EPA rules on wastewater emissions, Bush pushes trade agreement, OSHA proposes fine for metalworking company

摘要

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA, www.epa.gov) made a big about-face when it issued its long-awaited final rule on new effluent standards for the metal products and machinery sector. The agency had been contemplating new wastewater emission standards for both direct (through publicly owned treatment works [POTW]) and indirect dischargers of waste in a range of metal finishing categories such as job shops, general metals, and steel forming and finishing. The anticipated limits would have affected both metal wastes, such as nickel and copper, and nonmetal wastes, such as solids and oil. But the final rule that emerged Feb. 14 contains no limits on metal wastes, so only 2,400 metalworking facilities will be affected by it, rather than previous estimates of 10,000.