The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has postponed by two years the compliance date for new rules on effluent discharge from power plants.
The decision affects compliance dates for the best available technology economically achievable (BAT) effluent limitations and pre-treatment standards (PSES) for two waste streams at existing sources: bottom ash transport water, and flue gas desulfurization wastewater.
“This resets the clock for certain portions of the agency’s effluent guidelines for power plants, providing relief from the existing regulatory deadlines while the agency revisits some of the rule’s requirements,” said EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt.
The EPA guidelines will set new or additional requirements for wastewater streams from the following processes and byproducts:
- flue gas desulfurization
- fly ash
- bottom ash
- flue gas mercury control
- gasification of fuels such as coal and petroleum coke