Transportation Equipment Cleaning Effluent Guidelines

The Transportation Equipment Cleaning (TEC) Effluent Guidelines and Standards (40 CFR Part 442) were promulgated in 2000. The regulations cover the interior cleaning of tank containers on trucks, rail cars, barges and ships. There are about 2,400 facilities performing these cleaning operations and discharging directly to surface waters or indirectly through publicly owned treatment works (POTWs).

The TEC Effluent Guidelines are incorporated into NPDES permits for direct dischargers, and through permits or other control mechanisms for indirect dischargers (see Pretreatment Program).

On this page:

What is Transportation Equipment Cleaning?
Facilities Covered
Wastestreams Covered
Rule History
Additional Resources

What is Transportation Equipment Cleaning?

Transportation Equipment Cleaning is the cleaning of the interiors of:

tank trucks
rail tank cars
intermodal tank containers (containers with over 3,000 liter capacity)
tank barges
closed-top hopper barges, and
ocean/sea tankers used to transport materials or cargos that come into direct contact with the tank or container interior.

Facilities Covered

The TEC regulation applies to facilities organized into four subcategories:

Tank Trucks and Intermodal Tank Containers Transporting Chemical and Petroleum Cargos (Subpart A)
Rail Tank Cars Transporting Chemical and Petroleum Cargos (Subpart B)
Tank Barges and Ocean/Sea Tankers Transporting Chemical and Petroleum Cargos (Subpart C)
Tanks Transporting Food Grade Cargos (direct discharging facilities only) (Subpart D)

These activities are included within the following U.S. SIC groups:

4491, Marine Cargo Handling
4741, Railroad Car Cleaning
7699, Repair Shops and Related Services

The TEC rule excludes:

Facilities that do not clean the interiors of tanks.
Facilities that clean tank interiors solely for the purposes of repair and maintenance; these facilities may be subject to the Metal Products & Machinery (MP&M) Effluent Guidelines (40 CFR Part 438).
Wastewaters associated with tank cleanings operated in conjunction with other industrial, commercial, or POTW operations, provided that the cleaning is limited to tanks that previously contained raw materials, byproducts, or finished products that are associated with the facility’s on-site processes.
Facilities that discharge less than 100,000 gallons per year of TEC process wastewater (only wastewater generated from a regulated TEC subcategory).
Wastewater generated from cleaning the interiors of drums, intermediate bulk containers (portable containers, also called “totes,” with 450 to 3,000 liter capacity), or closed-top hoppers.

Wastestreams Covered

All contact washwaters which have come into direct contact with the tank or container interior including pre-rinse cleaning solutions, chemical cleaning solutions, and final rinse solutions
Wastewater generated from washing vehicle exteriors, equipment and floor washings, and TEC-contaminated wastewater

Rule History

2000 Rule

Correction Notice (February 1, 2005)
Final Rule (August 14, 2000)
- Permit Guidance Document: Transportation Equipment Cleaning Point Source Category (pdf) (267.64 KB, March 2001, 821-R-01-021)
  Guidance for permit and pretreatment control authorities in issuing NPDES and POTW permits and individual control mechanisms to TEC facilities
- Fact Sheet for Final Rule for the Transportation Equipment Cleaning Category (pdf) (89.65 KB, July 2000)
- Final Development Document - Transportation Equipment Cleaning Category (pdf) (1.45 MB, June 2000, 821-R-00-012)
  Describes industry processes, pollutants generated, available control & treatment technologies, the technical basis for the final rule, and costs of the rule
- Economic Analysis for Transportation Equipment Cleaning Category (pdf) (484.06 KB, June 2000, 821-R-00-013)
Notice of Data Availability (July 20, 1999)
Proposed Rule (June 25, 1998)

Additional Resources

For additional information regarding the TEC Effluent Guidelines, please contact Erica Mason (mason.erica@epa.gov) or 202-566-2502.