Effluent Guidelines

Pesticide Formulating, Packaging and Repackaging Effluent Guidelines and Standards -- Final Rule

Summary

EPA is publishing the final Effluent Limitations Guidelines and Standards regulation for the Pesticide Chemicals Formulating, Packaging and Repackaging Industry. Effluent limitations guidelines and standards ("effluent guidelines") are industry-specific, technology based limitations used to reduce the amount of industrial wastewater pollutants being discharged into the Nation's waters, directly to surface waters or indirectly to Publicly Owned Treatment Works (POTWs). This final regulation limits the discharge of pollutants into navigable waters of the United States and into POTWs by existing and new facilities that formulate, package and repackage pesticide products. This regulation covers two subcategories of the Pesticide Chemicals Point Source Category -- Subcategory C: Pesticide Formulating, Packaging and Repackaging (PFPR) which includes PFPR facilities that also manufacture pesticide active ingredients and Subcategory E: Agricultural Refilling Establishments.

Background

In April, 1994, EPA proposed a zero discharge limitation and pretreatment standard for PFPR facilities. EPA requested and received comments on its proposed zero discharge limitations which argued that the proposed zero discharge limitation and pretreatment standard would result in adverse cross-media impacts and that the scope of the proposed rule should be refined in several ways. The PFPR community commented that the Agency should adopt a final rule which would require facilities to engage in pollution prevention (P2) practices. Since then, EPA has published a supplemental notice which describes the Zero/P2 Alternative option in addition to some potential changes in the scope of the rule. (60 FR 30217, June 8, 1995)

Protection Human Health and the Environment

The final rule will reduce the discharges of pesticide active ingredients and priority pollutants to POTWs and surface waters by almost 99 percent while allowing an innovative and flexible compliance alternative based on pollution prevention practices. It sets forth an innovative, flexible, and environmentally protective approach for the establishment of effluent limitations and pretreatment standards. EPA is establishing effluent limitations and pretreatment standards which would allow facilities to choose to meet a zero discharge limitation or comply with the P2 Alternative that authorizes discharge of pesticide active ingredients (PAIs) and priority pollutants. The final rule will benefit the environment by removing toxic pollutants from water discharges that have adverse effects on human health and aquatic life.

Additional Information You may view the Federal Register notice that describes this rule on the Internet at: http://www.epa.gov/EPA-WATER/.

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