Regulations last checked for updates: Jun 02, 2024

Title 40 - Protection of Environment last revised: May 30, 2024
§ 421.60 - Applicability: Description of the secondary copper subcategory.

The provisions of this subpart are applicable to discharges resulting from the recovery, processing, and remelting of new and used copper scrap and residues to produce copper metal and copper alloys, but are not applicable to continuous rod casting.

§ 421.61 - Specialized definitions.

For the purpose of this subpart:

(a) Except as provided below, the general definitions, abbreviations, and methods of analysis set forth in 40 CFR part 401 shall apply to this subpart.

(b) For all impoundments constructed prior to the effective date of this regulation the term “within the impoundment” when used for purposes of calculating the volume of process wastewater which may be discharged shall mean the water surface area within the impoundment at maximum capacity plus the surface area of the inside and outside slopes of the impoundment dam as well as the surface area between the outside edge of the impoundment dam and any seepage ditch immediately adjacent to the dam upon which rain falls and is returned to the impoundment. For the purpose of such calculations, the surface area allowances set forth above shall not be more than 30 percent of the water surface area within the impoundment dam at maximum capacity.

(c) For all impoundments constructed on or after the effective date of this regulation, the term “within the impoundment” for purposes of calculating the volume of process wastewater which may be discharged shall mean the water surface area within the impoundment at maximum capacity.

(d) The term pond water surface area when used for the purpose of calculating the volume of wastewater which may be discharged shall mean the water surface area of the pond created by the impoundment for storage of process wastewater at normal operating level. This surface shall in no case be less than one-third of the surface area of the maximum amount of water which could be contained by the impoundment. The normal operating level shall be the average level of the pond during the preceding calendar month.

§ 421.62 - Effluent limitations guidelines representing the degree of effluent reduction attainable by the application of the best practicable control technology currently available.

(a) Except as provided in 40 CFR 125.30 through 125.32, any existing point source subject to this subpart shall achieve the following effluent limitations representing the degree of effluent reduction attainable by the application of the best practicable technology currently available: Subject to the provisions of paragraphs (b), (c), and (d) of this section, there shall be no discharge of process wastewater pollutants into navigable waters.

(b) A process wastewater impoundment which is designed, constructed, and operated so as to contain the precipitation from the 10-year, 24-hour rainfall event as established by the National Climatic Center, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration for the areas in which such impoundment is located may discharge that volume of process wastewater which is equivalent to the volume of precipitation that falls within the impoundment in excess of that attributable to the 10-year, 24-hour rainfall event, when such event occurs.

(c) During any calendar month there may be discharged from a process wastewater impoundment either a volume of process wastewater equal to the difference between the precipitation for the month that falls within the impoundment and either the evaporation from the pond water surface area for that month, or a volume of process wastewater equal to the difference between the mean precipitation for that month that falls within the impoundment and the mean evaporation from the pond water surface area as establsihed by the National Climatic Center, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, for the area in which such impoundment is located (or as otherwise determined if no monthly data have been established by the National Climatic Center), whichever is greater.

(d) Any process wastewater discharged pursuant to paragraph (c) of this section shall comply with each of the following requirements:

Effluent limitations Effluent characteristic
Maximum for any 1 day Average of daily values for 30 consecutive days shall not exceed
Metric Units (mg/l)
English Units (ppm)
TSS5025
Cu0.50.25
Zn105
Oil and grease2010
pH( 1)( 1)

1 Within the range of 6.0 to 9.0.

[49 FR 8802, Mar. 8, 1984; 49 FR 26739, June 29, 1984]
§ 421.63 - Effluent limitations guidelines representing the degree of effluent reduction attainable by the application of the best available technology economically achievable.

Except as provided in 40 CFR 125.30 through 125.32, any existing point source subject to this subpart shall achieve the following effluent limitations representing the degree of effluent reduction attainable by the application of the best available technology economically achievable:

(a) Subject to the provisions of paragraph (b) of this section, there shall be no discharge of process wastewater pollutants into navigable waters.

(b) a process wastewater impoundment which is designed, constructed, and operated so as to contain the precipitation from the 25-year, 24-hour rainfall event as established by the National Climatic Center, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, for the area in which such impoundment is located may discharge that volume of process wastewater which is equivalent to the volume of precipitation that falls within the impoundment in excess of that attributable to the 25-year, 24-hour rainfall event, when such event occurs.

§ 421.64 - Standards of performance for new sources.

Any new source subject to this subpart shall achieve the following new source performance standards: There shall be no discharge of process wastewater pollutants into navigable waters.

§ 421.65 - Pretreatment standards for existing sources.

Except as provided in 40 CFR 403.7 and 403.13, any existing source subject to this subpart which introduces pollutants into a publicly owned treatment works must comply with 40 CFR part 403 and achieve the following pretreatment standards for existing sources. The mass of wastewater pollutants in secondary copper process wastewater introduced into a POTW shall not exceed the following values:

(a) There shall be no discharge of process wastewater pollutants into a publicly owned treatment works subject to the provisions of paragraph (b) of this section.

(b) A process wastewater impoundment which is designed, constructed, and operated so as to contain the precipitation from the 25-year, 24-hour rainfall event as established by the National Climatic Center, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, for the area in which such impoundment is located may discharge that volume of process wastewater equivalent to the volume of precipitation that falls within the impoundment in excess of that attributable to the 25-year, 24-hour rainfall event, when such event occurs.

§ 421.66 - Pretreatment standards for new sources.

Except as provided in 40 CFR 403.7 any new source subject to this subpart which introduces pollutants into a publicly owned treatment works must comply with 40 CFR part 403 and achieve the following pretreatment standards for new sources. The mass of wastewater pollutants in secondary copper process wastewater introduced into a POTW shall not exceed the following values: There shall be no discharge of process wastewater pollutants into a publicly owned treatment works.

§ 421.67 - [Reserved]
authority: Secs. 301, 304 (b), (c), (e), and (g), 306 (b) and (c), 307 (b) and (c), 308 and 501 of the Clean Water Act (the Federal Water Pollution Control Act Amendments of 1972, as amended by the Clean Water Act of 1977) and the Water Quality Act of 1987 (the “Act”); 33 U.S.C. 1311,1314,c,e,and, 1316 (b) andc, 1317 (b) andc,1318; 86 Stat. 816, Pub. L. 92-500; 91 Stat. 1567, Pub. L. 95-217; 101 Stat. 7, Pub. L. 100-4
source: 49 FR 8790, Mar. 8, 1984, unless otherwise noted.
cite as: 40 CFR 421.61