Missouri Water Seminar, September 10-11, 2015, Columbia, MO

1. US EPA’s 304(a) Criteria Revisions
Do They Affect Me?
Missouri Water Water Seminar
REGFORM
September 10, 2015
Rob Morrison, P.E.
Barr Engineering Co.
Jefferson City, MO 65109

2. Missouri’s Designated Uses
[10 CSR 20-7.031(1)(C)]
• Protection and Propagation of Fish, Shellfish, and Wildlife*
– Warm Water Habitat
– Cool Water Habitat *rebuttable presumption
– Cold Water Habitat
– Ephemeral Aquatic Habitat
– Modified Aquatic Habitat
– Limited Aquatic Habitat
• Recreation in and on the Water*
– Whole Body Contact A & B
– Secondary Contact
• Human Health Protection*
– Consumption of Fish Only

3. Missouri’s Designated Uses
[10 CSR 20-7.031(1)(C)]
• Irrigation+
• Livestock and Wildlife Protection+ + presumed use
• Drinking Water Supply
• Industrial Water Supply
• Storm and flood-water Storage Attenuation
• Habitat for Resident ad Migratory Wildlife Species
• Recreational, Cultural, Educational, Scientific, and Natural
Aesthetic Values
• Hydrologic Cycle Maintenance

4. Water Quality Criteria
(40 CFR 131.3, 131.11)
• Narrative or Numeric
–Numeric criteria must have a basis
• Protect a designated use
• Include:
–Aquatic Life Criteria
–Human Health Criteria
–Biological Criteria
–Nutrient Criteria
4

5. Numeric Criteria
(40 CFR 131.11)
Criteria must have a Basis
• Numeric Criteria
–304(a) guidance
• Aquatic Life Protection
• Human Health Protection
–Organism (Fish) Only
–Organism (Fish) + Water
–304(a) guidance to reflect site specific conditions (e.g.
hardness dependent criteria)
–Other Scientifically Defensible Methods

6. Missouri Water Quality Criteria
[10 CSR 20-7.031(4), (5), and Table A, B1, B2, B3]
• General Criteria [10 CSR 20 – 7.031 (4)]
• Numeric Criteria [ 10 CSR 20 – 7.031 (5), Table A, B1, B2, B3]
–Aquatic Life Protection
–Human Health Protection (Fish Consumption Only)
–Whole Body Contact Recreation (A/B)
–Secondary Contact Recreation
–Drinking Water Supply
–Livestock and Wildlife Protection
–Irrigation
–Groundwater Protection

7. Basis of Current Missouri WQ numeric criteria
Aquatic Life Criteria and Human Health Protection
–Current 304(a) criteria
–Former 304(a) criteria
• 1980s & 90s criteria documents
–AQL for ammonia (1999)
–AQL for copper (1997)
–Unknown or documentation not readily apparent
–AQL for arsenic

8. Missouri Numeric Water Quality Criteria/US EPA 304(a) Criteria
Crosswalk
Designated Use/Pollutant Missouri Water Quality Criteria US EPA 304(a) Criteria
AQL – Metals/Inorganics 25 24
AQL – Other (e.g. organics,
pesticides)
16 35
AQL/HHF – Metals/Inorganics 0 11
AQL/HHF – Other (e.g. organics,
pesticides)
3 15
HHF – Metals/Inorganics 2 6
HHF – Other (e.g. organics,
pesticides)
76 86
Total 122 177

9. Missouri Water Quality Standards vs. US EPA 304(a) Criteria
Significant
Unexpected
*

10. Arsenic (Table A) vs 304(a)
• Missouri Numeric Water Quality Criteria [unknown basis]
–Aquatic Life Protection (AQL)
• Chronic only
–HHF (not included)
• 304(a) criteria
–Aquatic Life Protection (1995)
• Acute/Chronic
–Human Health Protection (1992)
• Organism Only
• Organism + Water

11. Arsenic
MoWQS vs. US EPA 304(a) Criteria
Protection of Aquatic Life
Human Health Protection - Fish
Consumption
Water Quality
Criteria
Effluent Limitation
Water Quality
Criteria
Effluent Limitation
Acute Chronic
Maximum
Daily
Average
Monthly
Water +
Organism
Organism
Only
Maximum
Daily
Average
Monthly
MoWQS - 20 32.9 16.4 - - - -
304(a) 340 150 246 123 0.018 0.14 0.036 0.018

12. Ammonia (Tables B1, B2, and B3)
• Missouri Numeric Water Quality Criteria [1999, 304(a)
criteria]
–Aquatic Life Protection (AQL)
• Acute – pH, CDH, CLH/WWH
• Chronic – pH, temperature, Salmonids (P/A), ELS (P/A)

13. Ammonia [304(a) criteria]
304(a) criteria (2013)
–Aquatic Life Protection (AQL)
• Acute - pH, temperature
• Chronic – pH, temperature

14. Ammonia Revision – Affecting Effluent Limits?
Aquatic Life
Criteria (acute,
mg/l)
Aquatic Life
Criteria (chronic,
mg/l)
Maximum Daily
Limit (mg/l)
Average
Monthly Limit
(mg/l)
304(a) criteria
Summer (2013)
3.4 0.69 36.4 12
304(a) criteria,
Winter (2013)
13 2.3 141 53
MoWQS, Summer
12.1 1.5 132 44
MoWQS, Winter
12.1 3.1 132 50
1 MGD Discharge to the Missouri River

15. Aluminum (Table A)
• Missouri Numeric Water Quality Criteria [1988, 304(a)
criteria]
–Aquatic Life Protection (AQL)
• Acute (dissolved?) – 750 µg/l
• No Chronic
• 304(a) criteria (1988)
–Aquatic Life Protection (AQL)
• Acute (total recoverable) - 750 µg/l
• Chronic (total recoverable) – 87 µg/l (pH footnote)

16. Aluminum Effluent Limits Missouri WQS vs. EPA 304(a) criteria
Aquatic Life (acute,
µg/l)
Aquatic Life
(chronic, µg/l)
Maximum Daily
Limit (µg/l)
Average Monthly
Limit (µg/l)
304(a) 750 87 152 76
MoWQS 750 N.A. 750 373

17. What’s on the Horizon Pertaining to 304(a) Criteria
Aquatic Life Revisions
• Selenium (proposed 2014 revisions)
Current Recommended
Criterion
2014 External Peer Review Draft Criterion
Magnitude Duration Magnitude Duration
Chronic 5 ug/L
4-day
average
15.2 mg/kg dw in fish eggs or
ovaries2
Instantaneous
measurement7
8.1 mg/kg dw in fish whole-body, or
11.8 mg/kg dw in fish muscle
(skinless, boneless fillet)3
Instantaneous
measurement7
1.3 µg/L in lentic aquatic systems
4.8 µg/L in lotic aquatic systems4
30-day
average
𝑊𝑄𝐶𝑖𝑛𝑡
𝑊𝑄𝐶30−𝑑�𝑦 − 𝐶�𝑘𝑔𝑟𝑛𝑑(1 − 𝑓 𝑖𝑛𝑡)
=
𝑓 𝑖𝑛𝑡
Intermittent
Exposure6
:
Number of
days fewer
than 30 with
an elevated
concentration
Acute
CMC =
1/[(f1/CMC1)
+
(f2/CMC2)]1
1-hr
average
None5
Criteria Frequency: Water column criteria not to be exceeded more than once in three years on
average. Fish tissue criteria are never to be exceeded.

18. What’s on the Horizon Pertaining to 304(a) Criteria
Aquatic Life Criteria
• Chloride
• Cadmium
http://water.epa.gov/scitech/swguidance/standards/criteria/curr
ent/index.cfm

19. References, credits, etc.

20. Questions, Thanks &
Contact Info
Rob Morrison, P.E.
Barr Engineering Co.
1001 Diamond Ridge, Suite 1100
Jefferson City, MO
573-638-5025
rmorrison@barr.com