EPA Considers Expanding Use Of Conductivity As Water Quality Criteria

摘要

EPA is beginning internal discussions about formalizing and expanding the use of electrical conductivity, a measure of salinity, as a water quality criteria beyond its use for mountaintop coal mines, a move that is already drawing concern from a broad range of industry groups, states and science advisers who say it is an inappropriate measure of impairment.rnOne EPA official says the agency's effort is aimed at encouraging states to adopt a numeric conductivity criteria as a measure for Clean Water Act (CWA) permits, rather than the more-flexible narrative criteria they currently use.