Effluent Limitations Guidelines and Standards for the Steam Electric Power Generating Point Source Category-Deadline Extensions

ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY <CFR>40 CFR Part 423</CFR> <DEPDOC>[EPA-HQ-OW-2009-0819; FRL-8794.3-01-OW]</DEPDOC> <RIN>RIN 2040-AG48</RIN> <SUBJECT>Effluent Limitations Guidelines and Standards for the Steam Electric Power Generating Point Source Category—Deadline Extensions</SUBJECT> <HD SOURCE="HED">AGENCY:</HD> Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). <HD SOURCE="HED">ACTION:</HD> Proposed rule. <SUM> <HD SOURCE="HED">SUMMARY:</HD> The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (the EPA or Agency) is proposing a Clean Water Act (CWA) rule to extend deadlines, promulgated in the 2024 “Supplemental Effluent Limitations Guidelines and Standards for the Steam Electric Power Generating Point Source Category” (2024 rule), update the transfer provisions to allow facilities to switch between compliance alternatives, and create authority for an alternative applicability dates and paperwork submission dates, based on site-specific factors. The EPA is also seeking comment on several issues relevant to a separate, future rulemaking on the underlying standards. </SUM> <EFFDATE> <HD SOURCE="HED">DATES:</HD> Comments must be received on or before November 3, 2025. </EFFDATE> <HD SOURCE="HED">ADDRESSES:</HD> You may send comments, identified by Docket ID No. EPA-HQ-OW-2009-0819, by any of the following methods: <E T="03">Federal eRulemaking Portal: https://www.regulations.gov/</E> (our preferred method). Follow the online instructions for submitting comments. <E T="03">Mail:</E> U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, EPA Docket Center, Office of Water, Office of Science and Technology, Docket, Mail Code 28221T, 1200 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20460. <E T="03">Hand Delivery or Courier:</E> EPA Docket Center, WJC West Building, Room 3334, 1301 Constitution Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20004. The Docket Center's hours of operations are 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday (except Federal Holidays). <E T="03">Instructions:</E> All submissions received must include the Docket ID No. for this rulemaking. Comments received may be posted without change to <E T="03">https://www.regulations.gov,</E> including personal information provided. For detailed instructions on sending comments and additional information on the rulemaking process, see the “Public Participation” heading of the <E T="02">SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION</E> section of this document. <E T="03">Public hearing:</E> If requested, the EPA may conduct an online public hearing on this proposed rule on October 14, 2025. After a brief presentation by EPA personnel, the Agency will accept oral comments that will be limited to three (3) minutes per commenter. The hearing will be recorded and transcribed, and the EPA will consider all the oral comments provided, along with the written public comments submitted via the docket for this rulemaking. <FURINF> <HD SOURCE="HED">FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:</HD> Richard Benware, Engineering and Analysis Division Office of Water (Mail Code 4303T), Environmental Protection Agency, 1200 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20460; telephone number: 202-566-1369; email address: <E T="03">benware.richard@epa.gov.</E> Information about the Steam Electric Effluent Limitations Guidelines and Standards (ELGs) is available online at: <E T="03">https://www.epa.gov/eg/steam-electric-power-generating-effluent-guidelines.</E> </FURINF> <SUPLINF> <HD SOURCE="HED">SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:</HD> <HD SOURCE="HD1">Table of Contents</HD> <EXTRACT> <FP SOURCE="FP-2">I. Executive Summary</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-2">II. Does this action apply to me?</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-2">III. What is the Agency's authority for taking this action?</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-2">IV. Background</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">A. Clean Water Act</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">B. Relevant Effluent Guidelines</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">1. Best Practicable Control Technology Currently Available</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">2. Best Available Technology Economically Achievable</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">3. Pretreatment Standards for Existing Sources</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">4. Best Professional Judgment</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">C. 2015 Steam Electric Rule</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">1. Summary of the 2015 Rule</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">2. Vacatur of Limitations Applicable to CRL and Legacy Wastewater</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">D. 2020 Steam Electric Reconsideration Rule</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">1. Summary of the 2020 Rule</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">2. 2020 Rule Litigation</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">E. 2024 Supplemental Steam Electric Rule</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">1. Summary of 2024 Rule</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">2. 2024 Rule Litigation</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">3. Administrative Petitions for Reconsideration of the 2024 Rule</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">4. NOPP Submission Extension Requests</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">F. Executive Order Summary</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-2">V. New Information</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">A. National Energy Crisis</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">B. Regional Energy Reliability and Resource Adequacy Concerns</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">C. Data Center Expansion</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">D. Supply Chain Risks</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">E. Other Pressures on Retirement</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-2">VI. Proposed Rule</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">A. NOPP Submission Date Extension</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">B. NOPP Companion Direct Final Rule</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">C. New Transfer Provision</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">D. Extended BAT Applicability Timing for Zero-Discharge Limitations</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">E. Tiered PSES</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">F. Alternative Applicability Timing and Notice of Planned Participation Submission Timing Flexibility</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">G. Clarifications to Sections 423.18(a) or 423.19(i)</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">H. Economic Achievability</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">I. Severability</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-2">VII. Data Request</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-2">VIII. Statutory and Executive Order Reviews</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">A. Executive Order 12866: Regulatory Planning and Review and Executive Order 13563: Improving Regulation and Regulatory Review</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">B. Executive Order 14192: Unleashing Prosperity Through Deregulation</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">C. Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA)</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2"> D. Regulatory Flexibility Act (RFA) </FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">E. Unfunded Mandates Reform Act (UMRA)</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">F. Executive Order 13132: Federalism</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">G. Executive Order 13175: Consultation and Coordination With Indian Tribal Governments</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">H. Executive Order 13045: Protection of Children From Environmental Health Risks and Safety Risks</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">I. Executive Order 13211: Actions Concerning Regulations That Significantly Affect Energy Supply, Distribution, or Use</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">J. National Technology Transfer and Advancement Act (NTTAA)</FP> </EXTRACT> <HD SOURCE="HD1">I. Executive Summary</HD> The EPA is proposing regulations that apply to wastewater discharges from steam electric power plants, particularly coal-fired power plants. In 2024, the EPA finalized a CWA regulation that revised the technology-based effluent limitations guidelines and standards (ELGs) for the steam electric power generating point source category applicable to flue gas desulfurization (FGD), bottom ash (BA) transport water, and legacy wastewater at existing sources, and combustion residual leachate (CRL) at new and existing sources. 89 FR 40198 (May 9, 2024). In the last year, the EPA has observed extraordinary increases in energy demand across the U.S., decreases in energy reserves, difficulties in transmission across the electricity grid, and decreased energy reliability. This proposal, if finalized, would revise the compliance deadlines for existing sources subject to the 2024 rule, as seen in the following table, at a time of growing energy crisis. These compliance deadline extensions would give utilities flexibilities needed to provide affordable and reliable power. <GPOTABLE COLS="5" OPTS="L2,nj,i1" CDEF="xs60,r50,r25,r50,13C"> <TTITLE>Table 1—Summary of Proposed Deadline Extensions</TTITLE> <CHED H="1">Rule</CHED> <CHED H="1">Wastestream/submission</CHED> <CHED H="1">Current deadline</CHED> <CHED H="1">Proposed deadline</CHED> <CHED H="1"> Extendable by 40 CFR 423.18? </CHED> <ROW> <ENT I="01">2020 Rule</ENT> <ENT>BA Transport Water (Generally Applicable BAT)</ENT> <ENT>December 31, 2025</ENT> <ENT>December 31, 2025</ENT> <ENT>Yes</ENT> </ROW> <ROW> <ENT I="22"> </ENT> <ENT>FGD Wastewater (Generally Applicable BAT)</ENT> <ENT>December 31, 2025</ENT> <ENT>December 31, 2025</ENT> </ROW> <ROW> <ENT I="22"> </ENT> <ENT>FGD Wastewater (VIP limitations)</ENT> <ENT>December 31, 2028</ENT> <ENT>December 31, 2028</ENT> </ROW> <ROW> <ENT I="01">2024 Rule</ENT> <ENT>NOPP for the Permanent Cessation of Coal Combustion by 2034 Subcategory</ENT> <ENT>December 31, 2025</ENT> <ENT>December 31, 2031</ENT> <ENT>X</ENT> </ROW> <ROW> <ENT I="22"> </ENT> <ENT> BA Transport Water (Generally Applicable PSES) FGD Wastewater (Generally Applicable PSES) CRL (Generally Applicable PSES) </ENT> <ENT>May 9, 2027</ENT> <ENT>Promulgation Date Plus Three Years and One Day-or-Site-Specific Date for BAT</ENT> <ENT>X</ENT> </ROW> <ROW> <ENT I="22"> </ENT> <ENT> BA Transport Water (Generally Applicable BAT) FGD Wastewater (Generally Applicable BAT) CRL (Generally Applicable BAT) </ENT> <ENT>No later than December 31, 2029</ENT> <ENT>No later than December 31, 2034</ENT> <ENT>Yes</ENT> </ROW> </GPOTABLE> The revised deadlines would also extend the date for existing steam electric power plants that would seek to achieve permanent cessation of coal combustion by December 31, 2034, to submit a notice of planned participation (NOPP), allowing utilities additional time to assess evolving power ━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━ Preview showing 10k of 152k characters. 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