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Effluent Guidelines
Biennial Plan
Clean Water Act §304(m)
- Sec. 304. Information and Guidelines.
- (m) Schedule for Review of Guidelines. —
- (1) Publication. — Within 12 months after the date of the enactment of the Water Quality Act of 1987, and biennially thereafter, the Administrator shall publish in the Federal Register a plan which shall
- (A) establish a schedule for the annual review and revision of promulgated effluent guidelines, in accordance with subsection (b) of this section,
- (B) identify categories of sources discharging toxic or nonconventional pollutants for which guidelines under subsection (b)(2) of this section and section 306 have not previously been published; and
- (C) establish a schedule for promulgation of effluent guidelines for categories identified in subparagraph (B) under which promulgation of such guidelines shall be no later than 4 years after such date of enactment for categories identified in the first published plan or 3 years after the publication of the plan for categories identified in later published plans.
- (2) Public Review. — The Administrator shall provide for public review and comment on the plan prior to final publication.
Effluent Guidelines Program Plan for 2008
- Final Effluent Guidelines Plan for 2008
- Request for Comment on Coalbed Methane Extraction Sector Survey
- Request for Comment on Health Care Industry Unused Pharmaceuticals Management Questionnaire
- Past Effluent Guidelines Plans
Final Plan for 2008
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- Fact Sheet about the 2008 Final Plan (September 2008)
- Federal Register Notice of the Effluent Guidelines Plan | Print Version (PDF) (326 K, 24 pp.) (September 15, 2008)
Supporting Documents
- Technical Support Document (PDF) (202 pp., 4.3 MB; EPA 821-R-08-015)
- Appendices (PDF) (194 pp., 4.7 MB)
- A: Supplemental Materials for Screening-Level Analysis (4 tables; 86 pp.)
- B: Supplemental Materials for the Development of TRI Releases, 2005, v.2 (1 table; 36 pp.)
- C: Results of TRI, Release 2004, v.3, TRI Releases 2005, v.2, and PCSLoads, 2004, v.4 (9 tables; 72 pp.)
- Appendices (PDF) (194 pp., 4.7 MB)
- Steam Electric Power Generating Point Source Category: 2007/2008 Detailed Study Report (PDF) (89 pp., 1.8 MB; EPA 821-R-08-011)
- Coal Mining Detailed Study (PDF) (153 pp., 3.0 MB; EPA 821-R-08-012)
- Appendices
- A–E:
Additional Untreated and Treated Acid Mine Drainage Wastewater Characterization Data
Draft Acid Mine Drainage Treatment Cost Module: Chemical Precipitation Using Caustic Soda
Draft Acid Mine Drainage Treatment Cost Module: Chemical Precipitation Using Hydrated Lime
Draft Acid Mine Drainage Treatment Cost Module: Limestone Bed
Acid Mine Drainage Treatment Cost Module Results (PDF) (106 pp., 2.5 MB) - F: Annual Average Measurement Values and Annual Average Flow Rates in WVDMR by Pollutant and AMD Outfall (Zip of PDF) (337 pp., 4.9 MB)
- G: Annual Average Concentration Values and Annual Average Flow Rates in PADEPInspector by Pollutant and AMD Outfall (PDF) (59 pp., 5.3 MB)
- H: Annual Pollutant Loadings by Pollutant and AMD Outfall Included in WVDMR (Zip of PDF) (215 pp., 3.2 MB)
- I: Annual Pollutant Loadings by Pollutant and AMD Outfall Included in PADEPInspector (PDF) (34 pp., 5.2 MB)
- A–E:
- Appendices
- Health Services Industry Detailed Study: Management and Disposal of Unused Pharmaceuticals (Interim Technical Report)
- Health Services Industry Detailed Study: Dental Amalgam
- User Guide to the 304(m) 2008 Plan Docket (PDF) (19 pp., 136 K)
- Docket Index (PDF) (293 pp., 3.0 MB)
- Regulations.gov Docket (EPA-HQ-OW-2006-0771)
Request for Comment on Coalbed Methane Extraction (CBM) Sector Survey
EPA plans to collect information from coalbed methane extraction facilities to determine if effluent guidelines are required to control the discharge of pollutants into surface waters of the United States and to publicly owned treatment works (POTWs). If approved, the information collection would collect detailed information from about 400 facilities, with questions about source water characteristics, residuals management techniques, costs, and financial data.
EPA requested comment on this information collection to further refine the questionnaires before submitting them to OMB for review and approval.
You can browse the CBM site or contact the 304(m) Plan Project Manager for more information.
Second Federal Register Notice Documents
- Fact Sheet: Second Request for Comment on Coalbed Methane Extraction Sector Survey (July 14, 2008)
- Second Federal Register Notice of the Coalbed Methane Extraction Sector Survey | Print Version (PDF) (75 K, 2 pp.) (July 15, 2008)
- Draft Coalbed Methane Extraction Sector Questionnaires
- First Phase: CBM Screener Questionnaire & Instructions (PDF) (420 K, 9 pp.)
- Second Phase: Detailed Survey Questionnaire (PDF) (1.4 MB, 77 pp.)
- Draft Coalbed Methane Extraction Sector Survey Supporting Statement: Second Version (PDF) (340 K, 78 pp.)
- Updated Index of Record Items Supporting Coalbed Methane Extraction Sector Survey (PDF) (43 pp., 176 K)
- Documents supporting this proposed information collection request can also be downloaded from Regulations.gov. These documents include notes and reports from EPA's outreach and data collection activities in 2007.
First Federal Register Notice Documents
Note: EPA no longer updates this information, but it may be useful as a reference or resource.
- Fact Sheet: First Request for Comment on Coalbed Methane Extraction Sector Survey (January 2008) | Comment Period Extended (March 20, 2007)
- First Federal Register Notice of the Coalbed Methane Extraction Sector Survey | Print Version (PDF) (103 K, 4 pp.) (January 25, 2008)
- First Version: Draft Coalbed Methane Extraction Sector Questionnaire (PDF) (1.3 MB, 72 pp.)
- Draft Coalbed Methane Extraction Sector Survey Supporting Statement: First Version (PDF) (173 K, 53 pp.)
- Coalbed Methane Detailed Study 2007 Data Collection and Outreach (PDF) (206 K, 10 pp.)
Request for Comment on Health Care Industry Unused Pharmaceuticals Management Questionnaire
This Information Collection Request (ICR) will support EPA's study of unused pharmaceuticals from health care facilities which is part of EPA's overall strategy to address the risks associated with emerging contaminants. This four-pronged strategy is aimed at improving science, improving public understanding, identifying partnership and stewardship opportunities, and taking regulatory action as appropriate.
We plan to submit a proposed Information Collection Request (ICR) to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB). This proposed ICR will cover hospitals, long-term care facilities, hospices and veterinary hospitals. Before submitting the ICR to OMB for review and approval, EPA solicited comments on specific aspects and the scope of the proposed information collection. Comments were due on November 10, 2008. Contact the Hospitals & Health Services Project Manager for more information.
- Fact Sheet: Request for Comment on Unused Pharmaceuticals Disposal in the Health Care Industry Questionnaire (August 06, 2008)
- Federal Register Notice | Print Version (PDF) (112 K, 4 pp.) (August 12, 2008)
- Draft Questionnaires for Unused Pharmaceuticals Disposal in the Health Care Industry
- Hospitals, hospices and Long-term Care Facilities (PDF) (418 K, 29 pp.)
- Veterinary Hospitals (PDF) (493 K, 28 pp.)
- Supporting Statement: Study of Unused Pharmaceuticals from Medical and Veterinary Facilities (PDF) (206 K, 18 pp.)
- Documents supporting this proposed information collection request can also be downloaded from Regulations.gov (Docket ID#: EPA-HQ-OW-2008-0517)
Interim Report on Unused Pharmaceuticals in the Health Care Industry
This study is part of EPA's overall strategy to address risks associated with emerging contaminants. EPA is studying the disposal of unused pharmaceuticals from certain health care institutions to determine current disposal methods and to identify alternative disposal mechanisms to avoid flushing. EPA initiated this effort in 2007 and completed its preliminary study in late August 2008.
The Summary Interim Report highlights what EPA has learned to date from its study of unused pharmaceuticals from health care facilities. The Technical Interim Report gives you the complete details.
EPA intends to collect additional information through the Health Care Industry Unused Pharmaceuticals Management Questionnaire.
- Summary: Interim Report on Unused Pharmaceuticals in the Health Care Industry (PDF) (10 pp., 202 K)
- Interim Technical Report on Unused Pharmaceuticals in the Health Care Industry (PDF) (87 pp., 750 K)
Past Effluent Guidelines Plans
Note: EPA no longer updates this information, but it may be useful as a reference or resource.
We offer documents and links for previous effluent guidelines program plans.