Minnesota Metal Finishing Pretreatment General Permit Proposed

The Minnesota pollution Control Agency has released its proposed General Permit Authorization for Metal Finishing Pretreatment Discharges. This permit (MNG120000) regulates discharges from facilities subject to the federal Categorical Pretreatment Standards for the Metal Finishing Category (40 CFR pt. 433), and which discharge to Publicly Owned Treatment Works (POTW) which have not been delegated authority to administer the federal pretreatment regulations. This includes most facilities that discharge to their municipal wastewater treatment plant outside of the major metropolitan areas of the State.

Facilities regulated by this general permit perform at least one of the following six metal finishing operations:

• electroplating,


• electroless plating,


• anodizing, coating,


• chemical etching, or


• printed circuit board manufacturing.
  

A facility is covered by the Metal Finishing category if it performs one of the preceding operations. In addition, for facilities that are covered, an additional 40 similar metal finishing operations are also regulated under that permit.

To be eligible for coverage under this general permit, the facility must meet specific applicability criteria and effluent limitations, and must submit an SDS permit application and meet all applicability criteria listed below prior to discharging a POTW.


a. The discharge consists of process wastewater subject to federal categorical pretreatment regulations for the metal finishing point source category (40 CFR pt. 433).
b. A Total Organic Management Plan (TOMP) is due by 45 days following permit issuance.
c. All wastewater to be covered by this permit must be discharged to a Publicly Owned Treatment Works (POTW) not delegated by the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) to administer National Categorical Pretreatment Standards.
d. The facility discharge must be acceptable to the POTW receiving the discharge.


The public comment period for this draft permit begins September 26 , 2011 and ends on October 26 , 2011.

Caltha LLP provides expert environmental consultant services in Minnesota to obtain air and wastewater permits, evaluate regulatory requirements, and to develop cost effective compliance programs, including the preparation of Total Organics Management Plans, Spill Plans and SPCC Plans for metal finishing operations.

For further information, contact Caltha LLP at:
Email: info@calthacompany.com
Phone: (763) 208-6430
Website: http://www.calthacompany.com/
Two Minnesota offices - Minneapolis and Pine River