EPA Releases 2015 Power Plant Effluent Guidelines

Researched by Industrial Info Resources (Sugar Land, Texas)--Updated guidelines by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) (Washington D.C.) limit the release of toxic wastewater from fossil fuel and nuclear power plants. The effluent limitation guidelines (ELGs) are aimed at the release of heavy metals, such as arsenic, mercury, copper and other heavy metals, into streams and water bodies that are located near steam electric facilities.

The updated limits focus on several power plant wastewater streams:

• Flue Gas Mercury Control System Wastewater
• Bottom Ash Transport Water
• Fly Ash Transport Waters
• Flue Gas Desulfurization (FGD) Wastewater
• Coal Combustion Residuals (CCR) Leachate
• IGCC Wastewater
• Non Chemical Metal Cleaning Waste

The discharges come from systems found throughout the plant, such as cooling tower blowdown, boiler blowdown, coal pile runoff and once-through cooling water systems.

Power plant owners must meet the new guidelines within the period of November 1, 2018 through December 31, 2023. Pretreatment standards for indirect discharge for existing sources must be met by November 1, 2018.

The new ruling will affect 134 U.S. power plants, which will require additional investments to comply with the guidelines, if they have not already done so.

Industrial Info is tracking seven wastewater treatment and ash handling system projects in North America valued at $498 million.

Some of the compliance options available to power plant owners are:

• FGD Wastewater: Physical/Chemical and Biological Treatment, Zero-Valent Iron Treatment, Alternate FGD Absorber Lining, Spray Dry Absorber Evaporator, Evaporation/Crystallization.
• Bottom Ash Transport Water: Recycling Water from existing Non-Discharging Impoundments, Dewatering Bins with Recycle, Under-Boiler Submerged Flight Conveyors with Recycle, Dry Belt Conveyors.
• Fly Ash Transport Waters: Pneumatic Fly Ash Handling Systems.

For more information see October 22, 2014, article U.S. Power Industry's Regulatory Future, Part Two: EPC Proposes New Effluent Limitations Guidelines.

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