{"abstract":"On December 1, 2022, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) determined that revised water quality standards are necessary to protect aquatic life in certain water quality management zones of the Delaware River. Specifically, the EPA issued an Administrator's Determination, pursuant to the Clean Water Act (CWA), finding that a revised designated use to protect aquatic life propagation and corresponding dissolved oxygen criteria to protect that use are necessary in Zone 3, Zone 4, and the upper portion of Zone 5 (in total, river miles 108.4 to 70.0) of the Delaware River. The CWA requires the EPA to publish proposed water quality standards following an Administrator's Determination. Thus, the EPA is proposing to promulgate an aquatic life designated use that includes propagation and protective water quality criteria for dissolved oxygen for Zone 3, Zone 4, and upper Zone 5 of the Delaware River.","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/2023/12/21/2023-27758.html","cfr_references":[{"chapter":null,"citation_url":null,"part":"131","title":40}],"citation":"88 FR 88315","comment_url":null,"comments_close_on":"2024-02-20","correction_of":null,"corrections":["https://www.federalregister.gov/api/v1/documents/C1-2023-27758"],"dates":"Comments must be received on or before February 20, 2024. Public hearing: the EPA will hold two public hearings during the public comment period. Please refer to the SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION section for additional information on the public hearings.","disposition_notes":null,"docket_ids":["EPA-HQ-OW-2023-0222","FRL 10760-01-OW"],"dockets":[{"supporting_documents":[{"title":"Kleinfelder (2023), Nitrogen Reduction Cost Estimation Study – Supplemental Cost Addendum 2 Technical Memorandum","document_id":"EPA-HQ-OW-2023-0222-0726"},{"title":"EPA Response to Camden County Municipal Utilities Authority Request for Comment Period Extension Reconsideration","document_id":"EPA-HQ-OW-2023-0222-0299"},{"title":"Kleinfelder Inc.; Nitrogen Reduction Cost Estimation Study Final Summary Report","document_id":"EPA-HQ-OW-2023-0222-0297"},{"title":"Niklitschek and Secor (2005), Modeling Spatial and Temporal Variation of Suitable Nursery Habitats for Atlantic Sturgeon in the Chesapeake Bay","document_id":"EPA-HQ-OW-2023-0222-0246"},{"title":"National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (2023), Annual 2022 Global Climate Report","document_id":"EPA-HQ-OW-2023-0222-0245"},{"title":"Niklitschek and Secor (2009b), Dissolved Oxygen, Temperature and Salinity Effects on the Ecophysiology and Survival of Juvenile Atlantic Sturgeon in Estuarine Waters: II. Model Development and Testing","document_id":"EPA-HQ-OW-2023-0222-0243"},{"title":"Hinson et al. (2022), Extent and Causes of Chesapeake Bay Warming","document_id":"EPA-HQ-OW-2023-0222-0241"},{"title":"Hartman and Kitchell (2008), Bioenergetics Modeling: Progress since the 1992 Symposium","document_id":"EPA-HQ-OW-2023-0222-0238"},{"title":"Collier et al. (2022), Assessing Habitat for Lake Sturgeon (Acipenser fulvescens) Reintroduction to the Maumee River, Ohio Using Habitat Suitability Index Models","document_id":"EPA-HQ-OW-2023-0222-0228"},{"title":"Miskewitz and Uchrin (2013), In-Stream Dissolved Oxygen Impacts and Sediment Oxygen Demand Resulting from Combined Sewer Overflow Discharges","document_id":"EPA-HQ-OW-2023-0222-0180"}],"agency_name":"EPA","documents":[{"comment_count":4794,"comment_start_date":"2023-12-21","updated_at":"2024-03-08T00:01:34.998-05:00","comment_url":"https://www.regulations.gov/commenton/EPA-HQ-OW-2023-0222-0001","allow_late_comments":null,"id":"EPA-HQ-OW-2023-0222-0001","comment_end_date":"2024-02-21","regulations_dot_gov_open_for_comment":false}],"supporting_documents_count":394,"id":"EPA-HQ-OW-2023-0222","title":"Water Quality Standards to Protect Aquatic Life in the Delaware River"}],"document_number":"2023-27758","effective_on":null,"end_page":88336,"executive_order_notes":null,"executive_order_number":null,"full_text_xml_url":"https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/full_text/xml/2023/12/21/2023-27758.xml","html_url":"https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2023/12/21/2023-27758/water-quality-standards-to-protect-aquatic-life-in-the-delaware-river","images":{},"images_metadata":{},"json_url":"https://www.federalregister.gov/api/v1/documents/2023-27758?publication_date=2023-12-21","mods_url":"https://www.govinfo.gov/metadata/granule/FR-2023-12-21/2023-27758/mods.xml","not_received_for_publication":null,"page_length":22,"page_views":{"count":2796,"last_updated":"2026-10-23 00:15:04 -0400"},"pdf_url":"https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR-2023-12-21/pdf/2023-27758.pdf","presidential_document_number":null,"proclamation_number":null,"public_inspection_pdf_url":"https://public-inspection.federalregister.gov/2023-27758.pdf?1703079917","publication_date":"2023-12-21","raw_text_url":"https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/full_text/text/2023/12/21/2023-27758.txt","regulation_id_number_info":{"2040-AG30":{"issue":"202504","html_url":"https://www.federalregister.gov/regulations/2040-AG30/water-quality-standards-to-protect-aquatic-life-in-the-delaware-river-","title":"Water Quality Standards to Protect Aquatic Life in the Delaware River ","xml_url":"http://www.reginfo.gov/public/do/eAgendaViewRule?pubId=202504&RIN=2040-AG30&operation=OPERATION_EXPORT_XML","priority_category":"Economically Significant"}},"regulation_id_numbers":["2040-AG30"],"regulations_dot_gov_info":{"supporting_documents":[{"title":"Kleinfelder (2023), Nitrogen Reduction Cost Estimation Study – Supplemental Cost Addendum 2 Technical Memorandum","document_id":"EPA-HQ-OW-2023-0222-0726"},{"title":"EPA Response to Camden County Municipal Utilities Authority Request for Comment Period Extension Reconsideration","document_id":"EPA-HQ-OW-2023-0222-0299"},{"title":"Kleinfelder Inc.; Nitrogen Reduction Cost Estimation Study Final Summary Report","document_id":"EPA-HQ-OW-2023-0222-0297"},{"title":"Niklitschek and Secor (2005), Modeling Spatial and Temporal Variation of Suitable Nursery Habitats for Atlantic Sturgeon in the Chesapeake Bay","document_id":"EPA-HQ-OW-2023-0222-0246"},{"title":"National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (2023), Annual 2022 Global Climate Report","document_id":"EPA-HQ-OW-2023-0222-0245"},{"title":"Niklitschek and Secor (2009b), Dissolved Oxygen, Temperature and Salinity Effects on the Ecophysiology and Survival of Juvenile Atlantic Sturgeon in Estuarine Waters: II. Model Development and Testing","document_id":"EPA-HQ-OW-2023-0222-0243"},{"title":"Hinson et al. (2022), Extent and Causes of Chesapeake Bay Warming","document_id":"EPA-HQ-OW-2023-0222-0241"},{"title":"Hartman and Kitchell (2008), Bioenergetics Modeling: Progress since the 1992 Symposium","document_id":"EPA-HQ-OW-2023-0222-0238"},{"title":"Collier et al. (2022), Assessing Habitat for Lake Sturgeon (Acipenser fulvescens) Reintroduction to the Maumee River, Ohio Using Habitat Suitability Index Models","document_id":"EPA-HQ-OW-2023-0222-0228"},{"title":"Miskewitz and Uchrin (2013), In-Stream Dissolved Oxygen Impacts and Sediment Oxygen Demand Resulting from Combined Sewer Overflow Discharges","document_id":"EPA-HQ-OW-2023-0222-0180"}],"regulatory_plan":{"html_url":"https://www.federalregister.gov/regulations/2040-AG30/water-quality-standards-to-protect-aquatic-life-in-the-delaware-river-","title":"Water Quality Standards to Protect Aquatic Life in the Delaware River "},"comments_count":4794,"agency_id":"EPA","comments_url":"https://www.regulations.gov/docketBrowser?rpp=50&so=DESC&sb=postedDate&po=0&dct=PS&D=EPA-HQ-OW-2023-0222","supporting_documents_count":394,"docket_id":"EPA-HQ-OW-2023-0222","document_id":"EPA-HQ-OW-2023-0222-0001","regulation_id_number":"2040-AG30","title":"Water Quality Standards to Protect Aquatic Life in the Delaware River","checked_regulationsdotgov_at":"2024-03-09T02:00:07Z"},"regulations_dot_gov_url":null,"significant":true,"signing_date":null,"start_page":88315,"subtype":null,"title":"Water Quality Standards To Protect Aquatic Life in the Delaware River","toc_doc":"Protect Aquatic Life in the Delaware River","toc_subject":"Water Quality Standards:\n","topics":["Environmental protection","Indians-lands","Intergovernmental relations","Reporting and recordkeeping requirements","Water pollution control"],"type":"Proposed Rule","volume":88}