Search Results for keywords:"Indian Reservations"

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has decided to withdraw a proposed rule that aimed to set federal water quality standards for Indian reservation waters. This decision allows the EPA to instead focus on helping Tribes develop their own water quality standards in line with the Clean Water Act, under a provision that allows eligible Tribes to be treated like states. While 52 of the 84 eligible Tribes have already established these standards, the EPA intends to continue assisting Tribes in building their capability to manage their own water quality programs. The withdrawal follows feedback from 3,314 public comments on the proposed rule.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has finalized a rule under the Federal Clean Water Act to amend the California Toxics Rule by establishing a revised selenium water quality criterion for certain freshwater bodies in California. This new criterion aims to protect aquatic life and wildlife that depend on these aquatic ecosystems from high selenium levels, which can be toxic. The EPA incorporated public feedback and scientific evidence into the rule, and it includes measures to account for site-specific conditions. The rule will take effect on January 16, 2025, unless California develops its own compliant standards.