Tag: Effluent Limitations Guidelines

Wastewater Standards Revisions for Oil and Gas Extraction and Coal Power Plants

By Lisa Whitley Coleman, EHS Daily Advisor Mar 25, 2025 Energy

Updated: Mar 25, 2025

On March 12, 2025, the EPA made two announcements: Background The Clean Water Act (CWA) requires the EPA to revise industry-wide wastewater treatment limits, called effluent limitations guidelines (ELGs), to keep pace with innovations in pollution control technology. “[ELGs] are national industry-specific wastewater regulations based on the performance of demonstrated wastewater treatment technologies (often called […]

Power Plant

EPA Finalizes New Power Plant Effluent Limitation Guidelines

By Lisa Whitley Coleman, EHS Daily Advisor Sep 18, 2020 Energy

Updated: Sep 18, 2020

The EPA announced final revisions to specific effluent guidelines and standards for “steam electric” power plants on August 31, 2020. The final rule leverages improved and less expensive pollution-control technologies and provides a more flexible implementation approach.

Water discharge

EPA’s Postponement of CWA Deadlines for Energy Companies Found Legal

By William C. Schillaci Sep 11, 2019 Energy

Updated: Sep 11, 2019

With the Utility Water Act Group (UWAG) at its side, the EPA successfully defended itself against allegations by environmental groups that its postponement of several deadlines in its 2015 Effluent Limitations Guidelines [ELGs] and Standards for the Steam Electric Power Generating Point Source Category (2015 Rule) violated both the Clean Water Act (CWA) and Administrative […]

EPA’s Effluent Guidelines Plan Slimmed Down

By William C. Schillaci May 4, 2018 Regulatory Developments

Updated: May 4, 2018

Nearly 2 years after it was issued in preliminary form, the EPA has announced the availability of its final 2016 Effluent Guidelines Program Plan. Section 304(m) of the Clean Water Act requires the Agency to biennially publish a plan for new and revised effluent limitations guidelines after public review and comment. The intent of a […]

Power Plant

EPA to Reconsider 2015 Power Plant Effluent Limitations Rule

By Contributing Editor Apr 24, 2017 Regulatory Developments

Updated: Apr 24, 2017

In response to petitions from the Utility Water Act Group (UWAG) and the Small Business Administration’s Office of Advocacy (SBA), EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt announced that the Agency will reconsider its November 3, 2015, final Effluent Limitations Guidelines and Standards for the Steam Electric Power Generating Point Source Category (ELGs). In conjunction with Pruitt’s decision […]