Water Pollution: Application of National Cleanup Standards to the Pulp and Paper Industry
RCED-87-52
Published: Mar 18, 1987. Publicly Released: Apr 20, 1987.
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Highlights
In response to a congressional request, GAO reviewed the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) national effluent standards limiting the types and amounts of pollutants that industries may discharge into the nation's water. GAO used the paper and pulp industry as an example to determine whether: (1) discharge permit limits were at least as stringent as the appropriate national standards required; and (2) the amount of pollutants in selected pulp and paper mills' effluent met the appropriate national standards.
Recommendations
Recommendations for Executive Action
| Agency Affected Sort descending | Recommendation | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Environmental Protection Agency | Because water pollution control technology, costs, and benefits can change over time, the Administrator, EPA, should establish specific time frames for periodic reevaluations of the costs and benefits of implementing more advanced control technologies for existing pulp and paper mills. If EPA determines that the cost of more advanced control technologies is reasonable, such controls should be implemented. |
Closed – Not Implemented
There is no indication that EPA plans to implement this recommendation or take related actions.
|
| Environmental Protection Agency | The Administrator, EPA, should implement EPA instructions by requiring permitting authorities to obtain and use 5-year historical-average production data when setting future pulp and paper mills' permit limits. Exceptions to this procedure should be documented and occur only when historic trends, market forces, or company plans indicate that a different level of production will prevail during the life of a permit. |
Closed – Not Implemented
EPA agreed with this recommendation, but there are no indications that they plan to implement this recommendation or take related actions.
|
| Environmental Protection Agency | To promote the consistent application of new-source national standards to mill expansions, the Administrator, EPA, should develop instructions that set out specifically how permitting authorities are to determine if new-source standards should be applied to expansions of existing pulp and paper mills, such as linking new-source determinations to a specific percentage of production increases. |
Closed – Not Implemented
There is no indication that EPA plans to implement this recommendation or take related actions.
|
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