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PA EPA PROVIDES ADDITIONAL FLEX. FOR WASTE REMOVAL REQUIRE.

Release Date: 09/07/96
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PA EPA PROVIDES ADDITIONAL FLEX. FOR WASTE REMOVAL REQUIRE.

FOR RELEASE: FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 6, 1996

EPA PROVIDES ADDITIONAL FLEXIBILITY FOR=20 WASTE REMOVAL REQUIREMENTS FOR=20
45 MUNICIPAL SEWAGE TREATMENT FACILITIES

In a final rule published in the Federal Register on Aug. 29, EPA= =20
provided an additional measure of flexibility for 45 municipal sewage= =20
treatment facilities that remain in a Clean Water Act program that= =20
allows them to apply for waivers to secondary treatment requirements= =20
when discharging to marine waters, if certain criteria are met. The= =20
final rule does not change the environmentally protective criteria of= =20
the waiver provision. Section 301(h) provides an opportunity for= =20
facilities that discharge to marine waters to obtain a waiver of the= =20
Act's secondary treatment requirements provided they can show=20 compliance with a number of stringent criteria intended to assure= =20
their less than secondary discharge will not adversely affect the= =20
marine environment. Among other things, the statute requires such= =20
dischargers to remove at least 30 percent of the biochemical oxygen= =20
demanding (BOD) waste from their discharge. The final rule would= =20
allow the 45 municipalities in the program to request use of a longer= -
than-monthly averaging period when calculating compliance with that= =20
BOD removal requirement. Whether or not to extend the averaging=20 period would be determined, on a case-by-case basis, by EPA. The rul= e=20
settles a lawsuit brought by Anchorage and other Alaskan=20 municipalities challenging a provision in the regulations that had= =20
restricted the ability to ask for use of the longer averaging period.= =20
Because the final rule affects only the averaging period used to=20 calculate compliance with the statute's BOD removal requirement and= =20
the environmentally protective criteria of =A7301(h) must still be me= t,=20
the rule affords the 45 treatment facilities in the program a measure= =20
of flexibility while continuing to ensure environmental protection. = =20
For more information, the general public should contact Virginia FoxNorse at 260-8448. =20

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