mil United States Environmental Protection \rU MX Agency September 2017 Postponement of Certain Compliance Dates for the Effluent Limitations Guidelines and Standards for the Steam Electric Power Generating Industry Summary EPA intends to conduct a rulemaking to potentially revise certain best available technology economically achievable (BAT) effluent limitations and pretreatment standards for existing sources (PSES) for the steam electric power generating point source category, which were published in the Federal Register in November 2015 (the 2015 Rule). EPA is, accordingly, postponing the compliance dates in the 2015 Rule until it completes such a rulemaking. In particular, EPA is postponing the earliest compliance dates for the new, more stringent, BAT effluent limitations and PSES for bottom ash transport water and flue gas desulfurization (FGD) wastewater in the 2015 Rule for a period of two years. At this time, EPA does not intend to conduct a rulemaking that would potentially revise the new, more stringent BAT effluent limitations and pretreatment standards in the 2015 Rule for fly ash transport water, flue gas mercury control wastewater, and gasification wastewater, or any of the other requirements in the 2015 Rule. As such, EPA is not changing the compliance dates for the BAT limitations and PSES established by the 2015 Rule for these wastestreams. EPA's action to postpone certain compliance dates in the 2015 Rule is intended to preserve the status quo for FGD wastewater and bottom ash transport water until EPA completes its next rulemaking, and it does not otherwise amend the effluent limitations guidelines and standards for the steam electric power generating point source category. Background On November 3, 2015, EPA issued a final rule amending a federal regulation (40 CFR Part 423), the effluent limitations guidelines and standards for the steam electric power generating point source category. The amendments addressed and contained limitations and standards on various wastestreams at steam electric power plants: fly ash transport water, bottom ash transport water, flue gas mercury control wastewater, FGD wastewater, gasification wastewater, and combustion residual leachate. Earlier this year, EPA received administrative petitions for reconsideration of the 2015 Rule. After carefully considering the petitions, the Administrator decided that it is appropriate and in the public interest to conduct a rulemaking to potentially revise the BAT limitations and PSES established by the 2015 Rule for FGD wastewater and bottom ash transport water. Where can I find more information? For additional information about this rule, please contact Ronald Jordan by e-mail at iordan.ronald@epa.gov or by telephone at (202) 566-1003. You can also learn more about this rule by visiting EPA's website at: https://www.epa.gov/eg/steam-electric-power-generating-effluent-guidelines-2015-final-rule. ------- |