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Confluence: May 2003, Vol. 5, No. 3
Legislation & Policy

EPA Announces Final Effluent Limitations Standards for Metal Industries
In the May 13th Federal Register, the U.S. EPA officially released final regulations stipulating Clean Water Act effluent limitations guidelines for the metal products and machinery point source category. This category includes industries that manufacture, rebuild, or maintain metal products, parts, or machines, such as the aerospace industry and electronics manufacturers. Government facilities are also included in the new regulations. Only facilities that directly discharge wastewater from oily operations in the Oily Wastes category are affected by these standards. The EPA is projecting that observance of this regulation will reduce conventional pollutant discharge by 500,000 pounds per year. The regulations will become effective June 12, 2003. To read the Federal Register notice in its entirety, go to
http://www.epa.gov/fedrgstr/EPA-WATER/2003/May/Day-13/w4258.htm

EPA Withdraws July 2000 Total Maximum Daily Load Rule
On March 13, 2003, the U.S. EPA officially withdrew the July 2000 final TMDL rule, which would have taken effect on April 30, 2003. The rule would have amended and clarified current Clean Water Act regulations that require individual states to identify waters that fail to meet water quality standards and establish pollutant budgets, called Total Maximum Daily Loads (TDMLs), to restore polluted waters. The EPA announced that it would withdraw the rule rather than allow it to go into effect because of unworkable problems in the July 2000 rule. Currently existing TDML regulations remain in effect, and the EPA has stated its commitment to improvement and possible future regulatory change in the TDML rules. For the complete announcement, go to http://www.epa.gov/owow/tmdl/policy.html

Readiness and Range Preservation Initiative
The Pentagon has submitted a proposal to Congress requesting exemptions from the Clean Air Act, the Endangered Species Act, the Marine Mammal Protection Act, the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act, and the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (Superfund Law) on the grounds that these environmental regulations interfere with military readiness. According to the Department of Defense, the regulations hinder training exercises on military lands, substantially restrict underwater exercises, and cause other roadblocks to military programs. As an example, hazardous waste regulations prevent the military from conducting live-fire exercises on some environmentally sensitive land on military bases. A controversial section of the initiative would also exempt some military contractors from environmental restrictions on pollutant discharges and other rules. The U.S. EPA has expressed support for the initiative, but substantial opposition has arisen from environmental groups and some legislators. The main elements of the initiative failed to win approval from Congress when first submitted by the Pentagon in late 2002, but the Department of Defense reintroduced the initiative earlier this year as part of its 2004 budget proposal to Congress. To read the DoD's explanation of the Readiness and Range Preservation Initiative, go to https://www.denix.osd.mil/denix/Public/Library/Sustain/RRPI/rrpi.html

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