EXH1095041523

PCHBPollution Control Hearings Board of the State of Washington

C Servicesprovidedto EPA, States,andthe Scientific Community......................................... 15 D Statusof the Tools to providethese Services........................................................................ 15 IV. Future Directions for the WET Program ......................................................... 16 A_ Improvementsto theExisting Program................................................................................ 16 B. ImprovementsPossible with Ch2ngesin StateRegulations.................................................. 18 C. New Strategiesfor RegulatingEffluent andReceiving WaterToxicity ................................ 19 V. Supporting Discussions and General Conclusion ............................................. 22 A. Biological Relevance of WET Tests .................................................................................... 22 B. Ecological Relevanceof WET Tests.................................................................................... 23 C. Variabilityof WET Tests..................................................................................................... 25 D Variabilityof EffluentToxicity andtheUse of Rapid ScreeningTests ................................. 27 E GeneralConclusion ............................................................................................................. 29 °°. Lll AR 041524 I. Introduction The Water Quality Program Permit Management Section has pl_-ned from the beQ_--;ng to evaluate the implementation of the state's regulation on Whole Effluent Toxicity (WET). The WET regulation was adopted in October 1993, and we have managed to capture into a database most of the WET tests conducted to meet its requirements. We have also been very active in evaluating the performance of WET tests and have developed a detailed review process for the WET test results. A criticalevaluationoftheregulatoryprograminvolvingWET testinE seemedpossibleanddesirablein ourefforttoimprovetheeffectivenessandefficiencyofthestate'sregulatoryprograms. Recenteventshavemade thisdocumentmore difficulttowrite.WET isnationallyoneofthemost controversialelementsofwaterquality-basedpermitting.Concernedrepresentativeshaveintroduced individualbillsonthesubjectofWET aloneincongress.The EnvironmentalProtectionAgency CEPA)hasrespondedby consultingstakeholdersandthescie-tificcommune, especiallytheSociety ofEnvironmentalToxicologyandChemL_'y(SETAC). The documentisforcedbytheseresponses tothenationalWET controversytodiscusschangesthatwouldnotnecessarilyariseoutofourown experience with WET inWashingtonSmze. SETAC conducted the Pellston Workshop on WET _ in September 1995, in order to resolve important scientific issues involving the regulatory application of WET testing. In September 1996, EPA hosted the WET Stakeholder's Meeting to get broader input in developing the Penston Workshoprecommendationsintoa new su_egy forregulatingWET. EPA hasdraftedanew WET implementationstrategyinresponsetoPellstonandtheStakeholder'sMeetingthat,iffollowed, would create a complicated regulatory system This document discusses…
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