Abstract |
Section 304(b) of the Clean Water Act requires EPA to annually review and, if appropriate, revise its technology-based regulations, called effluent limitations guidelines and standards. These guidelines limit the discharge of pollutants to waters of the United States from various categories of industrial facilities. Section 304(m) supplements the core requirement of section 304(b) by requiring EPA to publish a plan every two years announcing its schedule for performing this annual review and its schedule for rulemaking for any effluent guideline selected for possible revision as a result of that annual review. EPA last published an Effluent Guidelines Program Plan in 2004 (69 FR 53705; September 2, 2004). EPAs Preliminary 2006 Effluent Guidelines Program Plan was published for public comment August 29, 2005 (70 FR 51042). During its 2005 screening-level analysis of discharges from categories with existing regulations, EPA determined that the Pulp, Paper, and Paperboard Point Source Category ranked higher than any other category in discharges of toxic and nonconventional pollutants1. Because of these findings, EPA conducted a more detailed study of this category. The primary purpose of this detailed study is to determine whether EPA should revise the existing categorical effluent limitations guidelines and pretreatment standards (ELGs). To determine if it should revise existing ELGs, EPA investigated the sources of the toxic pollutants discharged from at pulp and paper mills. These toxic pollutants include dioxin and dioxin-like compounds, polycyclic aromatic compounds (PACs), metals, and other pollutants. A secondary purpose of this detailed study is to determine how the revisions of the categorical ELGs that were promulgated in 1998 have been implemented, their effect on mill discharges, and whether they should be further revised to provide additional control of pollutants originating from bleaching operations. |