Nov 19 -- The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is planning to submit an information collection request (ICR), “U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Meat and Poultry Products Industry Data Collection” to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review and approval. Before doing so, EPA is soliciting public comments by January 18, 2022 on specific aspects of the proposed information collection as described below. This is a request for approval of a new collection.
Under the Clean Water Act (CWA), EPA develops effluent limitations guidelines (ELGs) to limit pollutants discharged from industrial point source categories. EPA initially promulgated ELGs for the Meat and Poultry Products (MPP) category in 1974 and amended the regulations in 2004. The current regulation covers wastewater directly discharged by meat and poultry slaughterhouses and further processors as well as independent renderers. Small facilities and indirect dischargers are not included in the current rule.
In EPA's cross-industry review of nutrients in industrial wastewater, the MPP category ranked among the top two industrial categories based on 2018 data, and EPA announced a detailed study of the MPP category in 2020. During the detailed study, EPA collected publicly available data and met with industry trade associations. Based on the detailed study, EPA found that there are existing, affordable technologies that can reduce nutrient concentrations in MPP wastewater. As part of the detailed study, EPA also found that pretreatment standards may be needed as publicly available data shows that pollutants from MPP facilities may passthrough and cause interference for some POTWs.
Publicly available data on MPP facilities is limited. To identify the base population of approximately 7,000 MPP facilities, EPA collected data from the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) Food Safety Inspection Service (FSIS). Using this base population, EPA attempted to find data on MPP wastewater, effluent limits, and treatment technologies by collecting publicly available facility permits and consulting the Integrated Compliance Information System (ICIS) dataset. Available data was limited to only those facilities directly discharging wastewater or individual states that require pretreatment permits to be reported, leaving a large data gap. Thus, a survey of the current MPP industry will be an essential portion of the rulemaking process, necessary for EPA to determine if the current regulations remain appropriate.
The data collection activities described in this Information Collection Request (ICR) will provide a robust dataset that characterizes wastewater generation, treatment, and discharge from MPP facilities. A short questionnaire will be administered as a census of the industry to confirm general information on the type and size (both production and employees) of the facility and gather information on wastewater generation and treatment. To reduce burden on the industry, a statistically representative subset of MPP facilities will complete a detailed survey collecting additional details on processing operations, types and amount of wastewater generated by operation, wastewater treatment details, and economic data. A small number of MPP facilities will also be asked to collect and analyze wastewater samples to characterize raw waste streams, wastewater treatment systems, and treated effluent for pollutants of interest.
The MPP industry has approximately 7,000 facilities across the country. The current rule contains 11 subparts, as the industry engages in a wide range of activities. Facilities range in size from very small (less than 10 employees) to large (over 500 employees). For EPA to complete the detailed technical and economic analysis for the entire industry necessary for the rulemaking process, the short questionnaire, detailed questionnaire, and sampling activities are essential.
RULEMAKING DOCKET: Meat and Poultry Products Effluent Limitations Guidelines revision:
https://www.regulations.gov/docket/EPA-HQ-OW-2021-0736 Includes technical documentation
FR notice inviting comments:
https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2021/11/19/2021-25295/proposed-information-collection-request-comment-request-meat-and-poultry-products-industry-data
Point of contact: Stephen Whitlock, Engineering and Analysis Division, Office of Science and Technology, EPA 202-566-1541 Whitlock.Steve@epa.gov.
