U.S. EPA – Tribal Consultation ProcessRulemaking Process to Revise theRulemakingProcesstoRevisetheSteam Electric Power Generating Effluent GuidelinesMarch 28 2012Office of WaterMarch28,2012Purpose of the Meeting3⁄4Provide information about the development of proposedrevisions to the steam electric effluent limitations guidelinesrevisionstothesteamelectriceffluentlimitationsguidelinesand standards (ELGs)3⁄4Discuss how revisions to the ELGs mayaffect tribes3⁄4Review the ways that tribes can provide input to therulemaking processSlide 2 of 12Background3⁄4Effluent Limitations Guidelines (ELGs)–National standards that establish the maximum quantity of pollutants inNationalstandardsthatestablishthemaximumquantityofpollutantsinwastewater discharges to surface water and municipal sewage treatmentplants–Required by the Clean Water Act; developed on an industry-by-industry basis–Represent pollutant reductions that areeconomically achievablefor anindustry using thebest available technology.3⁄4HistoryPower plants areone of the toppolluting industry sectors to waters of the–PowerplantsareoneofthetoppollutingindustrysectorstowatersoftheU.S.–Current regulations fail to control the pollutants causing environmentalimpacts•Large source of toxic metals (mercury selenium arsenic etc )Largesourceoftoxicmetals(mercury,selenium,arsenic,etc.)–Steam Electric ELGs were last updated30 years ago and have not kept pacewith changes in the industry•Development of new technologies for generating electric power (e.g.,coal gasification)coalgasification)•The implementation of air pollution controls which have altered existingor created new wastewater streamsSlide 3 of 12Environmental and Human Health Concerns3⁄4Environmental ConcernsI tt d t d f t–Impactsto groundwater andsurface water– Contaminated sediments and drinking water– Fish mortality & non-lethal effects (e.g., altered populations)Bioaccumulation in aquatic organisms–Bioaccumulationinaquaticorganisms– Fish advisories3⁄4Documentedimpacts:– Polluted surface waterBelews Lake – entire fish community damaged–Contaminatedsediments downstream of ash pondssedimentsdownstreamofashponds– Sites where birds have elevated levels of mercury, selenium & othermetals– Ash pond contamination of groundwater and drinking water wellsSlide 4 of 12Scope of Rulemaking – Wastestreams•Flue gas desulfurization (FGD) wastewater•Sluiced fly ash•Sluiced bottom ashSluicedbottomash•Leachate from coal ash (CCR) ponds/landfills•Sluiced mercury (Hg) control waste•Gasification process dischargesStackFabricFilterBoiler(Furnace)Fly AshESP orFabricFilterFGDACIHg ControlWasteBottom AshFGDWastewaterSluiced FlyAshSluicedHg ControlWastesFly AshGroundwaterAsh PondRiver(or POTW)Sluiced Bottom AshSlide 5 of 12GroundwaterACI:Activated carbon injectionPotential Affected Power Plants within Proximity ofTriLbalandsFacilities on Tribal LandsF ilit NT ib l L d• Coal fired/petcoke fuel plants that have wastestreams under considerationFacility NameTribal LandJ.E. Corette Treatment Plant Crow ReservationFour Corners Steam Electric Station Navajo Nation ReservationHugo Choctaw OTSAFlint Creek Power Plant Cherokee OTSAGRDA Cherokee OTSAMuskogee Generating Station Cherokee OTSASooner Power Plant Otoe-Missouria OTSAMayo Electric Generating Plant Sappony SDTSAW H Weatherspoon Steam Electric PlantLumbee SDTSAFacilities within 10 miles of Tribal LandsFacility NameTribal LandGeorge Neal North Winnebago ReservationBoswell Energy Center Leech Lake ReservationV ll P Pl tF t C t P t t i OffR ti T t L dValley PowerPlantForest County Potawatomi Off-ReservationTrust LandPresque Isle Power Plant Sault Sainte Marie Off-Reservation Trust LandShiras Sault Sainte Marie Off-Reservation Trust LandSan Juan Generation Plant Station Navajo Nation Off-Reservation Trust LandInnerstate Power & Light/Lansing Generating Station Ho-Chunk Nation Off-Reservation Trust LandBrame EnergyCenter Clifton Choctaw SDTSARoxboro Steam Plant Sappony SDTSAC R Huntley Generating Station Cayuga Nation TDSASlide 6 of 12FGD/Ash/Leachate Discharges on Tribal Lands7 of 12Slide 7 of 12FGD/Ash/Leachate Discharges within 10 miles onTribal Lands8 of 128 of 13Slide 8 of 12How Could Steam Electric ELG Revisions Affect Tribes?**Potential Topics for Discussion are included in Enclosure II of the consultation letterinvitation. Please see Appendix A.**•Does your tribe play any role in the ownership or operation of any powerplant located on or near your tribe’s land? If so, please elaborate.•How does your tribe use the waterbody to which the plant near youdischarges? Drinking water source, recreational, etc?•Are you aware of any negative consequences on the uses described abovedue to the plant’s current discharge?•How might those uses change if the water contains less pollutants?•How manyofyour members are employed bya steam electricpowery py y pplant?Slide 9 of 12Opportunities for Tribes to Provide Input3⁄4Tribal consultation process•August 2011 conference callsAugust2011conferencecalls–National Tribal Caucus–National Tribal Water CouncilT d ’ f ll•Today’s conference call•Deadline for providing written input: April 17, 20123⁄4Public comment period for the proposed rule3⁄4Other opportunities for dialogueSlide 10 of 12EPA ContactJezebeleAlicea-VirellaEPA Office of WaterPhone #: 202-566-1755Eilli j b l @-ma:alicea.jezebele@epa.govWebsite:http://water.epa.gov/scitech/wastetech/guide/steam_index.cfmSlide 11 of 12APPENDIX A – Potential Topics for Discussion•Does your Tribe have a coal-fired, oil-fired or petroleum coke-fired steam electric power plant either on theTribal lands or nearby?•If so, please provide the name of thepower plant and the plant’s owner.•Is your Tribe an owner of the plant? Ifso, what is the Tribe’s percent ownership?•Does your Tribe have an oversight role of the powerplant? If so, please describe what role that is.•Does the power plant discharge to a nearby river, stream, lake or reservoir?•Does the Tribe use the waterbody? For what purposes? Fishing, ceremonial purposes, recreational, irrigation,livestock watering, drinking water source, etc.•Does your Tribe have ground water drinking water wells inthe vicinity of the power plant? If, so, how manywells and how many Tribal membersdo these serve for drinking water?•Has your Tribe conducted any monitoringof the river, stream, lake or reservoir into which the power plantdi h ?scharges?•Does the Tribe have its own water quality standards program? If so can youdescribe which Tribal water qualitystandards apply to the water body thatthe power plant discharges into?•Has the Tribe measured water quality in the water body todetermine if violationsof Tribal water qualitystandards or other criteria have occurred?standardsorothercriteriahaveoccurred?•Has the Tribe conducted any groundwater monitoring todetermine whether the ground water meets drinkingwater standards or if contamination of the groundwater has occurred?•Is the power plant a source of employment for members of the Tribe? If so, please estimate the number of Tribalmembers employed.Appendix Amembersemployed.•Please describe any other manner in which the power plant affects your Tribe.