?/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. ------- |