On August 31, 2020, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
(EPA) Administrator, Andrew Wheeler, signed the
final rule (referred to as the Steam Electric Reconsideration
Rule) initially proposed last year to revise the technology-based
effluent limitations guidelines and standards (ELGs) for common
types of wastewater discharges from electric power generating
facilities. This final rule rolls back the Obama-era effluent
guidelines 2015 rule, which set the first federal limitations on
toxic metal discharges from power plants. EPA touts that the new
final rule will significantly reduce after tax compliance costs by
$140 million per year.
New effluent standards
The Obama-era 2015 rule set requirements for wastewater streams
associated with several processes and by-products of steam electric
power generation: flue-gas desulfurization, fly ash, bottom ash,
flue-gas mercury control and gasification of fuels such as coal and
petroleum coke. However, EPA's new final rule
