Best practicable technology limitations

Table 3.2 presents an industry summary for the nonferrous metals industry indicating the number of subcategories and the number and type of dischargers. Table 3.3 presents best practicable technology (BPT) limitations that have been promulgated and reported in the Federal Register.3-5... 

To minimize subjectivity of safety judgments, information about the required behaviour of the system under construction and the project and its context itself is to be collected. The broad picture should include designers competence, tools efficiency, criteria of acceptance of their work, their responsibilities and dependence, or how data about the past are indicative of future trends and what the risks we are willing to accept in the future, agreements on best practice or limitations of knowledge and technology ... 

EPA. 1992a. Effluent limitations representing degree of effluent reduction attainable by the application of the best practical technology economically available (BAT). 40 CFR 414. 

Limitations based upon application of the best practicable control technology currently available (BPT) apply to existing point-sources and should have been achieved by July 1, 1977. Limitations based upon application of the BATEA (Best Available Technology Economically Achievable) that will result in reasonable further progress toward elimination of discharges had to be achieved by July 1, 1984. 

Some variants of best practicable means are spelled out in the U.S. Clean Air Act of 1977. One is the requirement that best available control technology (BACT) for a specific pollutant be employed on new "major sources" that are to be located in an area that has attained the National Ambient Air Quality Standard (NAAQS) for that pollutant. BACT is also required for pollutants for which there is no NAAQS [e.g., total reduced sulfur (TRS), for which emission limits are specified by a Federal New Source Performance Standard (NSPS)]. BACT must be at least as stringent as NSPS but is determined on a case-by-case basis. 

The EPA has established four different control technologies for the petroleum refining industry best practicable control technology (BPT), best available technology economically achievable (BAT), best conventional pollutant control technology (BCT), and new source performance standards (NSPS). Table 13 shows the BPT and NSPS standards that must be met by the various subcategories (40 CFR Part 419). The limitations for BPT actually incorporate those of both BAT and BCT for this industry. 

Under Section 304 of the CWA, USEPA was required to establish effluent guidelines for a number of different industrial categories by specifying the effluent limits that must be met by dischargers in each category. Two types of standards were required for each industry (a) effluent limitations that require the application of the best practicable control technology (BPT) currently available, and (b) effluent limitations that require application of the best available technology (BAT). 

Share best practices and lessons learned for process optimization and reliability of technologies required and employed by the consent decree to ensure long-term compliance of limits... 

NSPS new source performance standards BPT best practicable control technology currently available BAT best available technology economically achievable BCT best conventional pollutant control technology. Effluent Limitations are not contained in this table. 

Secondary Uranium Subcategory Effluent Limitations Attainable by Best Practicable Control Technology Yes ... 

Effluent Limits Attainable by Applicability of Best Practicable Control Technology (BPT) 4.0 mg/L (1 day) 2.0 mg/L (30 days) ... 

All of these laws are technology based except the Safe Drinking Water Act, which is health based. The technology-based environmental laws set the limits for pollutant discharges on the basis of the best practicable control technology available at the time of enactment of the law. The health-based law sets limit on the concentration of specific chemicals in the water on the potential health hazard for which the water is used. 

What are the important criteria that influence process selection in a business Consider both technological and economic issues. State which of the criteria defined, set limits on what can be achieved by the application of best practice in manufacturing operations. 

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