EPA May Revise Water Pollution Limits for Some Chemical Plants

EPA may tighten wastewater standards for chlor-alkali and vinyl chloride manufacturing plants, the agency announced in late August. This would entail updating these facilities' effluent limitation guidelines, which apply when pollution limits are set in the water discharge permits for a particular plant. EPA this year reviewed the effluent guidelines for manufacturers of organic chemicals, plastics, and synthetic fibers, including chemical formulators and packagers, as well as petroleum refiners (C&EN, Jan. 12, page 32). The agency said it selected only the standards for chlor-alkali and vinyl chloride facilities for possible revision because these plants discharge significant quantities of dioxins. EPA said that these facilities collectively have reduced their releases of dioxins into wastewater in recent years, but that there are still some plants where discharges of these toxic substances are increasing. Trade groups argued that EPA has not demonstrated that effluent guidelines for any segment of the chemical industry need tightening because of health or environmental risks.