WQS economic support - GS-10F-0146L - BPA 10-03 1. Description: the U.S. Environmental protection agency (EPA) is responsible for developing regulations and policies for water quality standards and…

WQS economic support - GS-10F-0146L - BPA 10-03 1. Description: the U.S. Environmental protection agency (EPA) is responsible for developing regulations and policies for water quality standards and for providing program guidance. A state must review applicable water quality standards and modify and/or adopt standards, where appropriate, at least once every three years. EPA reviews these state-adopted water quality standards for consistency with the requirements of section 303 (C)(2)(B) of the clean water act (CWA). After this review is completed, EPA issues its approval or disapproval of the standards. In cases where gaps exist in state standards, EPA is responsible for proposing and promulgating federal standards that apply to the state. EPA has promulgated such actions for california, florida, idaho, alabama, delaware, kansas, and puerto rico, and is currently developing actions for other states and tribes. EPA is also responsible for water quality guidance on minimum water quality standards, antidegradation policies, and reviewing actions that could lower water quality. 2. Tasks -the contractor shall perform regulatory and economic analysis support related to these requirements. The following services are required under this task: task 1. The contractor shall provide economic analyses of proposed changes to the water quality standards regulations developed by EPA. The analyses will evaluate the potential economic impacts and burden to states, tribes, territories, and EPA that is associated with the proposed regulatory revisions. In addition, the contractor shall update the water quality standards program information collection request (ICR) which estimates the burden hours associated with implementing the water quality standards regulations. The contractor shall also perform a regulatory flexibility act (RFA)/ small business regulatory enforcement fairness act (SBREFA) screening analysis to meet the analytical requirements under the regulatory flexibility act of 1980 as amended by the small business regulatory enforcement fairness act of 1996. EPA will provide the regulatory language that will be the subject of these analyses. Task 1 deliverables: 1. Draft economic analysis 6 weeks after receipt of final regulatory language to be analyzed. 2. Final economic analysis 3 weeks after receipt of review comments from EPA. 3. Draft ICR 4 weeks after receipt of final regulatory language to be analyzed 4. Final ICR 2 weeks after receipt of review comments from EPA. 5. Draft RFA/SBREFA 5 weeks after receipt of final regulatory language to be analyzed 6. Final RFA/SBREFA 2 weeks after receipt of review comments from EPA. Task 2. The contractor shall provide analyses of options and implementation scenarios associated with EPA S proposed revisions to the water quality standards regulations for the purpose of management decision-making and communication with government officials and the public. The contractor shall also provide expert commentary, interpretations, explanations, and justifications of new policies and procedures related to water quality standards regulations. EPA will provide details of the topics that will be the subject of the analyses. Task 2 deliverables: 1. Draft documents: 4 weeks after receipt of options, scenarios, and topics to be analyzed, developed, revised, interpreted, explained, or justified. 2. Final documents: 2 weeks after receipt of review comments from EPA. 3. Performance standards and quality measures: the following standards will be used to measure performance: 1) quality of outputs - all tasks to be superior quality. The quality of outputs will be measured against similar analyses and work products already performed by EPA. These include the costs/benefits methodology, and supporting documentation and analyses for the great lakes water quality guidance, the california toxics rule, and water quality standards regulations for the states of alabama, delaware, flor