Water Quality Criteria Development and Transparency Act

This bill changes how national water quality standards are set under the Clean Water Act. It requires the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to issue any new or updated water quality criteria as formal rules after the law takes effect, instead of using less formal methods. It also makes related updates to how these actions can be reviewed in court under the Act.

Key points:

• Who is affected: EPA, states and tribes that use federal criteria to set local standards, industries that discharge into waterways, and communities that rely on clean water.
• What changes: New or revised water quality criteria must be issued “by rule” (formal regulations). The bill also adjusts the section of the law that covers court review of these actions.
• When: These requirements apply after the bill becomes law.