Plans to develop best management practices for Clean Water Act permit writers and pretreatment coordinators are underway as The Environmental Protection Agency responds to a September 2014 report by the EPA Inspector General that criticized the agency for being ineffective at regulating discharges of hazardous chemicals to and from wastewater treatment plants.

The agency also plans to clarify reporting guidelines under 40 C.F.R. 403.12(j) and 403.12(p) that spell out reporting procedures for industrial users that discharge chemicals to treatment plants. Updates to a variety of pretreatment guidance documents including a 1994 manual for industrial users to conduct inspection and sampling at treatment plants is also planned.

For more information, contact Phillip Hoover.