On April 19 EPA issued a proposed rule to set effluent limitation guidelines (ELGs) for certain steam power electric generation plants. EPA’s analyses find that the proposed rule has the potential to prevent a significant amount of pollutants (an estimated 470 million to 2.62 billion pounds annually) from getting into waterways, including contaminants such as bromides, mercury, arsenic, lead, selenium and phosphorus that are of concern to many drinking water utilities.
Because the proposed rule has potential impacts on drinking water sources with regard to both water quality and quantity, AMWA has signed onto a comment letter with other water groups encouraging EPA to follow through on its ELG updates for this sector, emphasizing the drinking water nexus.