Clean Air Clips

              US EPA Updates
National Emission Standards Hazardous Air Pollutants
November Update
Under the Clean Air Act, EPA is required to regulate emissions
of 188 listed toxic air pollutants. The Act also requires EPA to
identify industrial or source categories that emit one or more of
these pollutants. The Act further requires EPA to develop
emissions standards requiring stringent air pollution reduction
measures for each of the identified source categories. EPA
recently finalized rules to reduce hazardous air emissions for the
following processes:
SURFACE COATING OF MISCELLANEOUS METAL
PARTS AND PRODUCTS
On August 20, 2003, the United States Environmental Protection
Agency (EPA) issued a final rule to reduce toxic air pollutant
emissions from miscellaneous metal parts and products surface
coating operations. Toxic air pollutants, also called air toxics, are
those pollutants known or suspected to cause cancer or other
serious health and environmental effects. Miscellaneous metal
parts and products surface coating operations emit a number of
toxic air pollutants including xylenes, toluene, methyl ethyl
ketone, methyl isobutyl ketone, phenol, ethyl benzene, and glycol
ethers.
The surface coating of miscellaneous metal parts and products is
a process of applying a protective, decorative, or functional
coating to metal parts of items such as railcars, steel drums,
construction equipment, iron and steel pipe, structural steel,
extruded aluminum products, motorcycles, musical instruments.
SURFACE COATING OF PLASTIC
PARTS AND PRODUCTS
On August 29, 2003, the US EPA issued a final rule to reduce
toxic air pollutant emissions from plastic parts and products
surface coating operations. The surface coating of plastic parts
and products is a process of applying a protective, decorative, or
functional coating to a plastic substrate. Coating materials
include, but are not limited to, paints, stains, sealers, topcoats,
basecoats, primers, inks, and adhesives.
MISCELLANEOUS COATING
MANUFACTURING FACILITIES
On August 29, 2003, the US EPA issued a rule to reduce
hazardous air emissions from miscellaneous coating
manufacturing facilities. Facilities producing paints, inks, or
adhesives will most likely be affected by this rule.
Coating materials include, but are not limited to, paints, stains,
sealers, topcoats, basecoats, primers, inks, and adhesives. These
final rules will require existing facilities that are subject to the
rule to limit air toxic emissions.
These facilities will have up to 3 years from the date of
publication of the final rule to comply with its requirements.
FALL 2003
These final rules apply to new and existing facilities that are a
“major source” of air toxics or are part of a facility that is a
“major source” of air toxics. A “major source” emits 10 tons per
year or more of a single toxic air pollutant listed in the Clean Air
Act or 25 tons per year or more of a combination of those
pollutants (For a list of hazardous air pollutants, visit the Web
site at: <www.epa.gov/ttn/atw/pollsour.html>.)
FOR MORE INFORMATION -
To download the standards from US EPA's website on the
Internet, go to “Recent Actions” at the following address:
http://www.epa.gov/ttn/oarpg/ramain.html. For general
information about the standards, contact Ms. Kim Teal of EPA's
Office of Air Quality Planning and Standards, Emission
Standards Division, Coatings and Consumer Products Group, at
(919) 541-5580, or by electronic mail at: teal.kim@epa.gov. Or
visit the surface coating website at:
<www.epa.gov/ttn/atw/mactfnlalph.html> or contact the Small
Business Environmental Assistance Helpline at 800/252-3998 if
in-state; if out-of-state, call 217/785-6192 (TDD:
800/785-6055).
US EPA Brownfields Guidelines - NOW AVAILABLE
The Fiscal Year 2004 Guidelines for the Brownfields Assessment,
Revolving Loan Fund, and Cleanup Grants have been posted to the
brownfields website at <www.epa.gov/brownfields>. The proposal
deadline is December 4, 2003.
These grants may be used to address sites contaminated by petroleum and
hazardous substances, pollutants, or contaminants (including hazardous
substances co-mingled with petroleum). The brownfields assessment
grants (each funded up to $200,000 over two years) provide funding for a
grant recipient to inventory, characterize, assess, and conduct planning
and community involvement related to brownfield sites. The brownfields
revolving loan fund grants (each funded up to $1,000,000 over five years)
provide funding for a grant recipient to capitalize a revolving loan fund and
to provide subgrants to carry out cleanup activities at brownfield sites that
are owned by the subgrant recipient. The brownfields cleanup grants
(each funded up to $200,000 over two years) provide funding for a grant
recipient to carry out cleanup activities at brownfield sites that are owned
by the grant recipient. (See Catalogue of Federal Domestic Assistance
Number: 66.818).
For the brownfields assessment grants, an applicant may request a waiver
of the $200,000 limit and obtain funding up to $350,000 based on the
anticipated level of contamination, size, or ownership status of the site.
The revolving loan fund and cleanup grants require a 20 percent cost
share, which may be in the form of a contribution of money, labor, material,
or services from a non-federal source. If the cost share is in the form of
contribution of labor, material, or other services, it must be incurred for an
eligible and allowable cost under the grant and not for ineligible costs. An
applicant may request a waiver of the 20 percent cost share requirement
based on hardship.