July
17,
2002
James
P.
Oland
Supervisor,
Puerto
Rico
Field
Office
U.
S.
Fish
and
Wildlife
Service
P.
O.
Box
491
Boqueron,
Puerto
Rico
00622
Eric
Hawk
Section
7
Coordinator
Southeast
Regional
Office
National
Marine
Fisheries
Service
9721
Executive
Center
Drive,
North
St.
Petersburg,
Florida
33702
RE:
2002
Puerto
Rico
Water
Quality
Standards
Regulations
Dear
Messrs.
Oland
and
Hawk:

I
am
writing
to
initiate
consultation,
pursuant
to
Section
7
of
the
Endangered
Species
Act,
with
your
respective
agencies
on
the
Environmental
Protection
Agency's
(
EPA)
pending
action
on
the
proposed
2002
Puerto
Rico
Water
Quality
Standards
Regulations
(
PRWQSR).
Towards
this
end,
enclosed
please
find
a
copy
of
the
proposed
2002
PRWQSR
and
a
summary
sheet
outlining
the
most
significant
changes.

Based
on
EPA's
review
of
the
proposed
2002
PRWQSR,
we
have
determined
that
they
are,
on
balance,
more
stringent
that
the
current
PRWQSR.
Moreover,
in
several
critical
areas
(
e.
g.,
antidegradation,
mixing
zones,
and
use
classifications),
they
specifically
reference
the
need
to
protect
threatened/
endangered
species.
Accordingly,
EPA
has
made
a
preliminary
determination
that
our
approval
of
the
2002
PRWQSR
is
not
likely
to
adversely
affect
federally­
listed
species.
I
would
greatly
appreciate
receiving
any
comments
you
may
have
on
our
preliminary
determination
and
the
proposed
2002
PRWQSR
by
August
16,
2002.

In
the
interim,
should
you
have
any
questions,
or
need
additional
information,
please
feel
free
to
contact
me
at
(
212)
637­
3495,
or
have
your
staff
contact
Wayne
Jackson
at
(
212)
637­
3807.

Sincerely
yours,

Robert
W.
Hargrove,
Chief
Strategic
Planning
&
Multi­
Media
Programs
Branch
Enclosures
bcc:
M.
DelVicario
W.
Jackson
A.
Inglesias
G:\...\
spm\
hargrove\
PRSWQS­
02.
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