[Code of Federal Regulations]

[Title 40, Volume 28]

[Revised as of July 1, 2006]

From the U.S. Government Printing Office via GPO Access

[CITE: 40CFR423.12]



[Page 646-648]

 

                   TITLE 40--PROTECTION OF ENVIRONMENT

 

         CHAPTER I--ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (CONTINUED)

 

PART 423_STEAM ELECTRIC POWER GENERATING POINT SOURCE CATEGORY--Table of 

Contents

 

Sec.  423.12  Effluent limitations guidelines representing the degree of 

effluent reduction attainable by the application of the best practicable 

control technology currently available (BPT).



    (a) In establishing the limitations set forth in this section, EPA 

took into account all information it was able to collect, develop and 

solicit with respect to factors (such as age and size of plant, 

utilization of facilities, raw materials, manufacturing processes, non-

water quality environmental impacts, control and treatment technology 

available, energy requirements and costs) which can affect the industry 

subcategorization and effluent levels established. It is, however, 

possible that data which would affect these limitations have not been 

available and, as a result, these limitations should be adjusted for 

certain plants in this industry. An individual discharger or other 

interested person may submit evidence to the Regional Administrator (or 

to the State, if the State has the authority to issue NPDES permits) 

that factors relating to the equipment or facilities involved, the 

process applied, or other such factors related to such discharger are 

fundamentally different from the factors considered in the establishment 

of the guidelines. On the basis of such evidence or other available 

information, the Regional



[[Page 647]]



Administrator (or the State) will make a written finding that such 

factors are or are not fundamentally different for that facility 

compared to those specified in the Development Document. If such 

fundamentally different factors are found to exist, the Regional 

Administrator or the State shall establish for the discharger effluent 

limitations in the NPDES Permit either more or less stringent than the 

limitations established herein, to the extent dictated by such 

fundamentally different factors. Such limitations must be approved by 

the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency. The 

Administrator may approve or disapprove such limitations, specify other 

limitations, or initiate proceedings to revise these regulations. The 

phrase ``other such factors'' appearing above may include significant 

cost differentials. In no event may a discharger's impact on receiving 

water quality be considered as a factor under this paragraph.

    (b) Any existing point source subject to this subpart must achieve 

the following effluent limitations representing the degree of effluent 

reduction by the application of the best practicable control technology 

currently available (BPT):

    (1) The pH of all discharges, except once through cooling water, 

shall be within the range of 6.0-9.0.

    (2) There shall be no discharge of polychlorinated biphenyl 

compounds such as those commonly used for transformer fluid.

    (3) The quantity of pollutants discharged from low volume waste 

sources shall not exceed the quantity determined by multiplying the flow 

of low volume waste sources times the concentration lised in the 

following table:



------------------------------------------------------------------------

                                                BPT effluent limitations

                                               -------------------------

                                                              Average of

                                                                daily

                                                              values for

        Pollutant or pollutant property         Maximum for       30

                                                 any 1 day   consecutive

                                                   (mg/l)     days shall

                                                              not exceed

                                                                (mg/l)

------------------------------------------------------------------------

TSS...........................................        100.0         30.0

Oil and grease................................         20.0         15.0

------------------------------------------------------------------------



    (4) The quantity of pollutants discharged in fly ash and bottom ash 

transport water shall not exceed the quantity determined by multiplying 

the flow of fly ash and bottom ash transport water times the 

concentration listed in the following table:



------------------------------------------------------------------------

                                                BPT effluent limitations

                                               -------------------------

                                                              Average of

                                                                daily

                                                              values for

        Pollutant or pollutant property         Maximum for       30

                                                 any 1 day   consecutive

                                                   (mg/l)     days shall

                                                              not exceed

                                                                (mg/l)

------------------------------------------------------------------------

TSS...........................................        100.0         30.0

Oil and grease................................         20.0         15.0

------------------------------------------------------------------------



    (5) The quantity of pollutants discharged in metal cleaning wastes 

shall not exceed the quantity determined by multiplying the flow of 

metal cleaning wastes times the concentration listed in the following 

table:



------------------------------------------------------------------------

                                                BPT effluent limitations

                                               -------------------------

                                                              Average of

                                                                daily

                                                              values for

        Pollutant or pollutant property         Maximum for       30

                                                 any 1 day   consecutive

                                                   (mg/l)     days shall

                                                              not exceed

                                                                (mg/l)

------------------------------------------------------------------------

TSS...........................................        100.0         30.0

Oil and grease................................         20.0         15.0

Copper, total.................................          1.0          1.0

Iron, total...................................          1.0          1.0

------------------------------------------------------------------------



    (6) The quantity of pollutants discharged in once through cooling 

water shall not exceed the quantity determined by multiplying the flow 

of once through cooling water sources times the concentation listed in 

the following table:



------------------------------------------------------------------------

                                              BPT effluent limitations

                                           -----------------------------

      Pollutant or pollutant property          Maximum        Average

                                            concentration  concentration

                                                (mg/l)         (mg/l)

------------------------------------------------------------------------

Free available chlorine...................           0.5            0.2

------------------------------------------------------------------------



    (7) The quantity of pollutants discharged in cooling tower blowdown 

shall not exceed the quantity determined by multiplying the flow of 

cooling tower blowdown sources times the concentration listed in the 

following table:



------------------------------------------------------------------------

                                              BPT effluent limitations

                                           -----------------------------

      Pollutant or pollutant property          Maximum        Average

                                            concentration  concentration

                                                (mg/l)         (mg/l)

------------------------------------------------------------------------

Free available chlorine...................           0.5            0.2

------------------------------------------------------------------------





[[Page 648]]



    (8) Neither free available chlorine nor total residual chlorine may 

be discharged from any unit for more than two hours in any one day and 

not more than one unit in any plant may discharge free available or 

total residual chlorine at any one time unless the utility can 

demonstrate to the Regional Administrator or State, if the State has 

NPDES permit issuing authority, that the units in a particular location 

cannot operate at or below this level or chlorination.

    (9) Subject to the provisions of paragraph (b)(10) of this section, 

the following effluent limitations shall apply to the point source 

discharges of coal pile runoff:



------------------------------------------------------------------------

                                                       BPT effluent

                                                       limitations

        Pollutant or pollutant property         ------------------------

                                                  Maximum concentration

                                                   for any time (mg/l)

------------------------------------------------------------------------

TSS............................................             50

------------------------------------------------------------------------



    (10) Any untreated overflow from facilities designed, constructed, 

and operated to treat the volume of coal pile runoff which is associated 

with a 10 year, 24 hour rainfall event shall not be subject to the 

limitations in paragraph (b)(9) of this section.

    (11) At the permitting authority's discretion, the quantity of 

pollutant allowed to be discharged may be expressed as a concentration 

limitation instead of the mass based limitations specified in paragraphs 

(b)(3) through (7) of this section. Concentration limitations shall be 

those concentrations specified in this section.

    (12) In the event that waste streams from various sources are 

combined for treatment or discharge, the quantity of each pollutant or 

pollutant property controlled in paragraphs (b)(1) through (11) of this 

section attributable to each controlled waste source shall not exceed 

the specified limitations for that waste source.



(The information collection requirements contained in paragraph (a) were 

approved by the Office of Management and Budget under control number 

2000-0194)



[47 FR 52304, Nov. 19, 1982, as amended at 48 FR 31404, July 8, 1983]