S-EPA
United States
Environmental Protection
Agency
Office of Water EPA- 821-F-13-002
4303T
April 2013
Proposed Effluent Limitation Guidelines & Standards
for the Steam Electric Power Generating Industry
Summary
Steam electric power plants alone contribute
more than half of the toxic pollutants discharged
to water bodies by all industrial categories
currently regulated in the Unites States. On
April 19, 2013, EPA signed a notice of proposed
rulemaking to revise the technology-based
effluent limitations guidelines and standards for
this industry that would strengthen the existing
controls on discharges from steam electric
power plants. The proposal sets the first federal
limits on the levels of toxic metals in wastewater
that can be discharged from power plants, based
on technology improvements in the steam
electric power industry over the last three
decades.
Depending on the options selected for final
rulemaking, these requirements would annually
reduce pollutant discharges by 470 million to
2.62 billion pounds and reduce water use by 50
billion to 103 billion gallons per year.
Compliance with the proposed rule would be
economically achievable, with an associated
annual cost between $185 million and $954
million.
Background
More than 23,000 miles of rivers and streams are
damaged by steam electric plant discharges,
which include arsenic, mercury, lead, boron,
cadmium, selenium, chromium, nickel, thallium,
vanadium, zinc, nitrogen, chlorides, bromides,
iron, copper and aluminum. For example, each
year nearly 65,000 pounds of lead and 3,000
pounds of mercury are discharged, leading to
lowered IQs among children exposed to these
pollutants via drinking water or by eating fish.
Additionally, each year nearly 80,000 pounds of
arsenic is released into surface waters,
increasing the risk of cancers and other health
effects in humans exposed to these pollutants
through drinking water and by eating fish.
Many of these toxic pollutants, once in the
environment, remain there for years.
The current effluent guidelines and standards for
the steam electric power industry, which were
last updated in 1982, do not adequately address
the associated toxic metals discharged to surface
waters from facilities in this industry. The
current effluent limitations guidelines and
standards are focused on settling out particulates
rather than treating dissolved pollutants.
An updated regulation is also needed because
the development of new technologies for
generating electric power and the widespread
implementation of air pollution controls over the
last 30 years have altered existing wastewater
streams or created new wastewater streams at
many power plants, particularly coal-fired
plants.
Summary of the Proposed Rule
Generally, the proposed rule would establish
new or additional requirements for wastewater
streams from the following processes and
byproducts associated with steam electric power
generation: flue gas desulfurization, fly ash,
bottom ash, flue gas mercury control, and
gasification of fuels such as coal and petroleum
coke.
Key Wastestreams
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The proposed national standards are based on
data collected from industry and provide
flexibility in implementation through a phased-
in approach and use of technologies already
installed at a number of plants.
EPA is considering several options in this
rulemaking and has identified four preferred
alternatives for regulation of discharges from
existing sources. These four proposed options
differ in the number of waste streams covered
the size of the units controlled, and the
stringency of the controls that would be
imposed. EPA also projects different levels of
pollutant reduction and cost associated with
these alternatives.
Benefits of this Regulation
There are numerous documented instances of
environmental impacts associated with steam
electric plant discharges including widespread
aquatic life impacts and toxic metal
bioaccumulation in wildlife. In addition, there
are increased cancer and non-cancer risks to
human health from these discharges. EPA has
monetized benefits where possible but most of
the real benefits could not be quantified.
EPA's proposed options would annually reduce
pollutant discharges by 470 million to 2.62
billion pounds and reduce water use by 50
billion to 103 billion gallons per year at affected
steam electric power plants.
Costs of Implementing this Regulation
Compliance with the proposed regulation would
be economically achievable, with an associated
annual cost for the proposed options between
$185 million and $954 million. EPA performed
cost and economic impact assessments of two
regulatory options using the Integrated Planning
Model. These two options provide insight on the
potential effects of the four preferred options
EPA is proposing. The analyses show very small
effects on the electricity market, on both a
national and regional sub-market basis.
Electricity rates are projected to stay well within
normal historical fluctuations. Additionally, no
coal plants are projected to close as a result of
this rule. EPA's analysis estimates 0.32
gigawatts of generating capacity retirement (net)
out of the more than 1000 gigawatts that make
up the nation's electric generating capacity.
Fewer than half of coal-fired power plants are
estimated to incur costs under any of the
proposed standards, because most power plants
already have the technology and procedures in
place to meet the proposed pollution control
standards. For example, over 80% of coal plants
already have dry handling systems for fly ash
that avoid wastewater discharge
For More Information
Please contact Jezebele Alicea-Virella
(alicea.jezebele(g),epa.gov) at 202-566-1755.
You can also learn more about this rule by
visiting EPA's website at:
http://water.epa.gov/scitech/wastetech/guide/stea
m-electric/proposed.cfm
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