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# U.S. ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

SECOND FRN VERSION DRAFT

QUESTIONNAIRE FOR THE STEAM ELECTRIC

POWER GENERATING EFFLUENT GUIDELINES

Form Approved

OMB Control No. 2040-NEW Approval Expires xx/xx/xxxx

The public reporting and recordkeeping burden for t his collection of information is estimated to avera ge 197 hours per response. Send comments on the Agency's need for this information, the accuracy of the prov ided burden estimates, and any suggested methods for minimizing respondent burden, including through the use of au tomated collection techniques to the Director, Collection S trategies Division, U.S. Environmental Protection A gency (2822T), 1200 Pennsylvania Ave., NW, Washington, D.C. 20460. Include the OMB control number in any corresponde nce. Do not send the completed survey to this address.Steam Electric Questionnaire General Instructions

i Version: February 22, 2010 INTRODUCTION

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is c ollecting data about steam electric power generating plants as part of its effort to review a nd revise the Steam Electric Power Generating efflu ent limitations guidelines and standards (40 CFR Part 4 23). This questionnaire solicits information from plants that generate steam for the primary purpose of producing electricity.

This survey effort is being conducted under the aut hority of Section 308 of the Clean Water Act (Feder al Water Pollution Control Act, 33 U.S.C. Section 1318 ). All plants that receive this questionnaire must respond within 60 days of receipt . Failure to respond, late filing, or failure to c omply with the instructions may result in criminal fines, civil pe nalties, and other sanctions, as provided by law.

BACKGROUND ON EFFLUENT LIMITATIONS GUIDELINES AND S TANDARDS (ELGs)

The Agency recently completed a multi-year study of the Steam Electric Power Generating industry and, based on the results, has determined that revising the current effluent guidelines is warranted. EPA’s decision to revise the current effluent guidelines is largely driven by the high level of toxic-weight ed pollutant discharges from power plants and the expe ctation that these discharges will increase significantly in the next few years as new air poll ution controls are installed. Over the course of th e study EPA has identified technologies that are available to significantly reduce these pollutant discharges. Effluent guidelines (i.e., effluent limitations gui delines and standards) are developed pursuant to th e Clean Water Act and are restrictions that may be ap plied to industrial discharges. EPA develops ELGs o n an industry-by-industry basis using information col lected during the rulemaking process.

OVERVIEW OF THE QUESTIONNAIRE

The questionnaire is divided into the following par ts:

PART A: STEAM ELECTRIC POWER PLANT OPERATIONS; PART B: FLUE GAS DESULFURIZATION (FGD) SYSTEMS; PART C: ASH HANDLING;

PART D: POND/IMPOUNDMENT SYSTEMS AND OTHER WASTEWAT ER TREATMENT

OPERATIONS;
PART E: WASTES FROM CLEANING METAL PROCESS EQUIPMEN T;

PART F: MANAGEMENT PRACTICES FOR PONDS/IMPOUNDMENTS AND LANDFILLS;

PART G: LEACHATE SAMPLING DATA FOR PONDS/IMPOUNDMEN TS AND LANDFILLS; PART H: NUCLEAR POWER GENERATION; AND

PART I: ECONOMIC AND FINANCIAL DATA

EPA’s Office of Water will administer the questionn aire to facilities regulated by the steam electric ELGs. The questionnaire will be distributed to all coal-f ired power plants and a statistically sampled subse t of the rest of the steam electric industry.

The questionnaire consists of multiple sections whi ch have been tailored to address specific processes

, specific data needs, or types of power plants. Part A of the questionnaire collects general plant

information and selected technical information abou t the plant processes and the electric generating units. Additional sections of the questionnaire are designed to collect economic data and to collect technical information on flue gas desulfurization ( FGD) wastewater, ash handling, metal cleaning operations, wastewater treatment, surface impoundme nt and landfill operations, and nuclear operations. One section of the questionnaire requires certain p ower plants to collect and analyze samples of leach ate from surface impoundments and landfills containing coal combustion residues. A detailed table of contents listing the specific topics of information requested is located at the beginning of each part of the questionnaire. Respondents are required to complete and submit an electronic version of the questionnaire.

Parts A and I of the questionnaire will be sent to all questionnaire recipients; the remaining section s will be sent to discrete subpopulations of questionnaire recipients: coal-fired, petroleum coke-fired, oil- fired,Steam Electric Questionnaire General Instructions

ii Version: February 22, 2010 gas-fired, and nuclear plants. Respondents must re ad the instructions preceding each part to determin e whether that part needs to be completed for their p lant.

EPA will use the technical data collected in this s urvey to determine rates and characteristics of wastewater generated by the steam electric industry , to develop treatment technology options, and to

evaluate incremental costs and benefits associated with different regulatory options. For detailed information on how EPA plans to use the data obtain ed from each of the questions, see the document titled “Supporting Statement – Questionnaire for th e Steam Electric Power Generating Effluent Guidelin es February 2010” at http://www.epa.gov/guide/steam/ . You can also learn more about the rulemaking, generally, at the same EPA webpage.

For some questions, EPA requests information for ca lendar year 2009. However, some questions request information regarding past, present, or future (i.e ., “planned”) plant operations.

COMPLETION OF THE QUESTIONNAIRE

Each part should be completed by personnel knowledg eable about the information requested. All plants must have the corporate official or designee respon sible for directing or supervising the response to the questionnaire sign the Certification Statement on p age vii to verify and validate the information prov ided. Different people may complete each part of the ques tionnaire.

See the instructions below for completing the elect ronic questionnaire. Keep a copy of the completed questionnaire, including attachments . EPA will review the information submitted and ma y request your cooperation in answering follow-up questions, if necessary, to complete analyses.

ELECTRONIC VERSION OF THE QUESTIONNAIRE

EPA will distribute the questionnaire in electronic format, and respondents are required to submit the completed questionnaire to EPA in electronic format . The electronic questionnaire has been developed t o meet the 1998 Government Paperwork Elimination Act (GPEA).

EPA designed the questionnaire to include many burd en-reducing features. The questionnaire was designed in modular fashion to reduce respondent bu rden by making it easier for them to separate and distribute questionnaire parts to various plant and corporate staff. The DVD that will be distributed to questionnaire recipients will include both the elec tronic-fillable questionnaire and a pdf-file that c an be printed out and used as a working copy. Copies of s elected sections can be made when needed and selected sections of the working copy distributed t o the appropriate staff. The electronic questionnai re format allows facilities to electronically generate the required number of copies of each section by selecting the copy button located at the beginning of the section that may require multiple copies.

Once the questionnaire is complete, save each Part file to a DVD. It is preferred that diagrams and reports or documents submitted with the questionnai re also be saved and submitted on the DVD, if possible. The DVD and a hardcopy of the questionnai re must be mailed to the second address listed on page v. Do not submit the completed questionnaire a nd associated documents via e-mail, because the document may contain confidential business informat ion.

HOW TO NAVIGATE THE QUESTIONNAIRE

EPA formatted the electronic-fillable questionnaire in Microsoft  Excel. Each part of the questionnaire is its own Excel workbook file that consists of multip le sections and subsections, which are each represented by separate tabs (or worksheets) in the workbook. Some parts of the questionnaire contain more sections than others. Make sure to read throug h each section and complete every tab within each part. Also make sure to completely scroll through every section so that every relevant question is answered. An example of the questionnaire format i s located below:Steam Electric Questionnaire General Instructions

iii Version: February 22, 2010 Opening the Electronic Form

1. Download each file from the provided DVD onto your computer's hard drive.

2. Launch Microsoft® Excel, then select Tools > Macro > Security. In the Security Level tab, select "Medium." (Note: This security level allows you to run essential macros contained in the electronic form.)

3. As you open each part of the questionnaire, a secur ity window should appear regarding macros.

Select "Enable Macros" and then "OK." If the windo w does not appear, close the file and repeat step 2 above.

Filling out the Electronic Form

Within the electronic form, yellow highlights indic ate blank fields that you must complete. Use your mouse or tab key to navigate between blanks. Type in your response, then Tab to the next field.

Every question is formatted to collect the most con sistent answers between each respondent. The forma t of every question is dictated by the type of inform ation requested, summarized below:

• If a question requires a descriptive or variable r esponse, the respondent must provide a written explanation in the highlighted yellow response box located directly below the question.Steam Electric Questionnaire General Instructions

iv Version: February 22, 2010 • If a question instructs the respondent to “check a ll that apply,” the respondent must select all the square-shaped check boxes that correspond to the ap plicable response options.

• If a question instructs the respondent to choose o nly one answer, the response options are formatted in one of two ways:

o If a response is formatted as a drop-down-box, cli ck on the arrow and scroll down the list to find and select the most applicable option.

o If a response is formatted as a list of options wi th corresponding circles, select the circle with the most applicable option.

• If any question does not provide an applicable res ponse option, select “other” and provide a written response in the highlighted yellow response box adjacent to the response options or on the comments page for that Part.

Each plant is assigned a plant ID that is listed on the cover letter of the questionnaire. You will n eed to enter the plant name and plant ID in the “Plant Nam e” and “Plant ID” header fields in the table of con tents for each part and all header fields throughout the rest of the part will automatically populate. An e xample

of the table of contents is located below:Steam Electric Questionnaire General Instructions

v Version: February 22, 2010 QUESTIONNAIRE ASSISTANCE

WHEN TO RETURN THE QUESTIONNAIRE

The response to all portions of the questionnaire e xcept Part G is due 60 days after receipt. Part G is

due 120 days after receipt.

If you wish to request an extension, you must do so in writing within 21 days of receipt of this questionnaire. Written requests may be e-mailed (p referred) or mailed to:

Jezebele Alicea USEPA Headquarters Ariel Rios Building 1200 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW

Mail Code: 4303T Washington, DC 20460 alicea.jezebele@epa.gov

Extension requests will be evaluated on a case-by-c ase basis. Submittal of an extension request to EP A

does not alter the due date of your questionnaire unless an d until EPA agrees to the extension and

establishes a new date.

WHERE TO RETURN THE QUESTIONNAIRE

After completing the questionnaire and certifying t he information that it contains, use the enclosed m ailing label to mail the completed questionnaire to:

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Questionnaire for the Steam Electric Power Generati ng Effluent Guidelines c/o Eastern Research Group, Inc. 14555 Avion Parkway, Suite 200 Chantilly, VA 20151-1102

CONFIDENTIAL BUSINESS INFORMATION

If no business confidentiality claim accompanies th e information when it is received by EPA, EPA may make the information available to the public wi thout further notice.

Regulations governing the confidentiality of busine ss information are contained in the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) at Title 40 Part 2, Subpart B. Y ou may assert a business confidentiality claim cove ring part or all of the information you submit, other th an effluent data and information or data that is otherwise publicly available , as described in 40 CFR 2.203(b):

“(b) Method and time of asserting business confidentiali ty claim. A business which is submitting information to EPA may assert a business confidenti ality claim covering the information by placing on (or attaching to) the information, at th e time it is submitted to EPA, a cover sheet, stamped or typed legend, or other suitable form of notice complying language such as ‘trade secret,’ ‘proprietary,’ or ‘company confidential.’ Allegedly confidential portions of otherwise nonconfidential documents should be clearly identif ied by the business, and may be submitted separately to facilitate identification and handlin g by EPA. If the business desires confidential EPA Steam Electric Questionnaire Help Lines

Eastern Research Group, Inc. .......................

................................................... ...................................703-633-xxxx Internet Electronic Mailing Address (E-mail).......

................................................... .................. steamhelp@erg.comSteam Electric Questionnaire General Instructions

vi Version: February 22, 2010 treatment only until a certain date or until the oc currence of a certain event, the notice should so

state.”

You may claim as confidential all information inclu ded in the response to a question by checking the Confidential Business Information (CBI) box next to the question number. Note that plant effluent data are not eligible for confidential treatment, pursuant t o Section 308(b) of the Clean Water Act, and thus w ill be

treated as nonconfidential even if the CBI box is c hecked. In addition, information that is publiclyavailable should not be claimed confidential.

If you claim any questionnaire response or other da ta as CBI, you must specify the portion of the response or document for which you assert a claim o f confidentiality by reference to page numbers, paragraphs, and lines, or specify the entire respon se or document. This information must be provided as part of the submission of the completed question naire. Note that EPA will review the information submitted and may request your cooperat ion in providing information to identify and justify the basis of your CBI claim.

If you believe that facts and documents necessary t o substantiate confidentiality are themselves confidential, please identify them as such so that EPA may maintain their confidentiality pursuant to 40 CFR Part 2, Subpart B.

Information covered by a claim of confidentiality w ill be disclosed by EPA only to the extent of, and by means of, the procedures set forth in 40 CFR Part 2 , Subpart B. In general, submitted information protected by a business confidentiality claim may b e disclosed to other employees, officers, or author ized representatives of the United States concerned with implementing the Clean Water Act.

Information covered by a claim of confidentiality w ill be made available to EPA contractors to enable the contractors to perform the work required by their c ontracts with EPA. All EPA contracts provide that contractor employees use the information only for t he purpose of performing the work required by their contracts and will not disclose any CBI to anyone o ther than EPA without prior written approval from e ach affected business or from EPA's legal office.Steam Electric Questionnaire General Instructions

vii Version: February 22, 2010 Plant Name:

Plant ID:

CERTIFICATION STATEMENT

The individual responsible for directing or supervi sing the preparation of the questionnaire must read and sign the Certification Statement listed below. The certifying official must be a responsible corporat e official or his/her authorized representative.

Certification Statement

I certify under penalty of law that the attached qu estionnaire was prepared under my direction or supervision and that qualified personnel properly g athered and evaluated the information submitted. T he information submitted is, to the best of my knowled ge and belief, accurate and complete. In those cas es where we did not possess the requested information for questions applicable to our company, we provided best estimates. We have to the best of ou r ability indicated what we believe to be company

confidential business information as defined under 40 CFR Part 2, Subpart B. We understand that we may be required at a later time to justify our clai m in detail with respect to each item claimed confi dential. I am aware that there are significant penalties for submitting false information, including the possib ility of fines and imprisonment as explained in Section 308 of the Clean Water Act.

Signature of Certifying Official Date

( ) Printed Name of Certifying Official Telephone Numbe r of Certifying Official

Title of Certifying Official

Company Nameviii Version: February 22, 2010 INSTRUCTIONS FOR COMPLETING THE QUESTIONNAIRE

Read all question-specific instructions (throughout the questionnaire) and definitions of key terms in the questionnaire glossary file. Throughout the questionnaire, key terms are in italics

.

Refer to the code tables located at the end of the each part if prompted to enter a code or complete a block diagram.

Acronyms and measurement units are defined in the A cronyms list at the end of the general instructions

.

Enter the Plant ID on every tab. When completing an electronic form, note the follow ing: When you enter your plant name and plant ID in the “Plant Name” an d “Plant ID” header fields in the table of contents for each part, all header fields throughout the res t of the part will automatically populate.

Not all questions will be applicable to every compa ny or plant. EPA prepared the questionnaire to be applicable to a variety of plants; therefore, not a ll of the questions will apply to every company or plant. Complete each relevant item in the questionnaire.

Mark responses for each question. Fill in the appropriate response(s) to each questio n. Answer the questions in sequence unless you are directed to skip. If yo u are directed to skip to another section, click on the “Skip to Section X” colored hyperlink, which will direct you to the next appropriate section. Do not leave any entry blank. If the answer is zero, enter “0". If a question is no t applicable to your company or plant, enter or sel ect “NA.”

Best engineering estimates. EPA is not requiring your company or plant to perfo rm non-routine tests or measurements solely for the purpose of responding t o this questionnaire, with the exception of compani es or plants chosen to complete Part G. In the event tha t exact data are not available, provide best engine ering

estimates and note the methods that were used to ma ke the estimates in the Comments page located at th e end of each part of the questionnaire.

Include any clarifying attachments. If additional pages are required to clarify a respo nse, place the associated question number, as well as your plant name (if app licable) in the top right corner of each attachment page. The following list contains examples of items that may be included as attachments to a response to this qu estionnaire: – Company brochure, pamphlet, and/or general desc ription; – Process and wastewater treatment flow diagrams; – Electronic analytical data collected from monit oring locations; – Equipment operation and maintenance logs; and – Pollution prevention or best management practic es (BMPs) policies or data.

You may need to make multiple copies of some tabs t hroughout the questionnaire. When completing the electronic questionnaire, select the copy button lo cated at the beginning of the section that requires multiple copies. Selecting the copy button will generate ne w worksheets within the Excel file containing the s ame tables and questions from the specific section. Refer to the instructions of the specific section on how to copy the section within the part of the electronic questionnaire. I f additional worksheets are accidentally generated from selecting the copy button, the unneeded worksheets can simply be deleted.

Pay close attention to the measurement units reques ted (e.g., gpd). Measurement units are defined in the acronyms list at the end of these instructions. Re port answers in the units that are specified, unles s the question requires you to specify the units.

Indicate information that should be treated as conf idential. You may claim as confidential all information included in the response to a question by checking the Confidential Business Information (CBI) box nex t to the question number. Note that EPA will review the inf ormation submitted and may request your cooperation in providing information to identify and justify the b asis of your CBI claim. See the CONFIDENTIAL BUSIN ESS INFORMATION section on page v.

Indicate atypical data in the Comments page at the back of the questionnaire. Year-to-year operations are expected to fluctuate, but note in the Comments pag e if any information is not representative of norma l operations and why.

Questions? If you have questions regarding the completion of this questionnaire, see the QUESTIONNAIRE ASSISTANCE section on page v.ix Version: February 22, 2010 ACRONYMS

ug/L Micrograms per liter

% Percent

BTU British thermal unit

BWR Boiler Water Reactor

CAS Chemical Abstracts Service

CBI Confidential business information CFR Code of Federal Regulations cm/sec Centimeter per second

DBA Dibasic acid deg Degree dpy Days per year

DUNS Dun & Bradstreet Number FERC Federal Energy Regulatory Commission FGD Flue gas desulfurization

ft Feet FTE Full-time equivalent gal Gallon gpd Gallons per day gpm Gallons per minute gpy Gallons per year g/L Grams per liter hpd Hours per day HRSG Heat Recovery Steam Generator

Kwh Kilowatt hour

lb Pound

LOCA Loss of coolant accident mg/L Milligrams per liter MW Megawatt MWh Megawatt hour N/A Not applicable NOx Nitrogen oxides O&M Operation and maintenance pg/L Picograms per liter PHWR Pressurized heavy water reactor ppb Parts per billion ppd Pounds per day ppm Parts per million ppt Parts per trillion POTW Publicly Owned Treatment Works PURPA Public Utility Regulatory Policies Act

PWR Pressurized Water Reactor SCR Selective catalytic reduction SEC U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission SNCR Selective non-catalytic reduction

SO 2 Sulfur dioxide tpd Ton per day tpy Ton per year

TDS Total dissolved solids TSS Total suspended solids

WWT Wastewater treatmentx Version: February 22, 2010 GLOSSARY

The terms identified below are identified in the te xt of this questionnaire in italic font.

Aerobic biological reactor – A tank in which material is converted from one f orm into another form by microorganisms in the presence of free oxygen.

Air heater ash – The ash taken from hoppers below the air heater.

Air heater cleaning wash water – Any water or liquid cleaning solution used for or generated from cleaning the air heater.

Anaerobic biological reactor – A tank in which material is converted from one fo rm into another form by microorganisms not in the presence of free oxygen.

Background concentration

– The concentration of a substance in an environmenta l media (air, water, or soil) that is not associated with plant processes o r activities.

Base load unit – A unit normally operated to produce electricity at an essentially constant rate and which typically runs for extended periods of time.

Best Management Practice (BMP) – Pollution prevention practices that help to avoid contact between pollutants

and water media that may include good housekeeping measures, good management techniques, product modifications, operational chan ges, materials substitution, materials and water conservation, and other measures.

Boiler blowdown – The minimum amount of liquid removed from the boi ler/steam generator for the purpose of preventing buildup of materials that exc eed limits established by best engineering practice s.

Boiler fireside cleaning wash water – Any water or liquid cleaning solution used for or generated from cleaning the boiler fireside.

Boiler tube cleaning wash water – Any water or liquid cleaning solution used for or generated from cleaning the interior surface of boiler tubes.

Bottom ash – The ash that drops out of the furnace gas stream in the furnace and which settle in the furnace or are dislodged from furnace walls. Includ es boiler slag collected in wet-bottom furnaces.

Economizer ash

is included when it is collected with bottom ash.

Bottom ash sluice – Process wastewater generated from a wet bottom ash handling system that is formed by combining bottom ash with the bottom ash transport water. Bottom ash sluice is typically

transferred to a pond/impoundment or a dewatering bin.

Carbon capture system – An air pollution control system intended to reduc e emissions of carbon dioxide. Includes both post-combustion and pre-com bustion carbon capture/reduction technologies.

Carbon capture wastewater – Any process wastewater generated from the carbon capture system

.

Chemical precipitation/flocculation

– Processes involving the addition of chemicals to al ter the physical state of dissolved and suspended solids and facilit ate their removal by sedimentation or filtration.

Clarification

– A sedimentation process to remove solid particles f rom a liquid stream by gravitational

force.

Clean Water Act (CWA) – Federal legislation enacted by Congress to “rest ore and maintain the chemical, physical, and biological integrity of the Nation’s waters” (Federal Water Pollution Control Act of 1972, as amended, 33 U.S.C. 1251 et seq.).xi Version: February 22, 2010

Coal pile runoff – The runoff from or through any coal storage pile.

Coal washing – Coal washing, also known as coal cleaning, entai ls separating out foreign material from coal in a liquid medium and may also include proces ses to remove ash, sulfur and moisture. The liquid medium may be combined with finely ground heavier m inerals, such as magnetite, in a dense medium fluid, to achieve better separation of unwanted roc k and mineral matter from coal particles.

Cogeneration plant – A generating facility, otherwise known as a comb ined heat and power plant, that produces electricity and another form of useful the rmal energy (such as heat or steam), used for industrial, commercial, heating, or cooling purpose s.

Combustion turbine cleaning wash water – Any water or liquid cleaning solution used for or generated from cleaning a combustion turbine, including the a ir compressor section of the turbine.

Cost of service – A ratemaking concept used for the design and develo pment of rate schedules to ensure that the filed rate schedules recover only t he cost of providing the electric service at issue. This concept attempts to correlate the utility 's costs and revenue with the service provided to e ach of the

various customer classes.

Cycling unit – A unit for which operation is undulated through a generally routine cycle. For example, a unit may run daily, but reduce capacity or shut off at night.

Deep (or shallow) well injection – Disposal of fluids underground through any bored , drilled, or driven shaft or a dug hole, improved sinkhole, or a subsur face fluid distribution system where the depth is greater than the largest surface dimension.

Discharge – The conveyance of process wastewater to: (1) surface waters ; or (2) a publicly owned, privately owned, federally owned, combined, or othe r treatment works.

Dry bottom ash handling system – A system that does not use water to convey bottom ash away from the boiler. It includes systems that collect and c onvey the ash without any use of water, as well as systems in which bottom ash is quenched in a water bath and then mechanically or pneumatically conveyed away from the boiler.

Dry-bottom boiler

– A boiler that contains a dry-bottom furnace, also k nown as a dry-ash furnace. In a dry-bottom furnace, a hopper bottom and sufficient cooling surface are provided so that the ash collec ting on the furnace walls or the hopper bottom is solid. Dry-bottom boilers are primarily used for coal wit h high ash fusion temperatures.

Dry FGD system – Dry FGD system, also referred to as semi-dry FGD sy stem, captures sulfur dioxide from flue gas by a spray dryer absorption process t hat produces calcium sulfite with low moisture cont ent.

Dry fly ash handling system – A system that does not use water to convey fly ash as a dry material away from particulate collection equipment.

DUNS Number – Unique nine-digit numeric sequence (“Data Univer sal Numbering System”) assigned to a corporate entity by Dun and Bradstreet.

Economizer ash – The ash taken from hoppers below the economizer.

Evaporation – The process by which water or other liquid becom es a gas.

FGD scrubber absorber – As depicted in Figure B-1, the FGD scrubber absor ber is the module where contact between flue gas and sorbent occurs, which results in the capture of sulfur dioxide from the f lue

gas.

FGD scrubber purge
– Process wastewater that exits an FGD scrubber system (typically from a solids separation process) and that is transferred to a wastewater treatment system or discharged

. Note: Thexii Version: February 22, 2010

scrubber purge stream may be the same as the FGD slurry blowdown stream if the plant

does not operate a solids separation system prior to wastewater treatment . Also note that the FGD wastewater generated from a single pass FGD scrubber system is referred to as FGD slurry discharge . See Figures

B-1 and B-2.

FGD scrubber system – As shown in Figure B-1, a system that captures su lfur dioxide from flue gas. An FGD scrubber system may be wet or dry. For wet FGD systems , the solids separation and solids dewatering

processes are part of this system.

FGD slurry blowdown – Slurry that exits an FGD scrubber absorber to control the solids/chlorides levels

in the FGD scrubber absorber . FGD slurry blowdown is typically transferred to a solids separation process. See Figure B-1.

FGD reagent preparation water –Water used for the preparation of FGD reagent slurry

(e.g., water that is added to ball mills for limestone slurry prepara tion).

FGD reagent slurry – All water that enters into, is used within, or re cycles through the FGD scrubber

absorber . FGD slurry water is replenished by make-up water and the solids level is controlled by FGD slurry blowdown

.

FGD solids – Any solid material generated by the FGD scrubber system . This may also be called FGD sludge (e.g., calcium sulfite and calcium sulfate).

FGD solids separation – The process that separates FGD slurry blowdown into two separate streams: the solids-rich stream (i.e. underflow) that contai ns FGD solids and the solids-lean stream (i.e. overflow)

that contains water and fines.

FGD solids separation recycle – The FGD wastewater that is returned to the FGD scrubber absorber following the FGD solids separation process.

FGD System – Please see either dry FGD system or wet FGD system

.

FGD wastewater
– Process wastewater generated specifically from the FGD scrubber system

.

Filter – An apparatus using woven, granular, or other mate rial to remove solid particles from wastewater

or water.

Filter backwash – Any water generated from reversing the direction of flow through a filter for the purpose of washing and/or eliminating solids from t he filter

.

Filter press – An apparatus used in solids dewatering that forces sludge

through a filter

to remove water

and form a cake.

Floor drain wastewater – Liquid collected in any of the floor drains at th e plant.

Flue gas mercury control system – An air pollution control system installed or oper ated for the purpose of removing mercury from flue gas. In this question naire, do not include FGD or SCR/SNCR systems as flue gas mercury control systems.

Flue gas mercury control system wastewater – Any process wastewater generated from the flue gas mercury control system

.

Fly ash – The ash that is carried out of the furnace by th e gas stream and collected by mechanical precipitators, electrostatic precipitators, and/or fabric filters. Economizer ash is included when it is collected with fly ash.xiii Version: February 22, 2010

Fly ash sluice – Process wastewater generated from a wet fly ash handling system that is formed by combining fly ash with the fly ash transport water. The fly ash sluice water is typically transferred to an
ash pond/impoundment

.

Forced generator outage – The removal of a generator from the connection w ith the transmission grid, either automatically or manually, that has not been scheduled. These outages are usually the result of a mechanical failure of a critical component of the g enerating system.

Form 1 – The comprehensive financial and operating report (“Annual Report For Major Public Utilities & Licensees’) submitted to FERC for Electric Rate reg ulation and financial audits by major utilities

.

Gross generation – Amount of power produced by an electric power plant , measured at the terminals of the plant (i.e., prior to the point at which the po wer leaves the station and is available to the syst em). This amount includes electric power generated at a power plant that is used to operate equipment at the pla nt.

Gypsum cake wash water – Water used to wash gypsum cake to remove impuriti es (e.g., chlorides).

Gypsum pile – A temporary storage pile on site containing gypsum.

Gypsum pile runoff – The runoff from or through any gypsum pile

.

Gypsum stacking – For plants that sluice gypsum to a pond/impoundment

, the process used to dig out the gypsum from the pond/impoundment and stack it along the sides of the pond/impoundment or in separate piles for dewatering.

Gypsum wash water – Process wastewater generated during the solids dewatering operation of gypsum or gypsum solids.

IGCC generating unit – An integrated gasification combined cycle genera ting unit.

Immediate parent firm – The first entity in the facility’s ownership str ucture responsible for facility’s expenses associated with steam electric generating units . Note that for the purpose of Part I of the questionnaire, if a plant that has multiple owners, detailed financial and economic data are requested of the immediate parent firm that holds the largest eq uity share in the plant.

Impoundment – See pond/impoundment.

Independent power producer – A corporation, person, agency, authority, or other legal entity or instrumentality that owns or operates facilities fo r the generation of electricity for use primarily b y the public, and that is not a utility

.

Intake water – Water from public utilities, streams, rivers, la kes, or underground aquifers that is used to supply or feed process unit operations or treatment processes.

Intermediate unit – A unit that is not used in a constant and specifi c cycle. The unit is instead used more sporadically on an as needed basis when energy requ irements are less than peak load but more than

base load.

Ion exchange

– Reversible exchange of ions adsorbed on a mineral o r synthetic polymer surface with

ions in solution in contact with the surface.

Landfill – A disposal facility or part of a facility where solid waste, sludges , or other process residuals are placed in or on any natural or manmade formation in the earth for disposal and which is not a storage pile, a land treatment facility, a surface impoundm ent, an underground injection well, a salt dome or salt bed formation, an underground mine, a cave, or a co rrective action management unit.xiv Version: February 22, 2010

Leachate - Liquid, including any suspended or dissolved consti tuents in the liquid that has percolated through or drained from waste or other materials em placed in a landfill , or that pass through the containment structure (e.g., bottom, dikes, berms) of a surface impoundment. Leachate also includes t he terms seepage, leak, and leakage, which are general ly used in reference to leachate from an impoundment.

Leachate collection system - A system that gathers leachate and conveys it to a collection area for treatment, discharge, or other use.

Leak detection system - A system whose primary purpose is to monitor perfor mance of the containment

structure of a pond/impoundment or landfill

by collecting fluid which flows through the liner.

Liner – A continuous layer of natural or man-made materia ls, beneath or on the sides of a pond/impoundment

, landfill , or landfill cell, which restricts the downward or lateral escape of the wastes placed therein or leachate

.

Major utility – An electric utility (i.e., regulated) that submi ts a Form 1 comprehensive financial and operating annual report to FERC. Major is defined a s having (1) one million megawatt hours or more; (2 ) 100 megawatt hours of annual sales for resale; (3) 500 megawatt hours of annual power exchange delivered; or (4) 500 megawatt hours of annual whee ling for others (deliveries plus losses).

Method Detection Limit (MDL)

– The laboratory's MDL developed as specified in Appe ndix B of 40 CFR Part 136. Labs may develop an MDL for their ma trix or in reagent water.

Mill reject sluice – Water stream that is generated by combining mill rejects with water to aid in transport

and/or disposal

.

Mill rejects – Material such as stone, slate and iron pyrite tha t is rejected by coal pulverizers because it could not be ground.

Nameplate capacity –The full-load continuous nominal rating of a gener ator, prime mover, or other electric power production equipment under specific conditions as designated by the manufacturer. Installed generator nameplate rating is usually ind icated on a nameplate physically attached to the
generator.

Natural wetlands

– A natural area (not man-made) that is saturated by surface or ground water with vegetation adapted for life under those soil condit ions, as swamps, bogs, fens, marshes, and estuaries

.

Non-contact cooling water

– Water used for cooling which does not come into dir ect contact with any raw material, product, byproduct , or waste.

Non-pond wastewater treatment unit – A wastewater treatment unit that is not a pond/impoundment

. Non-pond wastewater treatment units include, but ar e not limited to: chemical precipitation/flocculation

, pH adjustment

, clarification

, anaerobic/aerobic biological reactor

, thickeners , and filters

.

Nonutility – A corporation, person, agency, authority, or oth er legal entity or instrumentality that owns or operates facilities for electric generation and is not an electric utility . These entities are not owned by a governmental unit or the consumers that the entity serves and do not operate within the traditional cost

of-service

price regulation. Nonutility power producers inclu de qualifying cogenerators

, qualifying small power producers , and other nonutility generators (including independent power producers ). Nonutility power producers are without a designated franchised service area and do not file forms listed in the C ode of Federal Regulations, Title 18, Part 141.

NO

x control system – An air pollution control system that prevents NO

x formation during fuel combustion

or removes NO

x from flue gas. Types of NO

x control systems include, but are not limited to, s elective catalytic reduction (SCR), selective non-catalytic reduction (SNCR), overfire air, and low NO

x burners.xv Version: February 22, 2010

NPDES permit – Permits issued under the National Pollutant Disc harge Elimination System (NPDES) program authorized by Sections 307, 318, 402, and 4 05 of the Clean Water Act that applies to plants

that discharge wastewater

directly to United States surface waters

.

On site – Property and equipment under the operational con trol of the plant, including landfills, ponds/impoundments, and outfall structures located on non-contiguous property.

Particulate matter control system – An air pollution control system that removes part iculates from the flue gas. Particulate matter control systems includ e, but are not limited to, the following: electrost atic precipitators (ESP), fabric filters/baghouses, mech anical collectors, and venturi scrubbers.

Peaking unit – A unit normally used only during peak-load perio ds of electricity demand or, as an example, to replace the loss of another unit.

pH Adjustment

– Changing the acidity or alkalinity of a substance b y adding alkaline or acidic materials, respectively.

Plant – Includes all contiguous and non-adjoining proper ty and equipment that is under operational control of the facility, including non-adjoining la ndfills, surface impoundments, and outfall structur es.

Pollutant – Dredged spoil, solid waste, incinerator residue, filter backwash, sewage, garbage, sewage sludge , munitions, chemical wastes, biological materials, radioactive materials (except those regulated under the Atomic Energy Act of 1954, as amended (42 U.S.C. 2011 et seq.)), heat, wrecked or discarded equipment, rock, sand, cellar dirt and industrial, municipal, and agricultural waste discharged into w ater. (See 40 CFR 122.2)

Pollution prevention – The use of materials, processes, or practices th at reduce or eliminate the

creation of pollutants

or wastes. It includes practices that reduce the use of hazardous and nonhazardous materials, energy, water, or other res ources, as well as those practices that protect nat ural resources through conservation or more efficient us e. Pollution prevention includes but is not limite d to source reduction, in-process recycle/reuse , and water conservation practices.

Pond/impoundment – A natural topographic depression, man-made excav ation, or diked area formed

from earthen materials or man-made materials or a c ombination of them, which is designed to hold an accumulation of liquid process wastes or process wa stes containing free liquids, and which is not an injection well. Examples of ponds/impoundments incl ude holding, storage, settling, and aeration pits, ponds, and lagoons. It does not include building su mps and outdoor collection/transfer concrete basins

.

Pond/impoundment system – A treatment system consisting of one or more ponds/impoundments

.

Pond outlet – The point at which the pond/impoundment releases water to another pond/impoundment

, surface water

, or other process

Power marketers – Business entities engaged in buying and selling e lectricity. Power marketers do not usually own generating or transmission facilities. Power marketers, as opposed to brokers, take ownership of the electricity and are involved in in terstate trade. These entities file with the Federa l Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) for status as a power marketer.

Primary purpose – Provides the predominant source of revenue for t he plant. The principal reason for which the plant operates.

Priority pollutant – Priority pollutants are a set of 126 chemical pol lutants listed at 40 CFR part 423, Appendix A.

Privately Owned Treatment Works (PrOTW) – Any device or system which is (a) used to treat wastes from any facility whose operator is not the operato r of the treatment works and (b) not a “POTW.”xvi Version: February 22, 2010

Process operation – One or more pieces of process equipment used to change the physical or chemical characteristics of one or more process streams. Pr ocess operations include, but are not limited to, boilers, scrubbers, SCR/SNCR systems, air heaters, EMC systems, and cooling towers.

Process wastewater – Any water which comes into direct contact with o r results from the storage, production, or use of any raw material, intermediat e product, finished product, byproduct, or waste product. Examples of process wastewater include, b ut are not limited to, wastewater from ash handling

, equipment cleaning, air pollution control devices, rinse water, coal pile runoff or other contaminated stormwater, and cooling water are considered proces s wastewater. Process wastewater can be treated, recycled, discharged, or hauled offsite for disposa l. Sanitary wastewater

, non-contact cooling water

, potable water, sewage, fire protection, car washes, and uncontaminated stormwater are not considered process wastewater for the purpose of this informat ion collection request.

Publicly Owned Treatment Works (POTW) – In general terms, any device or system owned by a state or municipality that is used to recycle, reclaim, o r treat liquid municipal sewage and/or liquid indus trial wastes. See 40 CFR part 403.3 for an expanded defi nition of this term.

Qualifying Cogenerator and Qualifying Small Power P roducer (QF) – A cogeneration or small power production facility, respectively, that meets certa in ownership, operating, and efficiency criteria established by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commis sion (FERC) pursuant to the Public Utility Regulatory Policies Act (PURPA).

Raw intake water – Intake water prior to any treatment or use.

Recycle/reuse – To return a stream or a portion of a stream to an e arlier step in the process/treatment process or to another process at the plant.

Reporting Limit (Also known by terms, such as Minimum Level, ML, or Quantitation Limit)
– The laboratory reporting limit in the matrix analyzed. Usually this is a multiple of the MDL, e .g. 3.18 times the MDL, if seven replicates are used to develop the MD L. This ML maybe rounded to the nearest integer in this series, 1, 2, 5, or 10. If samples have been d iluted the detection and reporting limits should be increased by the dilution factor.

Residue

– Amount of a pollutant remaining in the environment after a natural or technological process has taken place; e.g., the sludge remaining after i nitial wastewater treatment, or particulates remain ing in air after it passes through a scrubbing or other pr ocess.

Reverse Osmosis (RO)

– A filtration process designed to separate particula te, colloidal, and dissolved matter from a liquid using a semi-permeable membran e, where pressure in excess of the osmotic pressure is applied to the concentrated side of the membrane.

RO reject water – Waste water released from the reverse osmosis pr ocess.

Rural Electric Cooperatives – For the purpose of this questionnaire, rural electr ic cooperatives are electric utilities that are legally established to be owned by and operated for the benefit of those u sing its service. This entity will generate, transmit, and/o r distribute supplies of electric energy to a speci fied area not being serviced by another utility. Such venture s are generally exempt from Federal income tax laws

. Most electric cooperatives have been initially fina nced by the Rural Utilities Service (prior Rural Electrification Administration), U.S. Department of Agriculture.

Sanitary wastewater – Wastewater that is generated from restrooms, caf eterias, showers, and domestic (versus industrial) activities.

Scheduled generating unit outage – The hours during which the generating unit is of fline due to planned, scheduled repairs, maintenance, or upgrade s, such as routine repetitive maintenance and repai r that have been programmed into the power schedule.xvii Version: February 22, 2010

Semi-dry FGD systems – Refer to dry FGD system

.

SCR catalyst regeneration wastewater – Any water generated from the SCR catalyst regeneration

process.

SCR catalyst washing wastewater – Any water generated from the SCR catalyst washing process.

SCR catalyst regeneration – Process by which catalysts used in the SCR system are regenerated after a period of time because the catalysts have become less reactive through use.

SCR catalyst washing – Process by which catalysts used in the SCR system are washed to remove fly ash and/or other particulates.

Settling pond

– A pond used to remove solid particles from a liquid stream by gravitational force (i.e., sedimentation process).

Settling tank – A tank that uses a sedimentation process to remov e solid particles from a liquid stream by gravitational force.

Sludge – Any solid, semi-solid, or liquid waste generated from a municipal, commercial, or industrial wastewater treatment plant, water supply treatment plant, or air pollution control facility exclusive of the treated effluent from a wastewater treatment plant.

Slurry Discharge
– Process wastewater that exits a single pass FGD scrubber system and that is

transferred to a wastewater treatment system or discharged

.

Solids dewatering – The process that removes water from the solids-ri ch stream generated in the solids separation

process. Typically a vacuum belt filter or a vacuum drum filter is used in this process. FGD solids such as gypsum are produced by this process.

Steam turbine cleaning wash water –Any water or liquid cleaning solution used for or generated from cleaning the steam turbine.

Stormwater runoff – Runoff generated when precipitation from rain an d snowmelt events flows over land or impervious surfaces and does not percolate into the ground.

Sulfur dioxide control systems – An air pollution control system that removes sulf ur dioxide from flue gas. Sulfur dioxide control systems include, but ar e not limited to: wet FGD systems, dry FGD systems

, and lime/limestone addition to the boiler.

Thickener – A sedimentation process to remove solid particles from a liquid stream by gravitational force. In contrast to clarification, the primary purpose o f the thickener is to increase the concentration of suspended solids of the feed stream (i.e., to remov e liquids), thereby increasing the concentration of

solids in sludge . Note that thickening should not be confused with solids dewatering ; the cake formed

from solids dewatering is handled as a solid and not a liquid.

Treated (water or process wastewater ) – Water that has been processed by physical, chemi cal, biological, or other means to remove specific const ituents of the water stream or to alter the physica l or chemical state of specific constituents of the wate r stream.

Treated intake water – Water that is acquired from a source and treated prior to use by physical, chemical, biological, or other means to remove spec ific constituents of the water stream or to alter t he physical or chemical state of specific constituents of the water stream.

Ultimate parent firm – The highest level domestic business entity in th e facility’s ownership structure. A firm that is owned by another U.S. firm is not an u ltimate domestic parent firm. In contrast, a U.S. f irm that is owned by a foreign firm is an ultimate domestic parent firm.xviii Version: February 22, 2010

Uncontaminated stormwater – Stormwater runoff that has not come into contact with raw materials, byproducts , or waste products from the electricity generation process.

Utility – Any entity that generates, transmits, or distrib utes electricity and recovers the cost of its generation, transmission or distribution assets and operations, either directly or indirectly, through costbased rates set by a separate regulatory authority (e.g., State Public Service Commission), or is owne d by a governmental unit or the consumers that the en tity serves. Examples of these entities include: investor-owned entities, public power districts, pu blic utility districts, municipalities, rural elect ric cooperatives, and State and Federal agencies. Elec tric utilities may have Federal Energy Regulatory Commission approval for interconnection agreements and wholesale trade tariffs covering either cost-of

service and/or market-based rates under the authori ty of the Federal Power Act.

Vacuum drum filter – A solids dewatering system that consists of a tan k containing a rotating drum covered with a cloth filter. A vacuum is used to pu ll water through the cloth filter to dewater the so lids. Also referred to as a rotary drum filter.

Vacuum filter belt –

A solids dewatering system that uses a vacuum to r emove water from solids by pulling it through a revolving filter belt.

Variable O&M costs – Operation and maintenance costs that vary direct ly in proportion to the amount of electricity generated by a plant. For the purpose o f this questionnaire, variable O&M costs exclude fu el expenses, as these are requested separately. Exampl es of non-fuel variable expenses include: the costs of water for cooling and condensing; the costs of c hemicals for water treatment; the costs of reagents and additional cleaning and maintenance for emission co ntrol systems; and additional maintenance costs due to wear and tear on fuel handling, preparation and distribution systems.

Wastewater treatment – The processing of wastewater by physical, chemic al, biological, or other means to remove specific pollutants from the wastewater stream or to alter the physica l or chemical state of specific pollutants

in the wastewater stream. Treatment is performed to allow for discharge of

wastewater or recycle/reuse of wastewater.

Wastewater treatment system – A combination of one or more wastewater treatment units , other than ponds/impoundments, designed to achieve wastewater treatment

.

Wastewater treatment unit – A unit operation used to remove pollutants from process wastewater

. Wastewater treatment units include, but are not lim ited to: pond/impoundments , chemical precipitation, pH adjustment, clarification, biological reactor, t hickeners, filters, and constructed wetlands.

Waste coal – Usable material that is a byproduct of previous coa l processing operations. Waste coal is usually composed of mixed coal, soil, and rock (min e waste). Most waste coal is burned as-is in

unconventional fluidized-bed combustors. For some uses, waste coal may be partially cleaned by removing some extraneous noncombustible constituent s. Examples of waste coal include fine coal, coal obtained from a refuse bank or slurry dam, anthraci te culm, bituminous gob, and lignite waste.

Wet bottom ash handling system – A system in which bottom ash is conveyed away from the boiler using water as the transport medium. Wet bottom ash systems typically send the ash slurry to dewaterin g bins or a pond/impoundment

.

Wet-bottom boiler

– A boiler that contains a wet-bottom furnace, also k nown as a slag-tap furnace. In a wet-bottom furnace, sufficient gas temperature is m aintained to keep ash in a liquid, molten state in the lower furnace, where is it collected on furnace wal ls and surfaces. The molten ash is then tapped int o water tanks that solidify the ash. Wet-bottom boil ers are primarily used for coal with low ash fusion
temperatures.

Wet FGD system – Wet FGD systems capture sulfur dioxide from the flue gas using a sorbent that has

mixed with water to form a wet slurry

, and that generates a water stream that exits the FGD scrubber

absorber

.xix Version: February 22, 2010

Wet fly ash handling system – A system that conveys fly ash away from particulate removal equipment using water as the transport medium. Wet fly ash sy stems typically dispose of the ash slurry in a pond/impoundment

.

Zero discharge – Disposal of process and/or non- process wastewaters other than by direct discharge to
surface water

or by indirect discharge to a POTW

. Examples include evaporation

, deep-well injection

, hauling, and/or offsite recycle/ recovery

.