National Pretreatment
                                 Program

                                  (40 CFR 403)
          Fact Sheet 1.0:  Pretreatment Streamlining Rule
   Summary of Changes Made Under the Streamlining Rule
What is the
Streamlining Rule?
How does the
Streamlining Rule
reduce the burden
on the Control
Authority?
What other
significant
changes were
made under the
Streamlining
Rule?
The Streamlining Rule revises several provisions of the General
Pretreatment Regulations (40 CFR Part 403). The Pretreatment
Program requires industrial dischargers to use treatment techniques
and management practices to reduce or eliminate the discharge of
harmful pollutants to sanitary sewers. The Streamlining Rule was
designed to reduce the overall regulatory burden on both Industrial
Users (IDs) and Control Authorities without adversely affecting
environmental protection.

The Streamlining Rule provides the Control Authority with the
flexibility to reduce the burden of technical and administrative
requirements without undermining the environmental objectives of
the Pretreatment Program. These changes, listed below, allow the
Control Authority to focus oversight resources on IDs with the
greatest potential for affecting Publicly Owned Treatment Works
(POTW) operations or the environment.
*  Control Authorities may authorize an ID subject to categorical
   Pretreatment Standards to reduce sampling of a pollutant if the ID
   demonstrates that a given pollutant is neither present nor
   expected to be present in the discharge. [§§ 403.8(f)(2)(v) and
   403.12]
*  Control Authorities may authorize the  use  of equivalent
   concentration limits in lieu of mass limits for Categorical Industrial
   Users (ClUs) in certain industrial categories. [§ 403.6(c)(6)]
*  Control Authorities may issue general control  mechanisms to
   groups  of Significant Industrial Users (SlUs) that are substantially
   similar. [§ 403.8(f)(1)(iii)]
*  Control Authorities may reduce oversight of certain Categorical
   Industrial Users based on percentage of contribution to the
   POTW.
*  Control Authorities may reduce oversight of certain Industrial
   Users that may be  reclassified as Non-Significant Categorical
   Industrial Users (NCSIUs).

In finalizing the Streamlining Rule, EPA is also working to improve
the effectiveness of the Pretreatment Program. The Rule:
*  Provides greater flexibility in the use of certain sampling
   techniques.
*  Allows in certain circumstances Control Authorities to express
   ClUs' concentration-based categorical Pretreatment Standards as
   equivalent mass limits. [§ 403.6(c)(5)]

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                                 Clarifies that POTWs may use Best Management Practices (BMPs) as
                                 alternatives to numeric limits that are developed to protect the POTW,
                                 water quality, and sewage sludge.
                                 Clarifies the definition of significant noncompliance (SNC) as it
                                 applies to violations of instantaneous and narrative requirements,
                                 and late reports.
                                 Makes other miscellaneous changes designed to maintain
                                 consistency with the NPDES regulations or to correct
                                 typographical errors.
Are any of the
changes in the
Streamlining Rule
required?
Which changes
are required
changes?
Yes, there are required changes in the Streamlining Rule. The
majority of the regulatory changes, however, are not required. As a
general rule, those streamlining changes which are considered less
stringent than the current regulations do not need to be adopted. If a
State wishes to implement these requirements, it will need to
formally revise its own regulations to provide the appropriate legal
authority for such implementation.

EPA has identified the 13 rule changes that are more stringent than
existing provisions in 40 CFR Part 403, and therefore may require
changes to the appropriate State or POTW authorities. These
required changes are outlined in the Pretreatment Streamlining Rule
Fact Sheet 2.0: Required Changes. Available at:
http://www.epa.qov/npdes/pubs/pretreatment streamlining required
 chanqes.pdf.
How do Control
Authorities and IDs
implement these
changes?
Where can I get more
information?
In order to implement any of the changes made under the
Streamlining Rule, Control Authorities must submit a program
modification to their Approval Authority in accordance with 40 C.F.R.
§ 403.18. In some cases, State laws must be changed before the
Control Authority can incorporate streamlining changes. Industries
must comply with requirements from the Streamlining Rule that are
more stringent than existing requirements, but may not implement
changes that result in less stringent requirements (e.g., reduced
monitoring) unless the Control Authority has modified its individually
approved pretreatment program and any associated control
mechanisms to include the less stringent requirement.

The Streamlining Rule was published in the Federal Register on
October 15, 2005 (70 Fed. Reg. 60134). You can get a copy of the
rule at EPA's Pretreatment Web site,
http://cfpub.epa.qov/npdes/home.cfm7proqram id=3
Information is also available from your State or from EPA.
Office of Water
EPA 833-F-06-006
July 2006

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