U.S. EPA Publishes Air Emission Standards for Chemical Preparations Industry

On December 30, 2009, U.S. EPA published in the Federal Register a Final Rule entitled "National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants for Area Sources: Chemical Preparations Industry."

"Chemical preparations" include fluxes, water treatment chemicals, rust preventatives and plating chemicals, concrete additives, gelatin, and drilling fluids.  Generally, the Final Rule applies to "area source facilities that manufacture chemical preparations containing metal compounds of chromium, lead, manganese, or nickel, except for manufacturers of indelible ink, India ink, writing ink, and stamp pad ink."

The Final Rule for existing sources requires "process vent streams from chemical manufacturing processes with equipment that uses, contains or contacts target HAP to either be routed to a control device with a 95 percent PM reduction efficiency or to meet an outlet concentration of 0.03 gr/dscf, with or without control."  Existing sources must comply by December 30, 2010.

For new sources, the Final Rule requires "these process vent streams to either be routed to a control device with a 98 percent PM reduction efficiency or the process vent stream must meet an outlet concentration of 0.03 gr/dscf, with or without control."

The Final Rule also has certain monitoring, initial and continuous management practice, notification, recordkeeping, and reporting requirements.

Stay tuned to the Illinois Environmental Law Blog for more news and developments.