[Federal Register Volume 83, Number 85 (Wednesday, May 2, 2018)]
[Notices]
[Pages 19281-19282]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2018-09320]


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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[EPA-HQ-OW-2015-0665; FRL-9977-38-OW]
RIN 2040-ZA25


Final 2016 Effluent Guidelines Program Plan

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

ACTION: Notice of availability.

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SUMMARY: This notice announces the availability of the Environmental 
Protection Agency's (EPA) Final 2016 Effluent Guidelines Program Plan 
(Final 2016 Plan). Section 304(m) of the Clean Water Act (CWA) requires 
the EPA to biennially publish a plan for new and revised effluent 
limitations guidelines, after public review and comment. The Final 2016 
Plan identifies any new or

[[Page 19282]]

existing industrial categories selected for effluent guidelines or 
pretreatment standards and provides a schedule for their development. 
The information and analyses from the EPA's 2015 and 2016 Annual 
Reviews, in addition to input from public comments on the Preliminary 
2016 Plan, were used in developing the Final 2016 Plan.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Phillip Flanders, Engineering and 
Analysis Division, Office of Water, 4303T, U.S. EPA, 1200 Pennsylvania 
Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20460; telephone number: (202) 566-8323; fax 
number: (202) 566-1053; email address: [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. General Information

    A. Supporting Documents--A key document that provides additional 
information for this notice is the Final 2016 Effluent Guidelines 
Program Plan.
    B. How Can I Get Copies of This Document and Other Related 
Information?
    1. Docket. The EPA has established official public dockets for 
these actions under Docket ID No. EPA-HQ-OW-2015-0665. The official 
public docket is the collection of materials that are available for 
public viewing at the Water Docket in the EPA Docket Center, (EPA/DC) 
EPA West, Room 3334, 1301 Constitution Ave. NW, Washington, DC 20460.
    2. Electronic access. You can access this Federal Register document 
electronically through the United States government online source for 
Federal regulations at http://www.regulations.gov.
    3. Internet access. Copies of the supporting documents are 
available at http://www.epa.gov/eg/effluent-guidelines-plan.

II. How is this document organized?

    The outline of this notice follows.
    A. Legal Authority.
    B. Summary of the Final 2016 Effluent Guidelines Program Plan.

A. Legal Authority

    This notice is published under the authority of the CWA, 33 U.S.C. 
1251, et seq., and in particular sections 301(d), 304(b), 304(g), 
304(m), 306, 307(b), and 308 of the Act, 33 U.S.C. 1311(d), 1314(b), 
1314(g), 1314(m), 1316, 1317(b), and 1318.

B. Summary of the Final 2016 Effluent Guidelines Program Plan

    The EPA prepared the Final 2016 Plan pursuant to CWA section 
304(m). The Final 2016 Plan provides a summary of the EPA's review of 
effluent guidelines and pretreatment standards, consistent with CWA 
sections 301(d), 304(b), 304(g), 304(m), and 307(b). From these reviews 
and considering public comment, the Final 2016 Plan identifies any new 
or existing industrial categories selected for effluent guidelines or 
pretreatment standards rulemakings, and provides a schedule for such 
rulemakings. In addition, the Final 2016 Plan presents any new or 
existing categories of industry selected for further review and 
analysis.
    The Final 2016 Plan identifies one new rulemaking (and the 
associated schedule) for the Steam Electric Power Generating Point 
Source Category. The EPA has concluded that no additional industries 
warrant new or revised effluent guidelines at this time. The Final 2016 
Plan also announces that the EPA is initiating a new study to look 
holistically at the management of oil and gas extraction wastewater 
from onshore facilities. The focus of this study is not to look 
specifically at any one existing effluent guideline. Rather, the EPA 
intends to engage with stakeholders to evaluate approaches to manage 
both conventional and unconventional oil and gas extraction wastewater 
from onshore facilities including, but not limited to, an assessment of 
technologies for facilities that treat and discharge oil and gas 
extraction wastewater. Lastly, the Final 2016 Plan announces that the 
EPA is initiating a new study of the Electrical and Electronic 
Components Point Source Category. The focus of this study will be on 
changes within the industry since the 1983 rulemaking, particularly as 
these changes pertain to wastewater characteristics and wastewater 
treatment technologies.
    The Final 2016 Plan and the 2015 and 2016 Annual Effluent 
Guidelines Review Reports can be found at http://www.epa.gov/eg/effluent-guidelines-plan.

    Dated: April 24, 2018.
David P. Ross,
Assistant Administrator, Office of Water.
[FR Doc. 2018-09320 Filed 5-1-18; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 6560-50-P