{"abstract":"This final regulation limits the discharge of pollutants into navigable waters of the United States and into publicly owned treatment works (POTWs) by existing and new facilities that formulate, package and repackage pesticide products. This regulation covers two subcategories of the Pesticide Chemicals Point Source Category-- Subcategory C: Pesticide Formulating, Packaging and Repackaging (PFPR) which includes PFPR facilities that also manufacture pesticide active ingredients (PFPR/Manufacturers) and Subcategory E: Agricultural Refilling Establishments. EPA estimates that there are approximately 2,600 facilities in the industry. This regulation establishes effluent limitations guidelines and standards under the Clean Water Act including ``best conventional pollutant control technology (BCT), and ``best available technology economically achievable (BAT)'' for existing direct dischargers, ``new source performance standards (NSPS)'' for new direct dischargers and ``pretreatment standards for existing and new indirect dischargers (PSES and PSNS)''. This regulation also amends and clarifies the limitations based on ``best practicable control technology (BPT)'' for direct discharging facilities. Under the final rule refilling establishments (Subcategory E) will be required to achieve zero discharge of wastewater pollutants. The final regulation provides Subcategory C facilities (herein referred to as ``PFPR facilities'') a choice between zero discharge and the ``Pollution Prevention Alternative.'' This compliance alternative was developed in response to comments on the proposed rule from the industry and has received a large amount of industry support in comments on the supplemental notice. This structure provides a compliance option to facilities who agree to implement certain pollution prevention, recycle and reuse practices. Facilities choosing and implementing the pollution prevention alternative will receive a discharge allowance. The final rule will benefit the environment by removing toxic pollutants (pesticide active ingredients and priority pollutants) from water discharges that have adverse effects on human health and aquatic life. EPA has estimated the compliance costs and economic impacts expected to result from the Zero Discharge/Pollution Prevention Alternative (i.e., Zero/P2 Alternative). The Agency has determined that the Zero/P2 Alternative will result in a similar removal of toxic pound equivalents per year (approximately 7.6 million toxic pound equivalents) as the zero discharge option alone. At the same time, the Zero/P2 Alternative is expected to result in a reduced annualized cost ($29.9 million in 1995), no facility closures and 150 moderate impacts. EPA has determined that both Zero Discharge and the Zero/P2 Alternative are economically achievable. However, EPA's addition of the pollution prevention alternative to achieving zero discharge provides benefits to the environment by minimizing the potential cross-media impacts that would otherwise occur from hauling and incinerating the non-reusable portion of PFPR wastewaters. The provision of an alternative compliance method also provides flexibility to industry in meeting the effluent limitations guidelines and standards.","action":"Final rule.","agencies":[{"raw_name":"Pesticide Chemicals Category, Formulating, Packaging and Repackaging"},{"raw_name":"Effluent Limitations Guidelines, Pretreatment Standards, and New Source"},{"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/1996/11/06/96-25771.html","cfr_references":[{"chapter":null,"citation_url":null,"part":"455","title":40}],"citation":"61 FR 57518","comment_url":null,"comments_close_on":null,"correction_of":null,"corrections":[],"dates":"This regulation shall become effective January 6, 1997. The information collection requirements contained in this rule are included in two separate Information Collection Request (ICR) documents. The NPDES/Compliance Assessment/Certification ICR (No. 1427.05) and the National Pretreatment Program (40 CFR part 403) ICR (No. 0002.08). OMB has not yet approved these ICRs; therefore, the information collection requirements contained in this rule are not effective until OMB has approved them. Once OMB has approved the ICRs, EPA will publish another notice in the Federal Register to announce OMB's approval and to amend 40 CFR Part 9 to indicate the OMB approval number. The compliance date for Secs. 455.46 and 455.66 (PSES) is as soon as possible, but no later than November 6, 1999. The compliance dates for Secs. 455.45 and 455.65 (NSPS) and Secs. 455.47 and 455.67 (PSNS) are the dates the new sources commence discharging. Deadlines or compliance with Secs. 455.42 and 455.62 (BPT), Secs. 455.43 and 455.63 (BCT), and Secs. 455.44 and 455.64 (BAT) are established in the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permits.","disposition_notes":null,"docket_ids":["FRL-5630-9"],"dockets":[],"document_number":"96-25771","effective_on":"1997-01-06","end_page":57566,"executive_order_notes":null,"executive_order_number":null,"full_text_xml_url":null,"html_url":"https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/1996/11/06/96-25771/pesticide-chemicals-category-formulating-packaging-and-repackaging-effluent-limitations-guidelines","images":{},"images_metadata":{},"json_url":"https://www.federalregister.gov/api/v1/documents/96-25771?publication_date=1996-11-06","mods_url":"https://www.govinfo.gov/metadata/granule/FR-1996-11-06/96-25771/mods.xml","not_received_for_publication":null,"page_length":49,"page_views":{"count":493,"last_updated":"2026-07-25 22:15:03 -0400"},"pdf_url":"https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR-1996-11-06/pdf/96-25771.pdf","presidential_document_number":null,"proclamation_number":null,"public_inspection_pdf_url":null,"publication_date":"1996-11-06","raw_text_url":"https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/full_text/text/1996/11/06/96-25771.txt","regulation_id_number_info":{"2040-AC21":{"issue":"199604","html_url":"https://www.federalregister.gov/regulations/2040-AC21/effluent-guidelines-and-standards-for-pesticide-formulating-packaging-and-repackaging","title":"Effluent Guidelines and Standards for Pesticide Formulating, Packaging, and Repackaging","xml_url":"http://www.reginfo.gov/public/do/eAgendaViewRule?pubId=199604&RIN=2040-AC21&operation=OPERATION_EXPORT_XML","priority_category":"Other Significant"}},"regulation_id_numbers":["2040-AC21"],"regulations_dot_gov_info":{"checked_regulationsdotgov_at":"2011-09-21T11:14:00Z"},"regulations_dot_gov_url":null,"significant":true,"signing_date":null,"start_page":57518,"subtype":null,"title":"Pesticide Chemicals Category, Formulating, Packaging and Repackaging Effluent Limitations Guidelines, Pretreatment Standards, and New Source Performance Standards","toc_doc":null,"toc_subject":null,"topics":[],"type":"Rule","volume":61}