Regulations last checked for updates: Oct 18, 2024

Title 40 - Protection of Environment last revised: Oct 16, 2024
§ 421.50 - Applicability: Description of the primary electrolytic copper refining subcategory.

The provisions of this subpart apply to process wastewater discharges resulting from the electrolytic refining of primary copper, including, but not limited to, anode casting performed at refineries which are not located on-site with a smelter, product casting, and by-product recovery.

§ 421.51 - 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 apply to this subpart.

(b) The term product means electrolytically refined copper.

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

Except as provided in 40 CFR 125.30 through 125.32, any existing point source subject to this subpart must achieve the following effluent limitations representing the degree of effluent reduction attainable by the application of the best practicable control technology currently available (BPT):

Effluent Limitations

Effluent characteristic Maximum for any 1 day Average of Daily values for 30 consecutive days shall not exceed
(Metric units, kg/kkg of product; English units, pounds per 1,000 lb of product)
Total suspended solids0.1000.050
Copper0.00170.0008
Cadmium0.000060.00003
Lead0.00060.0026
Zinc0.00120.0003
pH ( 1) ( 1)

1 Within the range of 6.0 to 9.0.

§ 421.53 - 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) Subpart E—Casting Contact Cooling.

BAT Effluent Limitations

Pollutant or pollutant property Maximum for any 1 day Maximum for monthly average
mg/kg (pounds per million pounds) of copper cast
Arsenic.692.309
Copper.638.304
Nickel.274.184

(b) Subpart E—Anode and Cathode Rinse.

BAT Effluent Limitations

Pollutant or pollutant property Maximum for any 1 day Maximum for monthly average
mg/kg (pounds per million pounds) of cathode copper production
Arsenic.000.000
Copper.000.000
Nickel.000.000

(c) Subpart E—Spent Electrolyte.

BAT Effluent Limitations

Pollutant or pollutant property Maximum for any 1 day Maximum for monthly average
mg/kg (pounds per million pounds) of copper cathode production
Arsenic.068.031
Copper.063.030
Nickel.027.018

(d) Subpart E—Casting Wet Air Pollution Control.

BAT Effluent Limitations

Pollutant or pollutant property Maximum for any 1 day Maximum for monthly average
mg/kg (pounds per million pounds) of casting production
Arsenic.000.000
Copper.000.000
Nickel.000.000

(e) Subpart E—By-Product Recovery.

BAT Effluent Limitations

Pollutant or pollutant property Maximum for any 1 day Maximum for monthly average
mg/kg (pounds per million pounds) of product recovered from electrolytic slimes processing
Arsenic.000.000
Copper.000.000
Nickel.000.000
[49 FR 8801, Mar. 8, 1984; 49 FR 26739, June 29, 1984, as amended at 49 FR 29795, July 24, 1984]
§ 421.54 - Standards of performance for new sources.

Any new source subject to this subpart shall achieve the following new source performance standards:

(a) Subpart E—Casting Contact Cooling.

NSPS

Pollutant or pollutant property Maximum for any 1 day Maximum for monthly average
mg/kg (pounds per million pounds) of copper cast
Arsenic.692.309
Copper.638.304
Nickel.274.184
Total suspended solids7.4705.976
pH( 1)( 1)

1 Within the range of 7.5 to 10.0 at all times.

(b) Subpart E—Anode and Cathode Rinse.

NSPS

Pollutant or pollutant property Maximum for any 1 day Maximum for monthly average
mg/kg (pounds per million pounds) of cathode copper production
Arsenic.000.000
Copper.000.000
Nickel.000.000
Total suspended solids.000.000
pH( 1)( 1)

1 Within the range of 7.5 to 10.0 at all times.

(c) Subpart E—Spent Electrolyte.

NSPS

Pollutant or pollutant property Maximum for any 1 day Maximum for monthly average
mg/kg (pounds per million pounds) of copper cathode production
Arsenic.068.031
Copper.063.030
Nickel.027.018
Total suspended solids.735.588
pH( 1)( 1)

1 Within the range 7.5 to 10.0 at all times.

(d) Subpart E—Casting Wet Air Pollution Control.

NSPS

Pollutant or pollutant property Maximum for any 1 day Maximum for monthly average
mg/kg (pounds per million pounds) of casting production
Arsenic.000.000
Copper.000.000
Nickel.000.000
Total suspended solids.000.000
pH( 1)( 1)

1 Within the range of 7.5 to 10.0 at all times.

(e) Subpart E—By-Product Recovery.

NSPS

Pollutant or pollutant property Maximum for any 1 day Maximum for monthly average
mg/kg (pounds per million pounds) of product recovered from electrolytic slimes processing
Arsenic.000.000
Copper.000.000
Nickel.000.000
Total suspended solids.000.000
pH( 1)( 1)

1 Within the range of 7.5 to 10.0 at all times.

[49 FR 8801, Mar. 8, 1984, as amended at 49 FR 29795, July 24, 1984]
§ 421.55 - [Reserved]
§ 421.56 - 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 primary electrolytic copper refining process wastewater introduced into a POTW shall not exceed the following values:

(a) Subpart E—Casting Contact Cooling.

PSNS

Pollutant or pollutant property Maximum for any 1 day Maximum for monthly average
mg/kg (pounds per million pounds) of copper cast
Arsenic.692.309
Copper.638.304
Nickel.274.184

(b) Subpart E—Anode and Cathode Rinse.

PSNS

Pollutant or pollutant property Maximum for any 1 day Maximum for monthly average
mg/kg (pounds per million pounds) of cathode copper production
Arsenic.000.000
Copper.000.000
Nickel.000.000

(c) Subpart E—Spent Electrolyte.

PSNS

Pollutant or pollutant property Maximum for any 1 day Maximum for monthly average
mg/kg (pounds per million pounds) of cathode copper production
Arsenic.068.031
Copper.063.030
Nickel.027.018

(d) Subpart E—Casting Wet Air Pollution Control.

PSNS

Pollutant or pollutant property Maximum for any 1 day Maximum for monthly average
mg/kg (pounds per million pounds) of casting production
Arsenic.000.000
Copper.000.000
Nickel.000.000

(e) Subpart E—By-Product Recovery.

PSNS

Pollutant or pollutant property Maximum for any 1 day Maximum for monthly average
mg/kg (pounds per million pounds) of product recovered from electrolytic slimes processing
Arsenic.000.000
Copper.000.000
Nickel.000.000
[49 FR 8801, Mar. 8, 1984, as amended at 49 FR 29795, July 24, 1984]
§ 421.57 - [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 421.54