{"abstract":"Today's final rule revises Clean Water Act effluent limitations guidelines and new source performance standards for meat producing facilities. These revisions apply to existing as well as new slaughtering facilities ( \"first processors\"), to facilities that further process meat to produce products like sausages (\"further processors\") and to independent rendering facilities that convert inedible by-products to items like pet food (\"renderers\"). The rule establishes, for the first time, effluent limitations guidelines and new source performance standards for existing and new poultry first and further processors. Today's guidelines and standards establish limitations on wastewater discharges of specified pollutants for meat and poultry products facilities that discharge directly to U.S. waters. There are no current regulations for facilities that discharge indirectly, and EPA has not adopted regulations for those facilities. Today's rule applies to wastewater discharges from existing meat and poultry facilities above specified production thresholds. Today's new source standards apply to new meat facilities above the production thresholds and to all new poultry facilities irrespective of their production level. EPA is not revising the current effluent limitations guidelines or new source performance standards for meat first or further processors below the production threshold. This final rule will benefit the Nation's receiving waters by reducing discharges of conventional pollutants, ammonia, and nitrogen. EPA estimates that compliance with this regulation will reduce discharges of nitrogen up to 27 million pounds per year, ammonia by 3 million pounds per year, and conventional pollutants by 4 million pounds per year.","action":"Final rule.","agencies":[{"raw_name":"ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY","name":"Environmental Protection Agency","id":145,"url":"https://www.federalregister.gov/agencies/environmental-protection-agency","json_url":"https://www.federalregister.gov/api/v1/agencies/145","parent_id":null,"slug":"environmental-protection-agency"}],"body_html_url":"https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/full_text/html/2004/09/08/04-12017.html","cfr_references":[{"chapter":null,"citation_url":null,"part":432,"title":40}],"citation":"69 FR 54476","comment_url":null,"comments_close_on":null,"correction_of":null,"corrections":[],"dates":"This regulation shall become effective October 8, 2004. The Director of the Federal Register approves the incorporation by reference on October 8, 2004, of certain publications listed in this rule in accordance with 5 U.S.C. 552(a) and 1 CFR part 51. For judicial review purposes, this final rule is promulgated as of 1:00 p.m. (Eastern time) on September 22, 2004, as provided in 40 CFR 23.2.","disposition_notes":null,"docket_ids":["FRL-7631-2"],"dockets":[],"document_number":"04-12017","effective_on":"2004-10-08","end_page":54555,"executive_order_notes":null,"executive_order_number":null,"full_text_xml_url":"https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/full_text/xml/2004/09/08/04-12017.xml","html_url":"https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2004/09/08/04-12017/effluent-limitations-guidelines-and-new-source-performance-standards-for-the-meat-and-poultry","images":{},"images_metadata":{},"json_url":"https://www.federalregister.gov/api/v1/documents/04-12017?publication_date=2004-09-08","mods_url":"https://www.govinfo.gov/metadata/granule/FR-2004-09-08/04-12017/mods.xml","not_received_for_publication":null,"page_length":80,"page_views":{"count":4305,"last_updated":"2026-07-26 02:15:03 -0400"},"pdf_url":"https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR-2004-09-08/pdf/04-12017.pdf","presidential_document_number":null,"proclamation_number":null,"public_inspection_pdf_url":null,"publication_date":"2004-09-08","raw_text_url":"https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/full_text/text/2004/09/08/04-12017.txt","regulation_id_number_info":{"2040-AD56":{"issue":"200404","html_url":"https://www.federalregister.gov/regulations/2040-AD56/effluent-guidelines-and-standards-for-the-meat-and-poultry-products-point-source-category-revisions-","title":"Effluent Guidelines and Standards for the Meat and Poultry Products Point Source Category (Revisions)","xml_url":"http://www.reginfo.gov/public/do/eAgendaViewRule?pubId=200404&RIN=2040-AD56&operation=OPERATION_EXPORT_XML","priority_category":"Other Significant"}},"regulation_id_numbers":["2040-AD56"],"regulations_dot_gov_info":{"checked_regulationsdotgov_at":"2011-11-12T13:05:50Z"},"regulations_dot_gov_url":null,"significant":true,"signing_date":null,"start_page":54476,"subtype":null,"title":"Effluent Limitations Guidelines and New Source Performance Standards for the Meat and Poultry Products Point Source Category","toc_doc":"Meat and poultry products processing facilities","toc_subject":"Water pollution; effluent guidelines for point source categories:","topics":["Environmental protection","Incorporation by reference","Meat and meat products","Poultry and poultry products","Waste treatment and disposal","Water pollution control"],"type":"Rule","volume":69}