Technical Development Document for the Proposed Effluent Limitations Guidelines and Standards for the Steam Electric Power Generating Point Source Category

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Technical Development Document for the Proposed Effluent Limitations Guidelines and Standards for the Steam Electric Power Generating Point Source Category United States Office of Water EPA-821-R-13-002 Environmental Protection Washington, DC 20460 April 2013 Agency Technical Development Document for the Proposed Effluent Limitations Guidelines and Standards for the Steam Electric Power Generating Point Source Category Technical Development Document for the Proposed Effluent Limitations Guidelines and Standards for the Steam Electric Power Generating Point Source Category EPA-821-R-13-002 April 2013 U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Office of Water (4303T) Washington, DC 20460 Acknowledgements and Disclaimer This document was prepared by the Environmental Protection Agency. Neither the United States Government nor any of its employees, contractors, subcontractors, or their employees make any warrant, expressed or implied, or assume any legal liability or responsibility for any third party’s use of or the results of such use of any information, apparatus, product, or process discussed in this report, or represents that its use by such party would not infringe on privately owned rights. Questions regarding this document should be directed to: U.S. EPA Engineering and Analysis Division (4303T) 1200 Pennsylvania Avenue NW Washington, DC 20460 (202) 566-1000 Table of Contents TABLE OF CONTENTS Page SECTION 1 BACKGROUND ........................................................................................................... 1-1 1.1 Legal Authority ......................................................................................................... 1-1 1.2 Clean Water Act ....................................................................................................... 1-1 1.2.1 Best Practicable Control Technology Currently Available (BPT) .............. 1-3 1.2.2 Best Conventional Pollutant Control Technology (BCT) ........................... 1-3 1.2.3 Best Available Technology Economically Achievable (BAT) ................... 1-3 1.2.4 New Source Performance Standards (NSPS) .............................................. 1-4 1.2.5 Pretreatment Standards for Existing Sources (PSES) ................................. 1-4 1.2.6 Pretreatment Standards for New Sources (PSNS) ....................................... 1-4 1.3 Regulatory History of the Steam Electric Power Generating Point Source Category .................................................................................................................... 1-5 1.3.1 Summary of Current ELGs Discharge Requirements and Applicability ................................................................................................ 1-5 1.3.2 Detailed Study of the Steam Electric Power Generating Point Source Category ...................................................................................................... 1-8 1.3.3 Other Statutes and Regulatory Requirements Affecting Management of Steam Electric Power Generating Wastewaters ...................................... 1-9 SECTION 2 SUMMARY OF PROPOSED REGULATION ................................................................... 2-1 2.1 Summary of Proposed Revisions to Discharge Requirements ................................. 2-1 2.2 Revisions to Applicability Provision and Specialized Definitions ........................... 2-4 SECTION 3 DATA COLLECTION ACTIVITIES ............................................................................... 3-1 3.1 Steam Electric Power Generating Detailed Study .................................................... 3-1 3.2 Engineering Site Visits ............................................................................................. 3-2 3.3 Questionnaire for the Steam Electric Power Generating Effluent Guidelines ......... 3-4 3.4 Field Sampling Program ........................................................................................... 3-7 3.4.1 On-Site Sampling Activities ........................................................................ 3-8 3.4.2 CWA 308 Monitoring Program ................................................................. 3-14 3.5 EPA and State Sources ........................................................................................... 3-15 3.5.1 NPDES Permits and Fact Sheets ............................................................... 3-16 3.5.2 State Groups and Permitting Authorities ................................................... 3-16 3.5.3 1974 and 1982 Technical Development Documents for the Steam Electric Power Generating Point Source Category ................................... 3-16 3.5.4 CWA Section 316(b) - Cooling Water Intake Structures Supporting Documentation and Data ........................................................................... 3-17 3.5.5 Office of Air and Radiation ....................................................................... 3-18 3.5.6 Office of Research and Development ........................................................ 3-18 3.5.7 Office of Solid Waste and Emergency Response ...................................... 3-19 3.6 Industry-Submitted Data ......................................................................................... 3-19 3.6.1 Self-Monitoring Data ................................................................................. 3-19 3.6.2 NPDES Form 2C ....................................................................................... 3-20 3.7 Technology Vendor Data ........................................................................................ 3-20 3.8 Other Sources .......................................................................................................... 3-21 i Table of Contents TABLE OF CONTENTS (Continued) Page 3.8.1 Utility Water Act Group ............................................................................ 3-21 3.8.2 Electric Power Research Institute .............................................................. 3-21 3.8.3 Department of Energy (DOE) ................................................................... 3-22 3.8.4 Literature and Internet Searches ................................................................ 3-23 3.8.5 Environmental Groups and Other Stakeholders ........................................ 3-23 3.9 Protection of Confidential Business Information ................................................... 3-23 3.10 References ............................................................................................................... 3-23 SECTION 4 STEAM ELECTRIC INDUSTRY DESCRIPTION ............................................................. 4-1 4.1 Overview of Electric Generating Industry ................................................................ 4-1 4.1.1 Electric Generating Industry Population ..................................................... 4-2 4.1.2 Applicability of Steam Electric Power Generating Effluent Guidelines .................................................................................................... 4-3 4.2 Steam Electric Generating Industry .......................................................................... 4-4 4.2.1 Steam Electric Generating Process .............................................................. 4-6 4.2.2 Combined Cycle Systems ............................................................................ 4-7 4.2.3 Integrated Gasification Combined Cycle Systems .................................... 4-10 4.2.4 Demographics of the Steam Electric Power Generating Industry ............. 4-12 4.3 Steam Electric Wastestreams Evaluated for New or Additional Controls in the Proposed ELGs ................................................................................................. 4-19 4.3.1 Fly Ash Transport Water ........................................................................... 4-19 4.3.2 Bottom Ash Transport Water .................................................................... 4-23 4.3.3 Flue Gas Desulfurization Wastewater ....................................................... 4-27 4.3.4 Flue Gas Mercury Control Wastewater ..................................................... 4-33 4.3.5 Landfill and Impoundment Leachate and Runoff ..................................... 4-34 4.3.6 Gasification Wastewater ............................................................................ 4-37 4.3.7 Metal Cleaning Waste ............................................................................... 4-38 4.4 Steam Electric Wastestreams Not Evaluated for New or Additional Controls in the Proposed ELGs ............................................................................................. 4-39 4.4.1 Condenser Cooling Water ......................................................................... 4-40 4.4.2 Coal Pile Runoff ........................................................................................ 4-41 4.4.3 Selected Low Volume Waste Sources ....................................................... 4-42 4.4.4 Selective Catalytic Reduction and Selective Non-Catalytic Reduction Wastewater ................................................................................................ 4-43 4.4.5 Carbon Capture Wastewater ...................................................................... 4-44 4.5 References ............................................................................................................... 4-46 SECTION 5 INDUSTRY SUBCATEGORIZATION ............................................................................. 5-1 5.1 Subcategorization Factors ......................................................................................... 5-1 5.2 Analysis of
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