Landfills Effluent Guidelines
The EPA promulgated the Landfills Effluent Guidelines and Standards in 2000. The regulation (40 CFR Part 445) covers discharges of landfill wastewater to surface waters. The regulatory requirements are incorporated into NPDES permits.
On this page:
- New Rulemaking for PFAS
- What is a Landfill?
- Facilities Covered
- Technology Basis of the Regulation
- Rulemaking History
- Additional Information
New Rulemaking for PFAS
As announced in the Effluent Guidelines Program Plan 15 (January 2023), the EPA has completed a detailed study of the Landfills category. Based on the information and data collected through this study, the development of effluent guidelines and pretreatment standards for landfills that discharge their leachate is warranted. The EPA intends to revise the existing Landfills Point Source Category ELGs to address PFAS discharge from these landfills.
What is a Landfill?
A landfill is an area of land or an excavation in which wastes are placed for permanent disposal. RCRA regulations require landfill operators to collect the leachate produced by the landfill. Landfill operators collect the wastewater and discharge it to surface waters or POTWs.
Facilities Covered
Landfills discharging directly to surface waters are subject to the Effluent Guidelines regulation.
The regulation generally does not apply to captive landfills located at industrial facilities (e.g., organic chemical manufacturing plants, pulp and paper mills, or petroleum refineries) since wastewater produced from many of these facilities is already regulated by an effluent guideline or pretreatment standard for that industry.
Technology Basis of the Regulation
For non-hazardous landfills, the wastewater treatment technologies that the EPA used as the basis for the effluent limitations included equalization, activated sludge biological treatment, and multimedia filtration. For hazardous waste landfills, the wastewater treatment technologies included equalization, chemical precipitation, activated sludge biological treatment, and multimedia filtration. Landfill operators may choose the technologies best suited for their sites so long as the wastewater discharged from their facilities meet the effluent limits set by the regulation.
Rulemaking History
2000 Rule
- Final Rule - Federal Register notice (January 19, 2000)
- Development Document for Final Effluent Limitations Guidelines and Standards for the Landfills Point Source Category (pdf) (821-R-99-019; January 2000)
- Environmental Assessment for Final Effluent Limitations Guidelines and Standards for the Landfills Point Source Category (pdf) (821-B-99-006; January 2000)
- Economic Analysis of Final Effluent Limitations Guidelines and Standards for the Landfills Point Source Category (pdf) (821-B-99-005; November 1999)
- Proposed Rule - Federal Register notice (February 6, 1998)
Additional Information
For additional information regarding the Landfills Effluent Guidelines, please contact Meghan Hessenauer (hessenauer.meghan@epa.gov) or 202-566-1040.