Industries Back EPA Groundwater Permitting Guide But Seek More Clarity

摘要

Industry groups are generally supporting EPA's proposed guidance on implementing a landmark Supreme Court ruling that outlined a seven-factor test for determining when pollutants that travel through groundwater require a Clean Water Act (CWA) permit, but they are urging the agency to provide additional guidance on permit issuance. "We support the Draft Guidance, and we recommend that EPA issue it in final form" after considering comments, the Federal StormWater Association (FS WA), a coalition of industrial, municipal, and construction-related entities, says in Jan. 11 comments. But FSWA says it is also important for EPA to consider issuing guidance on the related and "just as important" issues of what information must be provided in a permit application subject to the Supreme Court's "functionally equivalent" test and how the permitting authority should determine effluent limits and other requirements that must be included in a National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit.