WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Lee Zeldin announced the agency’s intent to update the 2024 Effluent Limitations Guidelines (ELGs) for Steam Electric Power Generating Units. This action advances the goals of President Trump’s Unleashing American Energy Executive Order by ensuring the country has reliable, affordable electricity while protecting our nation’s water resources under the Clean Water Act.
“Domestic energy production has never been more important than it is now. As our electric grid faces unprecedented load growth, EPA remains committed to promoting reliable, affordable, and domestically-sourced resources—including beautiful, clean coal — to support American manufacturing, job creation, and economic and energy independence,” said EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin. “We know there are serious concerns about the compliance timelines, and we must consider more realistic options that may prevent the burdensome costs required by the current regulation from hurting American families.”
On March 12, in the greatest and most consequential day of deregulation in U.S. history, Administrator Zeldin announced EPA would reconsider 2024 pollution limits for coal power plants to help unleash American energy, advance President Trump’s Day One executive orders, and Power the Great American Comeback. This summer, EPA intends to take the next step to advance this action by proposing to extend compliance deadlines for many of the zero-discharge requirements in the 2024 Rule and the deadline for facilities to decide whether to submit a Notice of Planned Participation. EPA also intends to explore other flexibilities to promote reliable and affordable power generation.
This initial rulemaking will also seek additional information on zero-discharge technologies, including cost and performance data. This information will help EPA determine whether to move forward with a second rulemaking to address zero-discharge technologies and other flexibilities to ensure the U.S. electric utilities can better meet projected energy demand over the next decade. The scope of this second rulemaking could also address unmanaged combustion residual leachate, another type of wastewater.
Background:
EPA reviewed existing regulations and identified the 2024 Steam Electric ELG Rule as a potential undue burden on energy resources. The 2024 Rule imposes stringent requirements on certain wastewaters from facilities, requiring facilities not to discharge any pollutants from certain types of industrial wastewaters. These types of requirements are known as zero-discharge requirements.
ELGs are national industry-specific wastewater regulations based on the performance of demonstrated wastewater treatment technologies (often called “technology-based limits”). They are intended to represent the greatest pollutant reductions that are economically achievable for an entire industry and are incorporated into permits designed to be protective of human health and environmental quality.
Steam electric facilities use fuels (such as coal, oil, and natural gas) or nuclear reactions to heat water in boilers, which generates steam. The steam is used to drive turbines connected to electric generators. These facilities may generate wastewater in the form of chemical pollutants and thermal pollution from their water treatment, power cycle, ash handling and air pollution control systems, and other sources.
