Title 40 · EPA
Copper Forming Point Source Category
40 C.F.R. Part 468 · Updated July 1, 2025
§ 468.01 — Applicability.
(a) The provisions of this part are applicable to discharges resulting from the manufacture of formed copper and copper alloy products. The forming operations covered are hot rolling, cold rolling, drawing, extrusion and forging. This part does not regulate the forming of precious metals. (See 40 CFR part 471). The casting of copper and copper alloys is not covered by this part. (See 40 CFR part 464).
(b) The discharge allowance for drawing spent lubricant of 40 CFR 468.11(c), 468.14(c), and 468.15(c) are applicable only to those plants that actually discharge the drawing spent lubricant waste stream at copper forming sites. No discharge allowance is applicable or allowable where these wastewaters are hauled off-site for disposal or are otherwise not discharged at copper forming sites.
§ 468.02 — Specialized definitions.
In addition to the definitions set forth in 40 CFR part 401 and the chemical analysis methods in 40 CFR part 136, the following definitions apply to this part:
(a) The term “alkaline cleaning bath” shall mean a bath consisting of an alkaline cleaning solution through which a workpiece is processed.
(b) The term “alkaline cleaning rinse” shall mean a rinse following an alkaline cleaning bath through which a workpiece is processed. A rinse consisting of a series of rinse tanks is considered as a single rinse.
(c) The term “ancillary operation” shall mean any operation associated with a primary forming operation. These ancillary operations include surface and heat treatment, hydrotesting, sawing, and surface coating.
(d) The term “annealing with oil” shall mean the use of oil to quench a workpiece as it passes from an annealing furnace.
(e) The term “annealing with water” shall mean the use of a water spray or bath, of which water is the major constituent, to quench a workpiece as it passes from an annealing furnace.
(f) The term “cold rolling” shall mean the process of rolling a workpiece below the recrystallization temperature of the copper or copper alloy.
(g) The term “drawing” shall mean pulling the workpiece through a die or succession of dies to reduce the diameter or alter its shape.
(h) The term “extrusion” shall mean the application of pressure to a copper workpiece, forcing the copper to flow through a die orifice.
(i) The term “extrusion heat treatment” shall mean the spray application of water to a workpiece immediately following extrusions for the purpose of heat treatment.
(j) The term “heat treatment” shall mean the application or removal of heat to a workpiece to change the physical properties of the metal.
(k) The term “pickling bath” shall mean any chemical bath (other than alkaline cleaning) through which a workpiece is processed.
(l) The term “pickling fume scrubber” shall mean the process of using an air pollution control device to remove particulates and fumes from air above a pickling bath by entraining the pollutants in water.
(m) The term “pickling rinse” shall mean a rinse, other than an alkaline cleaning rinse, through which a workpiece is processed. A rinse consisting of a series of rinse tanks is considered as a single rinse.
(n) The term “off-kilogram (off-pound)” shall mean the mass of copper or copper alloy removed from a forming or ancillary operation at the end of a process cycle for transfer to a different machine or process.
(o) The term “rolling” shall mean the reduction in the thickness or diameter of a workpiece by passing it between rollers.
(p) The term “solution heat treatment” shall mean the process introducing a workpiece into a quench bath for the purpose of heat treatment following rolling, drawing or extrusion.
(q) The term “spent lubricant” shall mean water or an oil-water mixture which is used in forming operations to reduce friction, heat and wear and ultimately discharged.
(r) The term “Total Toxic Organics (TTO)” shall mean the sum of the masses or concentrations of each of the following toxic organic compounds which is found at a concentration greater than 0.010 mg/l.
(s) The term “alkaline cleaning rinse for forged parts” shall mean a rinse following an alkaline cleaning bath through which a forged part is processed. A rinse consisting of a series of rinse tanks is considered as a single rinse.
(t) The term “pickling rinse for forged parts” shall mean a rinse, other than an alkaline cleaning rinse, through which forged parts are processed. A rinse consisting of a series of rinse tanks is considered as a single rinse.
(u) The term “tumbling or burnishing” shall mean the process of polishing, deburring, removing sharp corners, and generally smoothing parts for both cosmetic and functional purposes, as well as the process of washing the finished parts and cleaning the abrasion media.
(v) The term “surface coating” shall mean the process of coating a copper workpiece as well as the associated surface finishing and flattening.
(w) The term “miscellaneous waste stream” shall mean the following additional waste streams related to forming copper: hydrotesting, sawing, surface milling, and maintenance.
(x) The term “precious metals” shall mean gold, platinum, palladium and silver and their alloys. Any alloy containing 30 or greater percent by weight of precious metals is considered a precious metal.
(y) The term “beryllium copper alloy” shall mean any copper alloy that is alloyed to contain 0.10 percent or greater beryllium.
§ 468.03 — Monitoring and reporting requirements.
The following special monitoring requirements apply to all facilities controlled by this regulation.
(a) The “monthly average” regulatory values shall be the basis for the monthly average discharge in direct discharge permits and for pretreatment standards. Compliance with the monthly discharge limit is required regardless of the number of samples analyzed and averaged.
(b) As an alternate monitoring procedure for TTO, indirect dischargers may monitor for oil and grease and meet the alternate monitoring standards for oil and grease established for PSES and PSNS. Any indirect discharger meeting the alternate monitoring oil and grease standards shall be considered to meet the TTO standard.
§ 468.04 — Compliance date for PSES.
The compliance date for pretreatment standards for existing sources is August 15, 1986.
§ 468.10 — Applicability; description of the copper forming subcategory.
This subpart applies to discharges of pollutants to waters of the United States, and introduction of pollutants into publicly owned treatment works from the forming of copper and copper alloys except beryllium copper alloys.
§ 468.11 — Effluent limitations representing the degree of effluent reduction attainable by the application of the best practicable control technology currently available (BPT).
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:
(a) Subpart A—Hot Rolling Spent Lubricant BPT Effluent Limitations.
(b) Subpart A—Cold Rolling Spent Lubricant BPT Effluent Limitations.
(c) Subpart A—Drawing Spent Lubricant BPT Effluent Limitations.
(d) Subpart A—Solution Heat Treatment BPT Effluent Limitations.
(e) Subpart A—Extrusion Heat Treatment BPT Effluent Limitations.
(f) Subpart A—Annealing With Water BPT Effluent Limitations.
(g) Subpart A—Annealing With Oil BPT Effluent Limitations.
(h) Subpart A—Alkaline Cleaning Rinse BPT Effluent Limitations.
(i) Subpart A—Alkaline Cleaning Rinse for Forged Parts BPT Effluent Limitations.
(j) Subpart A—Alkaline Cleaning Bath BPT Effluent Limitations.
(k) Subpart A—Pickling Rinse BPT Effluent Limitations.
(l) Subpart A—Pickling Rinse for Forged Parts BPT Effluent Limitations.
(m) Subpart A—Pickling Bath BPT Effluent Limitations.
(n) Subpart A—Pickling Fume Scrubber BPT Effluent Limitations.
(o) Subpart A—Tumbling or Burnishing BPT Effluent Limitations.
(p) Subpart A—Surface Coating BPT Effluent Limitations.
(q) Subpart A—Miscellaneous Waste Streams BPT Effluent Limitations.
§ 468.12 — Effluent limitations 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 must achieve the following effluent reduction attainable by the application of the best available technology economically achievable (BAT):
(a) Subpart A—Hot Rolling Spent Lubricant BAT Effluent Limitations.
(b) Subpart A—Cold Rolling Spent Lubricant BAT Effluent Limitations.
(c) Subpart A—Drawing Spent Lubricant BAT Effluent Limitations.
(d) Subpart A—Solution Heat Treatment BAT Effluent Limitations.
(e) Subpart A—Extrusion Heat Treatment BAT Effluent Limitations.
(f) Subpart A—Annealing with Water BAT Effluent Limitations.
(g) Subpart A—Annealing with Oil BAT Effluent Limitations.
(h) Subpart A—Alkaline Cleaning Rinse BAT Effluent Limitations.
(i) Subpart A—Alkaline Cleaning Rinse for Forged Parts BAT Effluent Limitations.
(j) Subpart A—Alkaline Cleaning Bath BAT Effluent Limitations.
(k) Subpart A—Pickling Rinse BAT Effluent Limitations.
(l) Subpart A—Pickling Rinse for Forged Parts BAT Effluent Limitations.
(m) Subpart A—Pickling Bath BAT Effluent Limitations.
(n) Subpart A—Pickling Fume Scrubber BAT Effluent Limitations.
(o) Subpart A—Tumbling or Burnishing BAT Effluent Limitations.
(p) Subpart A—Surface Coating BAT Effluent Limitations.
(q) Subpart A—Miscellaneous Waste Streams BAT Effluent Limitations.
§ 468.13 — New source performance standards (NSPS).
The following standards of performance establish the quantity or quality of pollutants or pollutant properties, controlled by this section, which may be discharged by a new source subject to the provisions of this subpart:
(a) Subpart A—Hot Rolling Spent Lubricant NSPS.
(b) Subpart A—Cold Rolling Spent Lubricant NSPS.
(c) Subpart A—Drawing Spent Lubricant NSPS.
(d) Subpart A—Solution Heat Treatment NSPS.
(e) Subpart A—Extrusion Heat Treatment NSPS.
(f) Subpart A—Annealing with Water NSPS.
(g) Subpart A—Annealing with Oil NSPS.
(h) Subpart A—Alkaline Cleaning Rinse NSPS.
(i) Subpart A—Alkaline Cleaning Rinse for Forged Parts NSPS.
(j) Subpart A—Alkaline Cleaning Bath NSPS.
(k) Subpart A—Pickling Rinse NSPS.
(l) Subpart A—Pickling Rinse for Forged Parts NSPS.
(m) Subpart A—Pickling Bath NSPS.
(n) Subpart A—Pickling Fume Scrubber NSPS.
(o) Subpart A—Tumbling or Burnishing NSPS.
(p) Subpart A—Surface Coating NSPS.
(q) Subpart A—Miscellaneous Waste Streams NSPS.
§ 468.14 — Pretreatment standards for existing sources (PSES).
Except as provided in 40 CFR 403.7 and 403.13, any existing 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 existing sources:
(a) Subpart A—Hot Rolling Spent Lubricant PSES.
(b) Subpart A—Cold Rolling Spent Lubricant PSES.
(c) Subpart A—Drawing Spent Lubricant PSES.
(d) Subpart A—Solution Heat Treatment PSES.
(e) Subpart A—Extrusion Heat Treatment PSES.
(f) Subpart A—Annealing with Water PSES.
(g) Subpart A—Annealing With Oil PSES.
(h) Subpart A—Alkaline Cleaning Rinse PSES.
(i) Subpart A—Alkaline Cleaning Rinse for Forged Parts PSES.
(j) Subpart A—Alkaline Cleaning Bath PSES.
(k) Subpart A—Pickling Rinse PSES.
(l) Subpart A—Pickling Rinse for Forged Parts PSES.
(m) Subpart A—Pickling Bath PSES.
(n) Subpart A—Pickling Fume Scrubber PSES
(o) Subpart A—Tumbling or Burnishing PSES.
(p) Subpart A—Surface Coating PSES.
(q) Subpart A—Miscellaneous Waste Streams PSES.
§ 468.15 — Pretreatment standards for new sources (PSNS).
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 sources for new sources:
(a) Subpart A—Hot Rolling Spent Lubricant PSNS.
(b) Subpart A—Cold Rolling Spent Lubricant PSNS.
(c) Subpart A—Drawing Spent Lubricant PSNS.
(d) Subpart A—Solution Heat Treatment PSNS.
(e) Subpart A—Extrusion Heat Treatment PSNS.
(f) Subpart A—Annealing with Water PSNS.
(g) Subpart A—Annealing With Oil PSNS.
(h) Subpart A—Alkaline Cleaning Rinse PSNS.
(i) Subpart A—Alkaline Cleaning Rinse for Forged Parts PSNS.
(j) Subpart A—Alkaline Cleaning Bath PSNS.
(k) Subpart A—Pickling Rinse PSNS.
(l) Subpart A—Pickling Rinse for Forged Parts PSNS.
(m) Subpart A—Pickling Bath PSNS.
(n) Subpart A—Pickling Fume Scrubber PSNS.
(o) Subpart A—Tumbling or Burnishing PSNS.
(p) Subpart A—Surface Coating PSNS.
(q) Subpart A—Miscellaneous Waste Streams PSNS.
§ 468.16 — Effluent limitations representing the degree of effluent reduction attainable by the application of the best conventional pollution control technology (BCT). [Reserved]
§ 468.20 — Applicability; description of the beryllium copper forming subcategory.
This subpart applies to discharges of pollutants to waters of the United States, and introduction of pollutants into publicly owned treatment works from the forming of beryllium copper alloys.