Effluent Limitations Guidelines and Standards Program Updates

Effluent Limitations Guidelines and Standards (ELG) Program, Region 2 and NY & NJ DEP Meeting Agenda Round of introductions Updates on PFAS efforts ELG Program & Planning Preliminary ELG Program Plan 15 Multi-Industry PFAS Study Other PFAS efforts Clean Water Act (CWA) Analytical Methods Office of Water

Effluent Guidelines & ELG Planning Process Effluent Guidelines are national regulatory standards for wastewater discharged to surface waters and to POTWs, based on the performance of treatment and control technologies for a specific industry. The CWA Amendments added Section 304(m), which re-enforced Congress intent that effluent guidelines keep pace with pollution prevention and treatment technology. EPA must review and, if appropriate, develop new or revise existing all promulgated ELGs annually. EPA publishes a plan every other year, after proposal and public comment, Effluent Guidelines Program Plans The Preliminary ELG Plan 15 published in September 2021 EPA is currently reviewing and assessing comments received and will address them accordingly in Program Plan 15. Office of Water 2

Multi-Industry PFAS Study & Preliminary Reviews Along with Preliminary Plan 15, we published the Multi-Industry PFAS Study 2021 Preliminary Report. The report discusses information and data collected and reviewed on PFAS manufacture, use, treatment, and discharge to surface water and POTWs focusing on the following PSCs: Textile Mills (40 CFR 410) Detailed Study Landfill leachate Detailed Study Pulp, Paper, and Paperboard (40 CFR 430) Organic Chemicals, Plastics, and Synthetic Fibers (OCPSF) (40 CFR 414) Continue monitoring the industry Commercial Airports (40 CFR 449) Revising OCPSF ELG Continue monitoring the industry Metal Finishing (40 CFR 433) Revising Metal Finishing ELG Office of Water 3

Other PFAS efforts EPA is additionally collecting information for the following industrial categories as part of the ELG Planning Program and the agency s PFAS Strategic Roadmap: Paint Formulating (40 CFR 446) Plastics Molding and Forming (40 CFR 463) Leather Tanning (40 CFR 425) Electric and Electrical Components (40 CFR 469) other categories stakeholders express concern & have data Office of Water 4

CWA Analytical Methods EPA published Draft Method 1633 A single-laboratory validated method to test for 40 PFAS compounds in wastewater, surface water, groundwater, soil, biosolids, sediment, landfill leachate, and fish tissue. This draft method can be used in various applications, including National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permits. The method will support NPDES implementation by providing a consistent PFAS method that has been tested in a wide variety of wastewaters and contains all the required quality control elements in CWA method. While the method is not nationally required for CWA compliance monitoring until EPA has promulgated it through rulemaking, it is recommended now for use in individual permits. EPA published Draft Method 1621 for Adsorbable Organic Fluorine (AOF) A single-laboratory validated method to screen for organofluorines in wastewaters and surface waters by Combustion Ion Chromatography (CIC). Office of Water 5

Questions? Contact Doruntin Rexhepi rexhepi.doruntine@epa.gov 202-566-2532 www.epa.gov/eg Office of Water www.uswateralliance.org 6