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General Procedures for Limitations Development

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General Procedures for Limitations Development General Procedures for Limitations Development By Department for Environmental Protection Division of Water Surface Water Permits Branch Revised August 24, 2016 Table of Contents 1. TECHNOLOGY-BASED EFFLUENT LIMITATIONS .................................................................. 4 1.1. Industrial Dischargers ................................................................................................................................ 4 1.2. Methods of Imposing ................................................................................................................................. 5 1.2.1. Effluent Limitation Guidelines .......................................................................................................... 6 1.2.2. Best Professional Judgment ............................................................................................................... 6 1.2.3. Combination of ELGs and BPJ Determinations ................................................................................ 7 1.2.4. Combined Wastestreams .................................................................................................................... 7 1.3. Publicly Owned Treatment Works (POTWs) ............................................................................................ 8 1.3.1. Secondary Treatment Standards ......................................................................................................... 8 1.3.2. Special Considerations ....................................................................................................................... 8 1.3.3. Treatment Equivalent to Secondary Treatment .................................................................................. 9 1.4. Methods of Imposing ............................................................................................................................... 10 2. WATER QUALITY BASED EFFLUENT LIMITATIONS ........................................................... 12 2.1. Reasonable Potential Analysis ................................................................................................................. 12 2.1.1. Chemical-Specific Procedures ......................................................................................................... 12 2.1.2. Numeric Procedures ......................................................................................................................... 13 2.1.3. Narrative Procedures ........................................................................................................................ 13 2.1.4. Whole Effluent Toxicity Procedures ................................................................................................ 14 2.2. Derivation of Limitations ......................................................................................................................... 14 2.2.1. Chemical-specific Criteria ............................................................................................................... 14 3. ANTIDEGRADATION ................................................................................................................... 26 3.1. Antidegradation Policy ............................................................................................................................ 26 3.1.1. Implementation Methodology .......................................................................................................... 26 3.1.2. Outstanding National Resource Water ............................................................................................. 26 4. EFFLUENT LIMITATIONS AND MONITORING REQUIREMENTS ....................................... 31 4.1. Chemical-Specific Numeric Effluent Limitations ................................................................................... 31 4.2. WET Effluent Limitations ....................................................................................................................... 31 4.3. Monitoring and Reporting Requirements ................................................................................................ 31 4.4. Anti-backsliding Provision ...................................................................................................................... 33 5. STANDARD CONDITIONS ........................................................................................................... 35 6. DEFINITIONS, ABBREVIATIONS, AND ACRONYMS ............................................................ 36 Page No. 2 SECTION 1 TECHNOLOGY-BASED EFFLUENT LIMITATIONS Page No. 3 Pursuant to 401 KAR 5:065, Section 2(4) [40 CFR 122.44], each federally- or delegated state-issued NPDES permit shall include conditions meeting technology-based effluent limitations and standards and water quality standards and state requirements. For new sources or new dischargers, these technology- based limitations and standards are subject to the provisions of 401 KAR 5:065, Section 6 [40 CFR 122.29]. 1. TECHNOLOGY-BASED EFFLUENT LIMITATIONS 401 KAR 5:065, Section 2(4) [40 CFR 122.44(a)(1)] requires the imposition of effluent limitations and standards promulgated under Section 301 of the Clean Water Act (CWA), or new source performance standards promulgated under section 306 of the CWA, on a case-by-case determination under Section 402(a)(1) of the CWA, or a combination of the three, in accordance with 401 KAR 5:080, Section 2(3) [40 CFR 125.3]. In accordance with Section 301(b) of the CWA, 401 KAR 5:080, Section 2(3) [40 CFR 125.3] establishes the minimum technology-based treatment requirements which are to be imposed on permits issued under section 402 of the CWA. These standards are divided into two categories: Publicly Owned Treatment Works (POTWs) and dischargers other than POTWs (Industrial). 1.1. Industrial Dischargers Industrial dischargers are categorized as either an “existing source,” “new discharger” or “new source”. A “new source” is defined as any building, structure, facility, or installation from which there is or may be a discharge of pollutants, the construction of which commenced: (1) after promulgation of applicable New Source Performance Standards (NSPS) in the Effluent Limitation Guideline (ELG) or (2) after proposal of applicable NSPS requirements in an ELG but only if the standards are promulgated within 120 days of proposal. A “new discharger” is defined as any building, structure, facility, or installation: (1) from which there is or may be a discharge of pollutants, (2) that did not commence the discharge of pollutants at that particular site prior to August 13, 1979, (3) is not a new source, and (4) has never received a finally effective NPDES permit for discharges at that site. An “existing source” is defined as any building, structure, facility or installation from which there is or may be a discharge of pollutants which is not a new source or a new discharger. BPT is the first level of technology-based standards established by the CWA to control pollutants discharged to waters of the US and is generally based on the average of the best existing performance by plants within an industrial category or subcategory. BCT are technology-based standards for the discharge of existing industrial point sources of conventional pollutants. BAT are technology-based standards that are the most appropriate means available on a national basis for controlling the direct discharge of toxic and nonconventional pollutants to navigable waters and generally represent the best existing performance of treatment technologies that are economically achievable within an industrial point source category or subcategory. Toxic pollutant means any pollutant listed as toxic under Section 307(a)(1) or, in the case of sludge use or disposal practices, any pollutant identified in regulations implementing Section 405(d) of the CWA. Nonconventional pollutants are not listed as conventional or toxic pollutants. Unlike BPT, BCT, and BAT, the imposition of which in permits is authorized by 401 KAR 5:080, Section 2(3) [40 CFR 125.3(a)], NSPS requirements are required by Section 306 of the CWA. 401 KAR 5:080, Section 6 [40 CFR 122.29(d)] establishes the compliance date for achieving the pollutant reduction levels specified by the NSPS. 401 KAR 5:080, Section 6 [40 CFR 122.29(d)(1)] states that a new source which meets the applicable promulgated NSPS before commencement of discharge, may not be subject to any more stringent NSPS or to any more stringent technology-based standards under Section 301(b)(2) of the CWA for the soonest ending of the following periods: (1) Ten years from the date that construction is completed; (2) Ten years from the date the source begins to discharge process or other non-construction related wastewater; or Page No. 4 (3) The period of depreciation or amortization of the facility for the purposes of Section 167 or 160 or both of the Internal Revenue Code of 1954. The following table summarizes the requirements for non-POTW or industrial dischargers. TECHNOLOGY-BASED TREATMENT REQUIREMENTS FOR INDUSTRIAL DISCHARGERS Type of Type of Pollutant Compliance Technology-Based Control Level Discharger Conventional Nonconventional Toxic Deadline Best Practicable Control Direct Technology Currently Available X X X July 1, 1977 Existing (BPT) Best Conventional Pollutant Control Direct March 31, X Technology (BCT) Existing 1989 Best Available Technology Direct March 31, X X Economically Achievable (BAT) Existing 1989 Commencem New Source Performance Standards Direct
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