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PRODUCTS FINISHING — PFonline.com 15 THE VOICE OF FINISHING 80 YEARS EPA Proposes Revisions to Cadmium Water Quality Standards The U.S. EPA proposed updated water quality criteria for cadmium that would relax the benchmark for protecting aquatic species from chronic exposures to cadmium in freshwater from 0.25 µg/L to 0.73 µg/L, and for acute exposure from 2.0 µg/L to 2.1 µg/L. EPA also proposed a more stringent cadmium standard for estuarine and marine waters with criteria to protect aquatic species from chronic exposure from 8.8 µg/L to 8.3 µg/L and for acute exposure from 40 µg/L to 35 µg/L. The proposal defnes chronic risks as exposures of duration of four days or longer and acute risks as an exposure of one hour. Prior to the proposal, acute risks were considered exposures within a 24-hour period. When EPA last updated the cadmium water quality standard in 2001, it stated that stricter criteria were necessary because new data showed that exposure to cadmium over an extended period of time could have negative health impacts on aquatic life. The 2001 cadmium water quality criteria lowered the chronic exposure limit by orders of magnitude, prompting sources in the wastewater industry at the time to claim that these criteria would be impossible to meet. While EPA's risk-based criteria are not binding, states ofen use them to develop enforceable water quality standards. States can also revise EPA's water quality criteria based on local concerns or develop their own, but EPA must approve alternate approaches. Other states and the industry-based Utility Water Act Group (UWAG) argue that the proposal is too stringent and have raised several questions about how the criteria were calculated. The industry group also challenged EPA's decision to change the duration of acute exposure from 24 hours to one hour without suficient evidence, as well as EPA's more costly monitoring requirements. UWAG concluded that EPA appeared to be making a policy decision to revise the acute exposure without scientifc evidence on cadmium toxicity to support it. Illinois and Wisconsin also questioned EPA's criteria claiming that the chronic exposure level was based on a fawed toxicity test that was published more than 15 years ago by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS). According to the states, the USGS study should be retested, a position that it claims is supported by EPA's Ofice of Science and Technology. EPA is in the process of reviewing public comments on the proposal. It is not clear if EPA intends to make any signifcant changes to the proposal. The agency faces a March 30, 2016 court- ordered deadline to issue the new criteria. If you have any questions or would like additional infor- mation on this issue, contact Jef Hannapel with NASF at jhannapel@thepolicygroup.com. Jeff Hannapel, NASF | The Policy Group Stuart Rothenberg NASF Welcomes Newest Members NASF's newest members are: APCOM, Lake City Plating, Miller Plastic Products, ACME Dynamic Surface Finishing, Colorado Plating, Tulsa Metal Finishing, Peerless Custom Rack Co., Paragon Resource Management, Metrohm, Precision Process Equipment, Imbotec Group, Alpine Creations and Bright Dyes. NASF Industry Award Nominations Now Accepted NASF continues a tradition of presenting awards at Sur/Fin to acknowledge the leadership of our peers who have dedicated time to ensure a strong association and vibrant future. Attend the NASF annual meeting to acknowledge them for their eforts and to honor those whose names appear before them. Nominate someone today on NASF.org. Upcoming NASF Events Visit nasf.org for event details and registration. Washington Forum April 19 – 21 Stuart Rothenberg, founding editor and publisher of the Rothenberg & Gonzales Political Report, a political columnist for "Roll Call" and one of the nation's most popular political analysts, will be the luncheon keynote speaker of the Forum. The Forum is an opportunity to build a personal relationship with the members of Congress that represent you, your business and your industry. In this election year, your voice is crucial for building a sustainable future. The Forum provides a unifed voice for the NASF community that has produced tangible results. Sur/Fin June 6 – 8 As the largest and only surface technology event sponsored by the NASF, Sur/Fin Manufacturing and Technology Tradeshow and Conference will focus on the drive for continued growth in the year ahead, addressing both the opportunity for innovation and investment that this will bring. High-achieving leaders will impart their knowledge and give insight about how they plan to grow their business. Education– Boot Camp for Electroplaters September 6 – 21 NASF's training arm, the AESF Foundation, ofers an expanded version of its popular Sur/Fin Boot Camp for training qualifed workers. It is presented in a non-technical way and assumes no formal math or technical knowledge. It is nine lessons on various subjects. BECOME A MEMBER AT NASF.ORG