?/EPA
United States
Environmental Protection
Agency
Office of Water
EPA821-F-15-003
July 2015
Final 2014 Effluent Guidelines Program
Plan
Summary
EPA has published its Final 2014 Effluent Guidelines
Program Plan and 2014 Annual Review Report. The
Plan announces final decisions EPA is making on the
control of industrial wastewater discharges, along
with new actions for the future.
Background
Effluent limitation guidelines are national,
technology-based standards for industrial
wastewater discharges to surface waters and
publicly owned treatment works (also called
municipal sewage treatment plants).
Clean Water Act section 304(m) requires EPA to
biennially publish a plan that, after public notice and
comment, establishes a schedule for the annual
review and revision of existing effluent limitation
guidelines, identifies any new industrial categories
selected for an effluent guideline rulemaking, and
provides a schedule for such rulemaking.
Decisions in the Final 2014 Plan
In the Final 2014 Plan, EPA is announcing its final
decisions to:
• Release the 2014 Annual Review Report
describing the results of the 2014 annual review
of industrial wastewater discharges.
• Continue detailed studies of the Petroleum
Refining category (40 CFR Part 419) to
investigate reports of discharges of metals, and
of the Centralized Waste Treatment category,
specifically investigating Centralized Waste
Treatment facilities that accept oil and gas
extraction wastewaters.
• Conduct a preliminary study of the Metal
Finishing industry to investigate changes in metal
finishing chemistries and the potential for
unregulated pollutants to be discharges.
• Restate the schedules for the four ongoing
effluent guideline rulemakings (for the categories
of Steam Electric Power Generation, Dental
Amalgam, Alaska Seafood Processing, and
Unconventional Oil and Gas Extraction).
• Continue to investigate the Pesticide Chemicals
Manufacturing, Formulating, and Packaging
category to examine unregistered pesticides
manufactured for export.
• Complete the preliminary review of discharges
from Coastal Oil and Gas Extraction into Cook
Inlet, Alaska.
• Conduct no further review for Brick and
Structural Clay Products Manufacturing.
• Publish findings to date and continue to gather
information on Industrial Wastewater Treatment
Technology.
• Publish findings to date and continue to gather
information on Nanomaterials Manufacturing
and Product Formulation.
Where can I find more information?
You can access the Federal Register notice, the 2014
Plan and Annual Review Report, and all supporting
documents on EPA's Effluent Guidelines Plan
website at:
-------
http://water.epa.gov/scitech/wastetech/guide/304
mZ
For other related information, contact Mr. William F.
Swietlik by phone at (202) 566-1129, by e-mail at:
swietlik.william@epa.gov, or by mail at: U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Water,
Engineering and Analysis Division (4303T), 1200
Pennsylvania Avenue, NW, Washington, D.C., 20460.
------- |