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EPA Issues Final Amendments to Four National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants

Release Date: 05/11/2005
Contact Information:


Contact: John Millett, 202-564-4355 / millett.john@epa.gov

(05/11/05) EPA has issued four direct final amendments to the National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants (NESHAPs) for the following facilities: 1) Iron and Steel Foundries; 2) Pharmaceutical Production Facilities; 3) Asphalt Processing and Asphalt Roofing Manufacturing Facilities; and 4) Miscellaneous Coating Manufacturing Facilities. None of these amendments alters the stringency of the final standards nor has any adverse health, environmental, or economic impacts.
      1) Iron and Steel Foundries: This amendment clarifies the existing work practice standards for scrap certification and scrap inspection/selection plans. Clarification of the standards will reduce compliance uncertainties and improve understanding of the rule requirements.

      2) Pharmaceutical Production Facilities: EPA issued its final air toxics rule for pharmaceutical production in September 1998. That rule required the application of maximum achievable control technology (MACT) for approximately 100 facilities manufacturing pharmaceutical products. The direct final amendments include provisions for planned routine maintenance of wastewater tanks; includes alternative monitoring for condensers and scrubbers; and references general standards for wastewater containers.

      3) Asphalt Processing and Asphalt Roofing Manufacturing Facilities: The final rule for asphalt processing and asphalt roofing manufacturing facilities, issued in April 2003, is based on the maximum level of control that is achievable. The amendments correct minor errors and add an exemption inadvertently omitted in the promulgated rule. The exemption would ensure that emissions from certain processes are not considered "fuel gas" under the petroleum refinery new source performance standard.

      4) Miscellaneous Coating Manufacturing Facilities: This amendment will increase flexibility at miscellaneous coating manufacturing facilities by providing industry with additional options for compliance and by clarifying sections of the August 2003 rule. These amendments also revise the definition of transfer operations to clarify that all product loading operations are part of the miscellaneous coating manufacturing facility and thus, are not subject to EPA's National Emissions Standards for organic liquid distribution.

The files for the direct final rules, parallel proposals and fact sheets for the four technical amendments are posted at: https://www.epa.gov/ttn/oarpg/new.html .