Notice2023-01413
Effluent Guidelines Program Plan 15
Primary source
Metadata and text below are from the Federal Register, a public-domain U.S. government work. Always verify the official published version before relying on it for any legal matter.
Published
January 31, 2023
Issuing agencies
Environmental Protection Agency
Abstract
This notice announces the availability of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) Effluent Guidelines Program Plan 15 (Plan 15). The Clean Water Act (CWA) requires EPA to biennially publish a plan for new and revised effluent limitations guidelines, after public review and comment. Plan 15 provides updates on activities discussed in Preliminary Effluent Guidelines Program Plan 15 (Preliminary Plan 15) and discusses comments that were received during the public comment period. Plan 15 discusses EPA's 2021 annual review of effluent limitations guidelines and pretreatment standards, presents the agency's preliminary review of certain specific point source categories, provides an update on the analyses and tools that EPA is developing related to effluent limitations guidelines and pretreatment standards, and discusses several new and ongoing rulemaking actions.
Full Text
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<title>Federal Register, Volume 88 Issue 20 (Tuesday, January 31, 2023)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 88, Number 20 (Tuesday, January 31, 2023)]
[Notices]
[Pages 6258-6259]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2023-01413]
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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
[EPA-HQ-OW-2021-0547; FRL-5601.5-02-OW]
Effluent Guidelines Program Plan 15
AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
ACTION: Notice of availability.
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SUMMARY: This notice announces the availability of the U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) Effluent Guidelines Program
Plan 15 (Plan 15). The Clean Water Act (CWA) requires EPA to biennially
publish a plan for new and revised effluent limitations guidelines,
after public review and comment. Plan 15 provides updates on activities
discussed in Preliminary Effluent Guidelines Program Plan 15
(Preliminary Plan 15) and discusses comments that were received during
the public comment period. Plan 15 discusses EPA's 2021 annual review
of effluent limitations guidelines and pretreatment standards, presents
the agency's preliminary review of certain specific point source
categories, provides an update on the analyses and tools that EPA is
developing related to effluent limitations guidelines and pretreatment
standards, and discusses several new and ongoing rulemaking actions.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Doruntin[euml] Rexhepi, Engineering
and Analysis Division, Office of Water, 4303T, U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency, 1200 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20460;
telephone number: (202) 566-2532; fax number: (202) 566-1053; email
address: <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#c2b0a7baaaa7b2abeca6adb0b7acb6abaca782a7b2a3eca5adb4"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="7c0e190414190c155218130e0912081512193c190c1d521b130a">[email protected]</span></a>.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
I. General Information
A. Supporting Documents
Supporting documents that provide further details on the
information presented in Plan 15 are also available for review.
B. How can I get copies of these documents and other related
information?
Docket. The EPA has established an official public docket for these
actions under Docket ID No. EPA-HQ-OW-2021-0547. Publicly available
docket materials are available either electronically through
<a href="http://www.regulations.gov">www.regulations.gov</a> or in hard copy at the EPA Docket Center, WJC West
Building, Room 3334, 1301 Constitution Ave. NW, Washington, DC. The
Docket Center's hours of operations are 8:30 a.m. through 4:30 p.m.,
Monday through Friday (except Federal Holidays). For further
information on the EPA Docket Center services and the current status,
see: <a href="https://www.epa.gov/dockets">https://www.epa.gov/dockets</a>.
Electronic Access. You may access this Federal Register document
electronically from <a href="https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/current">https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/current</a>.
Internet access. Copies of the supporting documents are available
at <a href="https://www.epa.gov/eg/effluent-guidelines-plan">https://www.epa.gov/eg/effluent-guidelines-plan</a>.
II. How is this document organized?
The outline of this document follows.
A. Legal Authority.
B. Summary of Effluent Guidelines Program Plan 15.
A. Legal Authority
This notice is published under the authority of the CWA, 33 U.S.C.
1251, et seq., and in particular sections 301(d), 304(b), 304(g),
304(m), 306, 307(b) and 308 of the Act, 33 U.S.C. 1311(d), 1314(b),
1314(g), 1314(m), 1316, 1317(b), and 1318.
B. Summary of Effluent Guidelines Program Plan 15.
EPA prepared Plan 15 pursuant to CWA section 304(m). Effluent
guidelines plans provide a summary of EPA's annual review of effluent
limitations guidelines and pretreatment standards, consistent with CWA
sections 301(d), 304(b), 304(g), 304(m), and 307(b). From these
reviews, the plans identify any new or existing industrial categories
EPA selected for effluent limitations guidelines or pretreatment
standards rulemakings and provide a schedule for such rulemakings. Once
EPA develops the schedules for a specific rulemaking, the schedule is
published in EPA's Regulatory Agenda. In addition, the plans present
any new or existing categories of industry selected for further review
and analysis.
Plan 15 provides updates on activities discussed in Preliminary
Plan 15 and a summary of the comments that EPA
[[Page 6259]]
received from the public. EPA received 32 unique letters on Preliminary
Plan 15 that generally provided suggestions for improving certain
analyses as well as comments for EPA to consider as it continues work
on the detailed studies and ongoing rulemakings discussed in the
Preliminary Plan. EPA considered public comments and made appropriate
revisions. EPA did not change course on any substantive areas of ELG
work as a result.
Plan 15 provides updates on EPA's reviews of industrial wastewater
discharges and treatment technologies discussed in Preliminary Plan 15
and presents EPA's 2021 annual review of effluent guidelines and
pretreatment standards. With this Plan, EPA continued to focus on and
evaluate the extent and nature of Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances
(PFAS) discharges and assess opportunities for limiting those
discharges from multiple industrial categories, as outlined in EPA's
2021 PFAS Strategic Roadmap, found here: <a href="https://www.epa.gov/pfas/pfas-strategic-roadmap-epas-commitments-action-2021-2024">https://www.epa.gov/pfas/pfas-strategic-roadmap-epas-commitments-action-2021-2024</a>.
Plan 15 announces that EPA, pending resource availability, intends
to initiate one new rulemaking and several new studies. After
collecting and analyzing data, EPA has determined that revisions to the
effluent limitations guidelines and pretreatment standards for the
Landfills Category (40 CFR part 445) are warranted, considering PFAS
found in landfill leachate. Plan 15 also announces EPA's intent to
expand the detailed study of the Textile Mills Category (40 CFR part
410) to gather information on the use, treatment, and discharge of PFAS
from the industry. Plan 15 also announces EPA's intent to initiate a
Publicly Owned Treatment Works (POTW) Influent Study focusing on
collecting nationwide data pertaining to industrial discharges of PFAS
to POTWs, including categories recently reviewed. Finally, Plan 15
announces EPA's intent to undertake a detailed study of the
Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations (CAFO) Category (40 CFR part
412), which will focus on collecting further information to enable the
agency to make an informed, reasoned decision whether to undertake
rulemaking to revise the ELGs for CAFOs.
Plan 15 also announces that EPA is not pursuing further regulatory
action for the Electrical and Electronic Components (E&EC) Category (40
CFR part 469) at this time but will continue monitoring this category
for PFAS discharge data through the POTW Influent Study. Plan 15
announces that EPA will also continue to monitor PFAS applications and
discharges from the Pulp, Paper, and Paperboard Category (40 CFR part
430) and airports. The agency intends to undertake the actions outlined
in this Plan and summarized above. The commencement and pace of these
activities depend on the agency's Fiscal Year 2023 appropriations and
operating plan.
Finally, Plan 15 provides updates related to several actions that
are included in EPA's Regulatory Agenda, including the Steam Electric
Power Generating Category rulemaking to strengthen certain wastewater
pollution discharge limitations for coal fired power plants that use
steam to generate electricity; Meat and Poultry Products Category to
address nutrient discharges; Organic Chemicals, Plastics & Synthetic
Fibers Category to address PFAS discharges; and Metal Finishing and
Electroplating Categories to address PFAS discharges.
Plan 15 can be found at <a href="https://www.epa.gov/eg/effluent-guidelines-plan">https://www.epa.gov/eg/effluent-guidelines-plan</a>.
Radhika Fox,
Assistant Administrator.
[FR Doc. 2023-01413 Filed 1-30-23; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6560-50-P
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This is legal information, not legal advice. Laws vary by jurisdiction and change frequently. Always verify current law with official sources and consult a licensed attorney in your jurisdiction for advice on your specific situation.