot_gov_info":{},"regulations_dot_gov_url":null,"significant":null,"signing_date":null,"start_page":37926,"subtype":null,"title":"Water Quality Standards; Withdrawal of Federal Aquatic Life Water Quality Criteria for Copper and Nickel Applicable to South San Francisco Bay, California","toc_doc":"South San Francisco Bay, CA; copper and nickel; Federal aquatic life water quality criteria withdrawn","toc_subject":"Water programs:","topics":["Environmental protection","Indians-lands","Intergovernmental relations","Reporting and recordkeeping requirements","Water pollution control"],"type":"Proposed Rule","volume":68}