&EPA
United States
Environmental Protection
Agency
                   Fact  Sheet
Office of Water
4303T
821F04010
 August 2004
                   Final Effluent Guidelines  Plan for 2004
 Summary
 EPA  is publishing a plan and schedule to consider developing and revising effluent guidelines.
 The plan itself does not establish any new requirements for any businesses. The plan announces
 EPA's decision to proceed with rulemakings which may lead to new requirements for facilities in
four industries. These effluent regulations will improve water quality by controlling discharges
from industrial sources.
 Background on Effluent Guidelines Plan

 EPA publishes an Effluent Guidelines Plan every
 other year. The Plan is required by Section 3 04(m)
 of the Clean Water Act.  EPA  published the
 preliminary Plan for public comment on December
 31, 2003.  The Agency received 59 comments
 from a variety of commenters.

 Background on Effluent Guidelines

 Effluent guidelines are national regulations for
 controlling the discharge of pollutants to surface
 waters and to publicly owned treatment works
 (POTWs).  Effluent guidelines are  technology-
 based and specific to an industry.  EPA writes
 effluent guidelines for all  types of industrial
 discharges—from manufacturing, agricultural, and
 service industries.

 The effluent guidelines program is one of EPA's
 most  successful environmental  protection
 programs. Effluent guidelines have helped reverse
 the water quality degradation that accompanied
 industrializationinthis country. Implementation of
 these regulations has reduced the discharge of
pollutants that  have serious environmental
impacts, including pollutants that:
                           >  kill or impair fish and other aquatic organisms;
                           >  cause  human  health  problems  through
                             contaminated water, fish, or shellfish; and
                           >  degrade aquatic ecosystems

                           EPA has already issued effluent guidelines for 56
                           industries. EPA estimates that these regulations
                           have prevented the discharge of more than 690
                           billion pounds of pollutants each year.

                           Summary of the 2004 Plan

                           This notice presents the final 2004  Effluent
                           Guidelines Program Plan, as well as a description
                           of EPA's review process. The notice presents: (1)
                           the results of the Agency's 2004 annual review; (2)
                           a response to public comments received on the
                           preliminary Plan;  (3)  the  industrial  sectors
                           identified for effluent guidelines rulemakings; and
                           (4) a rulemaking schedule.

                           The final plan identifies four industries to consider
                           for effluent guidelines development or revision.
                           Two industrial sectors are identified for potential
                           revisions to existing  effluent guidelines: Vinyl
                           Chloride  Manufacturing and  Chlor-Alkali
                           manufacturing.   Two unregulated  industrial
                           categories are also identified: Airport Deicing

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Operations  and Drinking Water Supply and
Treatment.

Further Information

For additional information concerning this action,
you can contact Mr. Carey A. Johnston at (202)
566-1014 at the U.S. Environmental Protection
Agency,  Office of Water,  Engineering and
Analysis Division (4303T), 1200 Pennsylvania
Avenue, NW, Washington, D.C.; or you can send
an e-mail to johnston.carey@epa.gov. You can
view or download the complete text of the Federal
Register  notice on  the  Internet   at
http://www.epa.gov/guide/plan.html.

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