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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 432Exit EPA’s website) 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 - Federal Register NoticeExit EPA’s website (September 3, 2025) * (4.94 MB, August 2025, EPA-821-R-25-001)
2024 Proposed Rule
- Proposed Rule - Federal Register NoticeExit EPA’s website (January 23, 2024)
- (3.99 MB, December 2023, EPA-821-R-23-011)
- (3.65 MB, December 11, 2023, EPA-821-R-23-012)
- (2.57 MB, December 13, 2023, EPA-821-R-23-013)
- (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.govExit EPA’s website. The Docket Number is EPA-HQ-OW-2021-0736.
Existing Regulations - Facilities Covered
Direct Dischargers—Existing and New Sources
Related Information * Stormwater fact sheet (Sector U—Food and Kindred Products Facilities)
- 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 noticeExit EPA’s website (September 8, 2004)
- Proposed Rule - Federal Register noticeExit EPA’s website (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.
Effluent Guidelines
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