Meat and Poultry Products Effluent Guidelines

The EPA initially promulgated the Meat and Poultry Products (MPP) Effluent Guidelines and Standards in 1974 and amended the regulation in 2004. The regulation (40 CFR Part 432) covers wastewater directly dischargeddirectly dischargedA point source that discharges pollutants to waters of the United States, such as streams, lakes, or oceans. by slaughterhouses, further processors, independent renderers, and poultry processors. The requirements are incorporated into NPDES permits.

On this page:

• Meat and Poultry Products Effluent Guidelines - Final Action
• Existing Regulations - Facilities Covered
• Rulemaking History
• Additional Information

Meat and Poultry Products Effluent Guidelines - Final Action

On August 28, 2025, EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin signed a final action to withdraw a 2024 proposed rule that would have revised effluent limitations guidelines and established certain new pretreatment standards for the MPP industry. The EPA’s withdrawal reduces future compliance costs for this vital American industry and helps support affordable food prices and cost of living. This final action is supported by public comments and advances the goals of President Trump’s executive actions on defeating the cost-of-living crisis and unleashing prosperity through deregulation.

• Final Action - Prepublication Federal Register Notice (pdf) (337.95 KB, August 28, 2025)

2024 Proposed Rule

• Proposed Rule - Federal Register Notice (January 23, 2024)
• Technical Development Document for Proposed Effluent Limitations Guidelines and Standards for the Meat and Poultry Products Point Source Category (pdf) (3.99 MB, December 2023, EPA-821-R-23-011)
• Environmental Assessment for Revisions to the Effluent Limitations Guidelines and Standards for the Meat and Poultry Products Point Source Category (pdf) (3.65 MB, December 11, 2023, EPA-821-R-23-012)
• Benefit Cost Analysis for Revisions to the Effluent Limitations Guidelines and Standards for the Meat and Poultry Products Point Source Category (pdf) (2.57 MB, December 13, 2023, EPA-821-R-23-013)
• Regulatory Impact Analysis for Revisions to the Effluent Limitations Guidelines and Standards for the Meat and Poultry Products Point Source Category (pdf) (2.15 MB, December 13, 2023, EPA-821-R-23-014)

Documents prepared by the EPA to support the withdrawal of the proposed rule, along with those supporting the proposal, are available at regulations.gov. The Docket Number is EPA-HQ-OW-2021-0736.

Existing Regulations - Facilities Covered

Direct Dischargers—Existing and New Sources

• All meat first processors (slaughterhouses)
• Meat further processors that generate more than 6,000 pounds per day of finished products (examples: bacon or sausage)
• Independent renderers of meat and poultry products that use more than 10 million pounds per year of raw material
• Poultry first processors (slaughterhouses) that slaughter more than 100 million pounds per year
• Poultry further processors that generate more than 7 million pounds per year of finished products (examples: ready-to-cook chicken cutlets or ground turkey)

Direct Dischargers—New Sources

• All poultry first processors
• All poultry further processors

Rulemaking History

2004 Rule

• Final Rule - Federal Register notice (September 8, 2004)
  • Technical Development Document for the Final Effluent Limitations Guidelines and Standards for the Meat and Poultry Products Point Source Category (pdf) (2.93 MB, 2004, 821-R-04-011)
    Describes industry processes, pollutants generated, available control and treatment technologies, the technical basis for the final rule, and costs of the rule (821-R-04-011; 2004)
  • Economic and Environmental Benefits Analysis of the Final Meat and Poultry Products Rule (pdf) (1.25 MB, February 2004, 821-R-04-010)
• Proposed Rule - Federal Register notice (February 25, 2002)

Additional Information

For additional information regarding the Meat and Poultry Products Effluent Guidelines, please contact Steve Whitlock (whitlock.steve@epa.gov) or 202-566-1541.