MEMORANDUM 

TO: Steam Electric ELG Rulemaking Record 

FROM: Lydia Lambert, ERG 

DATE: April 19, 2013 

 

SUBJECT: Pollutant Loadings Supporting Documentation (DCN SE03887) 

1.0 SUMMARY OF SUPPORTING DOCUMENTATION

ERG is providing technical support to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) 

for development of revised effluent limitations guidelines and standards (ELGs) for the Steam 

Electric Power Generating Point Source Category. In support of the development of revised 

ELGs, ERG developed resources to calculate pollutant loadings generated from steam electric 

power plants to surface waters under the current profile and future profile1

 for the baseline and 

eight regulatory options (Options 1, 2, 3a, 3b, 3, 4a, 4, and 5). 

 The methodology for calculating the pollutant loadings is presented in the following 

documentation: 

 Incremental Costs and Pollutant Removals for Proposed Effluent Limitation 

Guidelines and Standards for the Steam Electric Generating Point Source Category 

Report (DCN SE01957) – Section 10 (Pollutant Loadings and Reductions 

Methodology) of this report documents the methodology for calculating the pollutant 

loadings by waste stream under the current profile. 

 Flue Gas Desulfurization Future Profile Sensitivity Analysis Memorandum (DCN 

SE01989) – This memorandum documents the methodology for calculating and 

evaluating the pollutant loadings under the future profile. 

 Memorandum to the Rulemaking Record: Methodologies for Estimating Costs and 

Pollutant Removals for Steam Electric ELG Regulatory Options 3a and 3b (DCN 

SE03881) – This memorandum documents the methodology for calculating and 

evaluating the pollutant loadings for Options 3a and 3b. 

 

1

Current profile includes waste streams generated by air pollution controls that will likely be in operation at steam 

electric plants at the time EPA takes final action on this rulemaking. Future profile includes waste streams generated 

by future installations of air pollution controls at steam electric power plants that may result from some recently 

promulgated Clean Air Act requirements. 
Memorandum 

April 19, 2013 

Page 2 

 Memorandum to the Rulemaking Record: Methodologies for Estimating Costs and 

Pollutant Removals for Steam Electric ELG Regulatory Option 4a (DCN SE03834) – 

This memorandum documents the methodology for calculating and evaluating the 

pollutant loadings for Option 4a. 

 Loadings Analysis for the Steam Electric ELGs Environmental Assessment (DCN 

SE01956) – This memorandum documents the methodology for calculating the 

pollutant loadings on a total plant-by-plant basis under the current profile. 

 Water Quality Model Supporting Documentation Memorandum (DCN SE03888) – 

This memorandum identifies the supporting documentation that used the pollutant 

loadings to calculate total and dissolved pollutant concentrations in the water column 

and total pollutant concentration in the sediment, which are used as inputs in the 

wildlife and human health models. 

The results of the pollutant loadings calculations under the current profile are presented 

in the following sections of the Final Environmental Assessment for the Proposed Effluent 

Limitations Guidelines and Standards for the Steam Electric Power Generating Point Source 

Category (EA Report) (DCN SE01995): 

 Section 3.2 (Loadings Associated with Combustion Wastewater); 

 Section 4.2 (Leaching to Ground Water); 

 Section 6.1 (Loading Reductions under the Proposed Regulatory Options); and 

 Section 6.4 (Improvements to Sensitive Environments and Watersheds). 

 A comprehensive listing of the pollutant loadings supporting documentation for the 

current profile is presented in Table 1-1 below. This table provides the document control number 

(DCN), title, and abstract of each record item, and identifies whether the record item contains 

Confidential Business Information (CBI). 

Table 1-1. Pollutant Loadings Record Items 

DCN Title (Date) Abstract CBIa

SE02988 Loads Calculation Database 

for Options 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 

– Current Profile (082012) 

Database used to calculate the total load per plant-receiving 

water under the current profile for Options 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5. 

Input for Water Quality Model. 

Yes 

SE03895 Loads Calculation Database 

for Options 3a, 3b, and 4a – 

Current Profile (041913) 

Database used to calculate the total load per plant-receiving 

water under the current profile for Options 3a, 3b, and 4a. 

Yes 
Memorandum 

April 19, 2013 

Page 3 

Table 1-1. Pollutant Loadings Record Items 

DCN Title (Date) Abstract CBIa

SE03507 Loads Calculation Database 

– Future Profile – 

Questionnaire and IPM 

(091012) 

Database used to calculate the total load per plant-receiving 

water under the future profile. This scope includes plants 

with predicted future air pollution control installations 

identified in the Integrated Planning (IPM) projections for 

the final Mercury and Air Toxics Standards (MATS) rule 

and EPA’s Questionnaire for the Steam Electric Power 

Generating Effluent Guidelines. Input for Water Quality 

Model. 

Yes 

SE03508 Loads Calculation Database 

– Future Profile – IPM Only 

(091012) 

Database used to calculate the total load per plant-receiving 

water under the future profile. This scope includes plants 

with predicted future air pollution control installations 

identified in the Integrated Planning (IPM) projections for 

the final Mercury and Air Toxics Standards (MATS) rule. 

Input for Water Quality Model. 

Yes 

SE03896 Loads Comparison Database 

for Option 3a - Current 

Profile (041913) 

Database used to calculate pollutant-specific adjustment 

factors to estimate potential water quality, wildlife, and 

human health impacts under Option 3a. 

Yes 

 SE03897 Loads Comparison Database 

for Option 3b - Current 

Profile (041913) 

Database used to calculate pollutant-specific adjustment 

factors to estimate potential water quality, wildlife, and 

human health impacts under Option 3b. 

Yes 

SE03898 Loads Comparison Database 

for Option 4a - Current 

Profile (041913) 

Database used to calculate pollutant-specific adjustment 

factors to estimate potential water quality, wildlife, and 

human health impacts under Option 4a. 

Yes 

SE02157 Metal Concentrations in 

Leachate Analysis Database 

(071712) 

Database contains leachate concentration data divided into 

three pH levels (i.e., acidic, neutral, and alkali), which is 

presented in the Final Environmental Assessment for the 

Proposed Effluent Limitations Guidelines and Standards for 

the Steam Electric Power Generating Point Source Category 

Report. 

Yes 

a – Record items containing CBI have been removed from the public record.