EPA Offers Chemical Manufacturers Package Rule Deal
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has issued its first consolidated air pollution regulation. Speaking in Houston at a national meeting of the American Chemistry Council last week, EPA deputy administrator W. Michael McCabe said this rule stems from President Bill Clinton's initiative to streamline environmental regulations without sacrificing environmental protection.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has issued its first consolidated air pollution regulation. Speaking in Houston at a national meeting of the American Chemistry Council last week, EPA deputy administrator W. Michael McCabe said this rule stems from President Bill Clinton's initiative to streamline environmental regulations without sacrificing environmental protection. The final rule combines 16 existing federal air rules applying to synthetic organic chemical manufacturers, reducing monitoring, record keeping and reporting burdens for industry -- without reducing any environmental protection.
The new regulation is voluntary: manufacturers can continue to do what they do now, complying with up to 16 rules separately, or choose to comply with the new rule. Synthetic organic chemical manufacturing entails the production of hundreds of high volume organic chemicals made from certain petrochemical raw materials.
Some of the chemicals produced by this industry are final products; others are used in the production of other chemicals or in synthetic products such as plastics, fibers, pharmaceuticals, synthetic rubber, dyes, and pesticides.
Like the original rules, the consolidated rule continues to require stringent reductions in emissions of volatile organic compounds (VOC) and air toxics. VOCs contribute to the formation of ground level ozone, or smog. Air toxics are pollutants known or suspected to cause cancer or other serious health problems such as birth defects or reproductive effects.
The final rule is available at: http://www.epa.gov/ttn/oarpg/ramain.html.
The new regulation is voluntary: manufacturers can continue to do what they do now, complying with up to 16 rules separately, or choose to comply with the new rule. Synthetic organic chemical manufacturing entails the production of hundreds of high volume organic chemicals made from certain petrochemical raw materials.
Some of the chemicals produced by this industry are final products; others are used in the production of other chemicals or in synthetic products such as plastics, fibers, pharmaceuticals, synthetic rubber, dyes, and pesticides.
Like the original rules, the consolidated rule continues to require stringent reductions in emissions of volatile organic compounds (VOC) and air toxics. VOCs contribute to the formation of ground level ozone, or smog. Air toxics are pollutants known or suspected to cause cancer or other serious health problems such as birth defects or reproductive effects.
The final rule is available at: http://www.epa.gov/ttn/oarpg/ramain.html.
