(a) “Plastics molding and forming” is a manufacturing process in which plastic materials are blended, molded, formed, or otherwise processed into intermediate or final products.

(b) “Process water” is any raw, service, recycled, or reused water that contacts the plastic product or contacts shaping equipment surfaces such as molds and mandrels that are, or have been, in contact with the plastic product.

(c) “Contact cooling and heating water” is process water that contacts the raw materials or plastic product for the purpose of heat transfer during the plastics molding and forming process.

(d) “Cleaning water” is process water used to clean the surface of an intermediate or final plastic product or to clean the surfaces of equipment used in plastics molding and forming that contact an intermediate or final plastic product. It includes water used in both the detergent wash and rinse cycles of a cleaning process.

(e) “Finishing” water is processed water used to remove waste plastic material generated during a finishing process or to lubricate a plastic product during a finishing process. It includes water used to machine or to assemble intermediate or final plastic products.

(f) “Plastic material” is a synthetic organic polymer (i.e., a thermoset polymer, a thermoplastic polymer, or a combination of a natural polymer and a thermoset or thermoplastic polymer) that is solid in its final form and that was shaped by flow. The material can be either a homogeneous polymer or a polymer combined with fillers, plasticizers, pigments, stabilizers, or other additives.

(g) “Crude intermediate plastic material” is plastic material formulated in an on-site polymerization process.

(h) “Mass of pollutant that can be discharged” is the pollutant mass calculated by multiplying the pollutant concentration times the average process water usage flow rate.