453N90004 NATICH NEWSLETTER Office of Air Quality Planning and Standards Research Triangle Park, North Carolina 27711 State and Territorial Air Pollution Program Administrators Association of Local Air Pollution Control Officials Produced by the National Air Toxics Information Clearinghouse November 1990 Clean Air Act Update: Enactment! On October 26, 1990, the House of Representatives over- whelmingly approved the Clean Air Act Amendments of 1990. The Senate followed suit on October 27. President Bush then signed the Amendment into law on November 15, 1990. A Special Edition of the Newsletter is planned to familiarize readers with the final provisions of Title III. State/Local Spotlight: Puget Sound Adopts Air Toxics Regulation In a continuing effort to reduce air pollution and protect public health, the Puget Sound Air Pollu- tion Control Agency (PSAPCA) has developed an air toxics regu- lation. Regulation III, adopted August 9, 1990, regulates air toxic emissions from both new and ex- isting sources. New or modified air contami- nant sources cannot obtain ap- proval to construct until Best Available Control Technology (BACT) is applied and a toxic im- pact analysis indicates the source will not cause air pollution. The BACT is determined on a case-by- case basis during PSAPCA's Notice of Construction review pro- cess. The toxic impact analysis compares modeled ambient con- centrations of toxic air contam- inants (TACs) to Acceptable Source Impact Levels (ASILs). The ASILs used in the toxic impact analyses are based on those developed by the Washington Department of Ecology in their proposed regulation to control toxic air contaminants from new sources. Carcinogens for ASILs correspond to a risk of one in one million; ASILs for noncarcinogens are based on the American Con- ference of Governmental Indus- trial Hygienists Threshold Limit Values divided by a safety factor of 300. Existing sources are also evaluated by comparing modeled ambient concentrations of TACS to ASILs. Sources are prioritized for evaluation according to the quanti- ty and toxicity of emissions. If ASILs are exceeded, BACT must be employed. In cases where several facilities are in the same source category, a rule will be developed that specifies control re- quirements for that industry. This provides economic equity to all af- fected sources by requiring all facilities to comply with the re- quirements of the rule on the same schedule. Specific regulations were adopted to control toxic emissions from chromic acid plating and anodizing facilities, vapor de- In This Issue Development of Inhalation Reference Concentrations Proceeds 2 Wisconsin's Authority Upheld in Challenge to Air Toxics Rule 4 Pollution Prevention Programs Receive NEWMOA Assistance 5 Oregon Limits Consumer use of CFCs and Halon 7 Santa Barbara Develops Comphensive Risk Assessment Model 8 Health Effects Summary for Steel Mills Now Available 9 EPA Produces Wood Smoke Public Service Announcements 9 greasers, and dry cleaners. The PSAPCA is developing regulations that are scheduled for release in the spring of 1991, for ethylene oxide sterilizers, auto refinishing, and polyester resin manufacturing. For further information on Regulation III, contact Margaret Corbin at (206) 296-7469. ------- Development of Inhalation Reference Concentrations Proceeds During the last 3 years, EPA has undertaken a major effort to develop a method for derivation of inhalation reference concentrations (RfCs), formerly referred to as in- halation reference doses (RfDs).* The recent change in nomen- clature more clearly distinguishes between the oral and inhalation reference values and more accur- ately reflects that the RfC is ex- pressed as an exposure concentra- tion rather than as a dose. An RfC is an estimate (with uncertainty spanning perhaps an order of magnitude) of the daily exposure to the human population (including sensitive populations) that is likely to be without appreciable risk of deleterious effects during a life- time. The inhalation RfC method differs from the oral method in the use of dosimetric adjust- ments of observed ef- fect levels (e.g., NOAEL and LOAEL) to calculate human equivalent concentra- tions (HECs) and in the increased atten- tion to possible portal-of-entry ef- fects. The dosimetric adjustments differ depending on whether the agent is a particle or a gas and whether the observed effect is in the respiratory tract or extrarespiratory. The HEC values then become the basis for the operational derivation of the in- halation RfC by application of uncertainty factors. The inhalation RfC method- ology has been published as an ex- ternal review draft entitled "In- terim Methods for Development of Inhalation Reference Concentra- tions," EPA/600/8-90/066A. The methodology document was reviewed by the Science Advisory Board (SAB) on October 26, 1990, and is available for public review and comment (55 FR 39321, September 26, 1990). The public comment period ends December 12, 1990. A background document for the Integrated Risk Informa- tion System, IRIS,** that provides the conceptual basis of the metho- dology and discusses the applica- tion of dosimetric adjustments is included as part of the SAB review. The verification process for the RfC involves submitting a pro- posed value and summary sheet (in the format of the IRIS summary) and the supporting documentation to the RfD/RfC Work Group for review. The Work Group is com- prised of scientists from EPA headquarters offices and several EPA Regional Offices and meets monthly to review and consider submitted chemical files. Most RfC files are prepared by the EPA's En- vironmental Criteria and Assess- ment Office, although any parti- cipating office may submit files. Three outcomes are possible following Work Group review. If Work Group members agree on the RfC value and supporting documentation, the RfC is con- sidered "verified." If the Work Group consensus is that the data base for a chemical is currently in- sufficient to support derivation of an RfC, the status of the RfC is "not verifiable" (see inset). Either status represents a final decision by the Work Group and the infor- mation is entered into IRIS. Alter- natively, if consensus is not reached because additional issues must first be addressed, the RfC status is "under review" and the file is returned to the submitting office with specific requests for altera- tions or additional information. As of October 1990, 39 final deci- sions have been made by the Work Group. These include 28 verified RfCs (listed in Table 1) and 11 not verifiable RfCs (see inset). Nineteen of these decisions were made during the period from May 1988 to April 1990, at the same time as work to complete the method- ology was under way. Between April and September 1990, 20 more decisions have been reached. An ad- ditional 28 chemicals are now under review and approxi- mately 80 more RfCs are under de- velopment. The RfCs for 40 chemi- cals were initiated at the request of the Superfund program. The major- ity of the remaining chemicals are listed in the Clean Air Act Amend- ments of 1990 and have been desig- nated as higher priority by the EPA Table 1. Verfied RfCs (as of October 1, 1990) Acetaldehyde Ethylene glycol monobutyl Acrolein ether Acrylic acid Hexane, n- Aniline Hydrogen chloride Bromomethane Hydrogen sulfide Carbon disulfide Manganese Chlorine dioxide Mercury (inorganic) Chromium Nitrobenzene Cumene Propylene glycol monomethyl Dichlorobenzene, p- ether Dichloromethane Propylene oxide Dichloropropene, 1,3- Tetrahydrofuran Dimethylamine Toluene Dimethylformamide Vinyl acetate Epichlorohydrin Xylenes 2 ------- (continued) Office of Air Quality Planning and Standards. In addition, several RfCs are being developed in response to requests from EPA Regional Offices or State agencies. The results of final decisions made by the Work Group are then prepared for loading on the IRIS. Changes in the chemical summary sheet requested by the Work Group are incorporated and the summary sheet is written in stan- dard IRIS format. Significant changes were required in the con- version factor section of the sum- mary sheets in order to accom- modate the new procedures used in the inhalation RfC development in a form compatible with E-Mail, and these format changes ac- counted for much of the delay in loading RfCs onto IRIS. The first RfC summary sheets were loaded in August 1990, and currently eight inhalation RfCs are available to the public through IRIS. Efforts to eliminate the backlog of verified RfCs are progressing. The IRIS document for verified RfCs in- cludes a description of the prin- cipal study, the critical effect, study concentrations at which the effect occurred, the HEC calcula- tion, and uncertainty factors used to derive the RfC, as well as descriptions of the supporting studies and a discussion of the con- fidence in the RfC. For chemicals that were determined to be not verifiable, the IRIS document con- tains a brief statement indicating that the data were reviewed and found to be inadequate to support derivation of an RfC, with contact names and telephone numbers. In the continuing effort to im- prove risk assessment methodolo- gies used by EPA, research focus- ing on decreasing the uncertainties in extrapolation between species, durations, or effect levels, and on improving the dosimetric adjust- ments for calculation of the HEC is now being conducted within EPA." For more information on the SAB review of the RfC methodol- ogy document, contact Annie Jarabek at (919) 541-4847 or (FTS) 629-4847. For questions about RfC derivation, contact Dan Guth at (919) 541-4930 or (FTS) 629-4930. *See related artcile in July 1988 Newsletter. * *See related articles in the Newsletter issues: March 1987, July 1988, and May 1989. Why an RfC Receives A "Not Verifiable" Status The Work Group considers the minimum basis for the derivation of an RfC to be a well-conducted subchronic inhalation study that ex- amines portal-of-entry effects. This decision rule is applied with some flexibility. In the absence of adequate inhalation studies, data from other routes may be used, provided that portal-of-entry effects can be ruled out and dosimetry can be established for the routes of concern. The portal-of-entry effects are particularly important because of the many known cases in which respiratory effects by inhalation exposure are much more serious than effects resulting from an equivalent oral dose. For example, route-to-route extrapolation was considered for acrylamide because there are no chronic or subchronic inhalation studies. Route-to-route extrapolation was not used because of short- term studies showing possible respiratory effects. When portal-of-entry effects can be ruled out, the available literature is reviewed for pharmacokinetic, absorption, and excretion data for the exposure routes of interest to be used in estimating equivalent doses. To date, route-to-route extrapolation has not been used to derive an inhalation RfC because adequate data have not been available to rule out portal-of-entry effects and to establish dosimetry via the route of interest. The 11 chemicals for which the RfC status is Not Verifiable as of October 1,1990, are as follows: Acetophenone Malathion Acrylamide Mercuric chloride Biphenyl Phenol Di-n-butyl phthalate Phosgene Dimethylphthalate Quinone Hydroquinone For most of these, no subchronic inhalation study is available. For ex- ample, for biphenyl and dimethylphthalate, the single subchronic in- halation studies available had experimental design problems and poor reporting of results. For dibutylphthalate, the available inhalation studies were of acceptable duration, but poorly reported and did not adequately evaluate respiratory system or target organ effects. Respiratory effects of phosgene have been extensively studied, but on- ly acute exposures, not subchronic effects, have been examined. The Agency is now exploring the use of EPA authority to obtain the addi- tional testing that is needed in order to allow derivation of a verified RfC. 3 ------- Wisconsin's Authority Upheld in Challenge to Air Toxics Rule by Vicki Rudell, Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, Air Toxics Unit Prior to promulgation in Oc- tober 1988, the Wisconsin Depart- ment of Natural Resources' (WDNR) new rule for control of Hazardous Pollutants, NR 445 (see inset), met with industry resis- tance. Several associations in- cluding the Wisconsin Hospital Association, Wisconsin Manufac- turers and Commerce, Printing In- dustries of Wisconsin, Wisconsin Paper Council, United Foundry- men of Wisconsin, Wisconsin Wood Products Manufacturers, and the American Petroleum In- stitute filed suit against the rule in Dane County Circuit Court. The suit involved three basic claims: the WDNR had exceeded its statutory authority in adopting the rule; hospitals did not receive equal protection under the rule; and the WDNR had inadequate evidence to support the need for the rule. The last of these claims, a substantive due process claim, was dismissed "without prejudice" by the Circuit Court at the request of the plaintiffs. One issue under the plaintiff's claim of exceeding statutory authority related to the apparent lack of data from WDNR to demonstrate adverse health effects for each chemical. Another issue under that claim was an interest of the Wisconsin Petroleum Institute and related to the regulation of benzene in NR 445. The Petro- leum Institute maintained the The court found "absurd" the plantiff's claim that the WDNR should have made a separate finding on each of the 405 regulated substances. WDNR exceeded its statutory authority when it included benzene in NR 445 because that compound is regulated under the National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants (NESHAP) established by the Federal Clean Air Act. The claim of hospitals not receiving equal protection was based on the requirement that in- cinerators meet LAER standards. The rule requires LAER controls without allowing incinerators to demonstrate that their emissions do not exceed de minimis stan- dards (as other facilities are al- lowed to do under the rule) and, therefore, unfairly, the hospitals claimed, regulates incinerators. The Circuit Court found that the WDNR did have statutory authority to enact the rule. The Court also found that the rule's requirements for municipal and infectious waste incinerators did not violate the equal protection clauses of the Federal and State constitutions. The plaintiffs filed an appeal with the Wisconsin Court of Ap- peals. On May 17, 1990, the Court of Appeals released its decision on the litigation challenging the WDNR's Hazardous Air Pollution Rule. The Court of Appeals af- firmed that the WDNR had acted within its authority and in com- pliance with statutory procedures when it promulgated the air toxics Wisconsin's Air Toxics Rule Highlighted In October 1988, Wisconsin promulgated NR 445, Wisconsin Ad- ministrative Code, regulating hazardous air pollutants from stationary sources. The rule regulates 405 compounds that appear on four lists. Three are lists of noncancer-causing compounds that are regulated as acute toxins. The fourth category is a list of the known and suspected human carcinogens. The rule establishes facility de minimis emission levels for each compound. If a facility emits less than the de minimis level established in the rule, the compound is not regulated. For the acute toxins, the rule establishes 24-hour acceptable am- bient air concentrations at the property boundary as 2.4 percent of the American Conference of Governmental and Industrial Hygienists (ACGIH) recommended Threshold Limit Values for each toxic. Short- term (1-hour) ambient air concentrations are also specified as one tenth of one percent of the ACGIH ceiling value. Facilities demon- strate compliance with these acceptable ambient air standards using computer models to predict the impact of toxic air emissions from their facilities. For the carcinogens, the rule establishes technology-based emis- sion standards. For known human carcinogens, the standard is established as the Lowest Achievable Emission Rate (LAER) and for suspected human carcinogens the standard is Best Available Control Technology (BACT). Municipal and medical waste incinerators are re- quired by rule to limit emissions to LAER. For existing sources, the rule requires notifying the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (WDNR) if the facility has potential emissions of any of the 405 compounds that exceed the de minimis level specified in the rule. These facilities must also submit com- pliance plans that WDNR reviews. Once approved, the facility must demonstrate compliance with the plan. New sources are required to comply with the rule upon start-up. 4 ------- Wisconsin (continued) rule. In fact, the Court found that the statutes expressly authorized the WDNR to enact the rule and that the statute was unambiguous. On the issue of benzene, the Court of Appeals ruled the depart- ment did not exceed its authority because NR 445 regulates dif- ferent sources of benzene than the Clean Air Act. In addition, the court found "absurd" the plaintiff's claim that the WDNR should have made a separate finding on each of the 405 regulated substances. The court said the "only reasonable reading" of the statute is that the Natural Resources Board's single finding of need for the rule con- stitutes a finding that emission standards were needed for each substance. The plaintiffs' remain- ing option at this point was to peti- tion the Wisconsin Supreme Court to review the case. The plaintiffs had 30 days to file a petition, which they did not do. On the equal protection claim, the Court of Appeals agreed with the hospital group that the WDNR had created a separate classifica- tion for municipal and infectious waste incinerators, but could not decide whether there was a factual basis in the record before the Court for doing so. Thus, the Court sent the question back to the Circuit Court for full trial. The Court of Appeals noted that the only plaintiffs remaining for this action are the Wisconsin Hospital Association and the Shawano Com- munity Hospital. These two plain- tiffs may pursue this action in a Circuit Court trial; however, no trial court hearing has been scheduled nor is one expected in the near future. Although the plaintiffs may pursue the due process and the equal protection claims in the Cir- cuit Court, the implementation of the regulation continues. For additional information on NR 445, contact Vicki Rudell, 101 South Webster Street, Post Office Box 7921, Madison, Wisconsin 53703 or call (608) 267-0571. *Portions of this article were taken from the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources "Hazardous Air Pollution Court Decision Fact Sheet." Pollution Prevention Programs Receive NEWMOA Assistance by Terri Goldberg, Pollution Prevention Program Manager Northeast Waste Management Officials' Association During the past few years, all of the States in the Northeast have initiated multimedia pollution prevention regulatory and /or technical assistance programs. Figure 1 shows the distribution. These programs grew out of con- cern about the cross-media pro- blems associated with traditional pollution control measures com- bined with the belief that source reduction is the preferred method for achieving environmental goals. To assist States in the North- east with their pollution prevention technical assistance and toxics use reduction programs, the Northeast Waste Management Officials' Association (NEWMOA) initiated the Northeast Multi-Media Pollu- tion Prevention (NEMPP) Project in 1989. The NEWMOA is a non- profit interstate governmental organization that provides tech- nical assistance, a policy discussion forum, training, and research for State solid and hazardous waste management officials. The NEWMOA is similar in its struc- ture and activities to NESCAUM and was established in 1986 by the directors of State solid and hazar- dous waste programs in New England. During the past year, New Jersey and New York have joined NEWMOA. The organization is supported by State and EPA funding. Figure 1. Multimedia Pollution Prevention Program Activity in the Northeast KEY Technical Assistance: | [ On-Site: RI, MA, NY, NJ Grants to small businesses: RI, CT Legal Requirements: HU Develop pollution prevention plan: MA, ME, NY', VT* Develop pollution prevention permits program: MA *For hazardous waste generators only. Note: Tbxics use legis- lation is pending in NJ. 5 ------- Pollution (continued) How is Pollution Prevention Defined? Within EPA and the States, the definition of pollution prevention is controversial. The groups involved in developing pollution preven- tion programs primarily disagree over the types of recycling that should be included in the definition of pollution prevention. Several State programs equate pollution prevention to toxics use reduction. For example, in Massachusetts, toxics use reduction is defined to include: • replacing a hazardous substance with a nontoxic or less toxic substance; • substituting a nontoxic or less toxic end product for an existing pro- duct that is toxic upon use, release, or disposal; • redesigning or modifying a production unit, including modernization; • improving the operation and maintenance of production equipment, including better housekeeping practices, adjusting processes, in- specting products and processes more frequently, and using pro- duction control equipment or methods; and • recycling, reusing, or extending the use of toxics by using equip- ment and methods that become integral to the production unit. The EPA headquarters is preparing a policy statement on pollu- tion prevention that will include the Agency's definition. This state- ment is scheduled to be released within the next few months. The draft statement is currently under internal review. The Regional Of- fices, including Region I, have been critical of the draft definition primarily because it excludes recycling. Region I had released an in- terim pollution prevention definition last summer that explicitly in- cludes environmentally friendly recycling. This debate may be concluded by Congress's passage of the pollu- tion prevention bill proposed by Rep. Howard Wolpe (D-MI) in the House (H.R. 1457) and Senator Frank Lautenberg (D-NJ) in the Senate (S. 585). The legislation, which is nonregulatory in scope, would: • impose comprehensive reporting requirements on industry for their hazardous waste generation, • establish a research program, and • provide funds for a matching grants program to support State technical assistance efforts to industry. The legislation is currently awaiting President Bush's signature. The NEMPP project currently has three components: • establishing a pollution preven- tion clearinghouse that will in- clude technical documents, case studies, listings of upcoming meetings and conferences, and a list of pollution prevention experts; • conducting training sessions for State officials and industry representatives on toxics use reduction and recycling policies, strategies, and technologies; and • researching reduction strategies for major toxic metals in in- cinerator emissions and ash. The clearinghouse is available to both the public and the private sectors. The NEMPP project recently initiated several training programs. It is co-sponsoring a pollution prevention workshop in November for State inspectors with the Center for Environmental Manage- ment at Tufts University and the Massachusetts Office of Technical Assistance. The workshop is designed to introduce State environmental inspectors for air, water, and waste management to pollution prevention concepts and how they can be applied in their regulatory activities. Another sponsored training program is a 1-day technical forum on metal finishing firms in the Northeast. The NEMPP plans to present similar sessions for other prevalent industry groups. The NEMPP is also organiz- ing a pollution prevention con- ference on pulp and paper manu- facturing facilities in the Northeast which is tentatively scheduled for early 1991. The purpose will be to create a dialogue on opportunities in this industry in the Northeast. A broad range of groups will be in- volved including industry represen- tatives, State and Federal officials from environment and labor departments, and environmental groups. In addition to these training and outreach efforts, NEMPP is sponsoring research on options for reducing the toxic metals in household batteries. The most re- cent topic is household batteries that are a significant source of mercury and cadmium in munici- pal solid waste. The NEMPP has been investigating options for recycling and reducing the use of these metals in the batteries as an alternative to incineration and a means of reducing potential en- vironmental impacts. For more information on NEMPP's programs, opportunities for involvement, and State pollu- tion prevention activities, call Terri Goldberg at (617) 367-8558, or write to NEWMOA, 85 Merrimac Street, Boston, Massachusetts 02114. 6 ------- Oregon Limits Consumer Use of CFCs and Halons by Gregg Lande, Oregon Department of Environmental Quality The 1989 Oregon Legislative Assembly declared it the policy of the State to reduce the use of chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) and halons to promote recycling and to encourage substitution with less dangerous substances. As a result, ORS 468.12-21 expanded upon Oregon's earlier aerosol spray pro- hibition (ORS 468.600-10, 1977) by addressing the problem of stratospheric ozone depletion in two new ways. First, it further reduces the use of CFCs and halons by the general public. In order to en- courage the substitution of alter- native chemicals, the statute pro- hibits after July 1, 1990, wholesale selling, and after January 1, 1991, retail selling of certain products containing CFCs and halons. This includes: packaging foam blown with CFCs, "do-it-yourself" size containers of automobile air condi- tioner coolant, small halon fire ex- tinguishers for residential use, and CFC-containing coolants and cleaners used in noncommercial or nonmedical applications. Second, it focuses control on emissions of CFC-12 from auto- mobile air conditioners, which ac- count for about 16 percent of the A DEQ survey indicated that shops specializing in auto air conditioners who service over 100 autos per year can pay for the equipment in less then 2 years. total CFC released. These emis- sions can be reduced considerably when the coolant is recovered and recycled during servicing, repair, and disposal. The statute required the Oregon Environmental Quality Commission to determine when equipment for the recovery and recycling of automobile air condi- tioner coolant (principally CFC-12) becomes "affordable and avail- able," and to set standards for the equipment and its operation. Information gathered by Depart- ment of Environmental Quality (DEQ) staff and refined during public hearings indicated that at least seven different manufacturers were producing recovery and recycling equipment meeting Underwriter's Laboratory stan- dards. The purchase price of this equipment ranges from about $2400 to $7000, but savings in CFC purchases provide a mechanism for many shops to recover this capital outlay expense. A DEQ survey indicated that shops specializing in auto air con- ditioners who service over 100 per year can pay for the equipment in less than 2 years. Moderate size repair shops and those associated with dealerships will take longer to recover their costs. Rural service stations and small shops will have to either raise their prices or discontinue this type of work. Administrative rules to imple- ment this law were proposed by the DEQ based on an agreement Oregon CFC Ban Keeps Step with Clean Air Act Amendments According to the Montreal Protocol as revised in June 1990, CFCs and halons must be completely phased out by the year 2000. In addition to the phase-out, the Clean Air Act Amendments of 1990 require interim reductions and other related changes to the existing protocol, including the elimination of methyl chloroform and carbon tetrachloride. All of these chemicals are Class I substances. The Mon- treal Protocol also specifies phase-out dates for hydrochlorofluorocarbons (HCPCs), which are Class II substances. To reduce the use of CFCs to the 'lowest achievable level," EPA must promulgate regulations by January 1,1992, that require the maximum cap- ture and reuse of CFCs when servicing air condition- ing and refrigeration equipment, including motor vehicle air conditioners. Deliberate release of either Class I or II substances will be illegal after July 1, 1992. Oregon's rule on auto air conditioners takes ef- fect nearly a full year ahead of Federal rules. The Oregon law requires CFC recycling after August 10, 1991, with small shops having until August 10, 1992, to comply. Nonessential consumer products such as party streamers, photographic cleaners, and noise horns containing Class I substances will be banned within 2 months of enactment. Specified aerosol and non- insulating foam products containing or manufactured with Class II substances must be banned after Jan- uary 1994. Oregon's ban on these substances takes effect January 1991, 3 years ahead of Federal rules. Warning labels are required on all containers of Class I and Class II substances, and on all products containing them if safe substitutes are available. All such products must be labeled by 2015. The EPA must also issue rules that make it unlawful to replace a Class I or II substance with any compound that may present an adverse effect on human health or the environment, if safe substitutes are available. Wholesale selling of certain halon- and CFC* containing products is prohibited after July 1,1990, and retail selling, after January 1,1991. 7 ------- Oregon (continued) reached by the Automobile Manu- facturer's Association, the Federal EPA, the Society of Automotive Engineers, and the Mobile Air Conditioning Society. This group established recycled coolant purity standards and gave the task of testing and certifying recycling machines to Underwriter's Laboratory. At its August 1990 meeting, the Commission decided that equipment was indeed available and affordable and adopted rules for Control of Ozone Depleting Chemicals (OAR 340-22-405 through 415). After August 10, 1991, businesses are prohibited from installing, servic- ing, repairing, disposing of, or otherwise treating automobile air conditioners without recovering and recycling the CFC coolant. Small repair shops are given an ad- ditional year to comply. For further information, con- tact Gregg Lande, Oregon Depart- ment of Environmental Quality, at (503) 229-5753. Santa Barbara Develops Comprehensive Risk Assessment Model by Robert Sears, Santa Barbara County Air Pollution Control District The California Air Toxics "Hot Spots" Information and Assess- ment Act of 1987 (AB 2588) established a statewide program to identify air toxics sources that are causing significant health risks* AB 2588 requires each Air District to develop risk prioritization pro- cedures to identify facilities that must prepare a risk assessment of their air toxics emissions. Apply- ing these procedures to facility- specific annual and peak 1-hour emission rates of approximately 150 listed substances, the Air Districts will rank the facilities according to potential health risk. High priority facilities (and any other facilities designated by an Air District) will then submit a risk assessment to quantify the carcinogenic and noncarcinogenic health risks. Recently, the Santa Barbara County Air Pollution Control District (SBAPCD) developed a comprehensive model to imple- ment the risk assessment re- quirements of AB 2588. The SBAPCD will use it to determine which facilities have air toxics emissions that are causing signifi- cant health risks. This model, ACE2588 (Assessment of Chemical Exposure for AB 2588), complements the California Air Pollution Control Officers Associa- tion (CAPCOA) Risk Assessment Guidelines by providing a publicly available model that can perform the complicated risk assessments required by many air toxics sources. The goals in developing ACE2588 were to (1) expedite the preparation of risk assessments; (2) expedite the review process; (3) allow a consistent comparison among facilities; (4) alleviate the need to verify different risk assess- ment models used by different facilities; and (5) minimize the need to revise and resubmit risk assessments. ACE2588 accommodates multisource, multipollutant, multipathway scenarios to quantify individual excess cancer risks, population excess cancer burden, and acute and chronic noncar- cinogenic exposures, including the calculation of hazard indices. Acute hazard indices are calculated for the respiratory system; chronic hazard indices are calculated for the cardiovascular, central nervous system, immune system, kidney, liver, reproductive, and respiratory system endpoints. In addition, the model compares calculated risks to regulatory agency-specified health risk management levels to provide information on acceptability of the risks from the facility(ies) being analyzed. All risks and risk management levels are presented on a one-page summary table. In addition to the summary table, the ACE2588 generates: Project-specific data and support- ing information: • Toxicity data for all modeled pollutants • Input emission rates for all pollutants from each source • Input receptor data, including population • Multipathway data used by the model Exposure information for each receptor (from all sources combined): • Peak 1-hour and annual-average concentrations for each pollu- tant (mg/m3) • Cancer risk and excess burden by pathway • Total acute and chronic hazard indices Exposure information for the peak receptor: • Cancer risk by pathway from each source separately • Cancer risk and dose by pathway for each pollutant from all sources combined • Acute and chronic hazard in- dices for each pollutant from all sources combined • Acute and chronic hazard in- dices for each pollutant from each source separately. Culpability analyses can also be performed to analyze risks from any source or combination of 8 ------- Santa Barbara (continued) sources at selected receptor(s). This is useful in determining the effectiveness of mitigation measures in reducing risks from a facility. The model requires project- specific data on control options, emissions, and the receptor, in- cluding population. Ambient air concentrations from each source calculated using EPA air quality models such as ISCST, MPTER, OCD, and COMPLEX-1 are direct- ly read by ACE2588, thus elimi- nating data entry and reducing chances for error. The remaining data required are supplied by two SBAPCD files. These files contain default pollutant-specific toxicity Health Effects Summary for Steel Mills Now Available The Air Risk Information Sup- port Center (Air RISC) has recently completed a document entitled "Health Hazard Assessment Sum- mary: Steel Mill Emissions." The document, dated September 29, 1990, briefly summarizes the data and pathway-specific data pro- vided in the CAPCOA Risk Assessment Guidelines. Multipathway exposure is calculated using algorithms developed by the California Air Resources Board and Department of Health Services. Doses and risk are calculated for inhalation, der- mal, soil ingestion, water inges- tion, fish ingestion, plant ingestion, animal ingestion, and mother's milk pathways for specified pollutants. For AB 2588, multipathway pollutants include: arsenic and inorganic arsenic com- pounds, beryllium, cadmium and cadmium compounds, hexavalent chromium, chlorinated dioxins and health effects of selected metals, VOCs, and complex mixtures. It is available to Regional, State, and local air pollution control programs through the Air RISC hotline at (919) 541-0888 or (FTS) 629-0888, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. EST. furans, lead and lead compounds, mercury and mercury compounds, nitrosamines, and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons. Exposure to all other pollutants is considered to occur only through inhalation. Although ACE2588 was designed for the AB 2588 pro- gram, it has the potential to be used for other regulatory programs requiring risk assessments. For additional information, contact Robert Sears, Santa Bar- bara County APCD, 26 Castilian Drive, B-23, Goleta, California 93117, or call (805) 961-8915. *See related articles in the July 1988 and March 1990 NATICH Newsletters. EPA Produces Wood Smoke Public Service Announcements The Office of Air Quality Plan- ning and Standards (OAQPS) at EPA has produced six public ser- vice announcements on woodstoves and fireplaces. The announce- ments cover two themes: the health effects of wood smoke and the importance of properly operat- ing and maintaining woodstoves. The PMio contact at EPA Regional Offices will be distri- buting the public service an- nouncements to State and local agencies. The State and local agen- cies can then approach television station managers in areas where wood smoke is a health hazard about carrying the announcements to improve the public awareness. State and local agencies interested in having the public service an- nouncement shown in their com- munity should call their PMio con- tact at their EPA Regional Office. Helpful Numbers Air Risk Information Support Center (Air RISC Hotline) (919) 541-0888 (FTS) 629-0888 Control Tfechnology Center (Hotline). (919) 541-0800 (FTS) 629-0800 NATICH Clearinghouse Staff (919) 541-0850 (FTS) 629-0850 SARA Title III 1-800-535-0202 9 ------- The NATICH Newsletter is published six times a year by the National Air Toxics Information Clearinghouse. The Newsletter is prepared by Radian Corporation under EPA Contract Number 68-D8-0065, Work Assign- ment 3-1. The EPA Project Officer is Martha Keating, EPA Office of Air Quality Planning and Standards, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina 27711, Telephone: (919)541-5346. The Radian Project Director is Susan Buchanan, P. 0. Box 13000, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina 27709, (919)541-9100. The Newsletter is distributed free of charge. To report address changes, write Meredith Haley, Radian Cor- poration, P. O. Box 13000, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina 27709. The views expressed in the NATICH Newsletter do not necessarily reflect the views and policies of the Environmental Protection Agency. Mention of trade names or commercial products does not constitute any endorsement or recommendation for use by EPA. Printed on recycled paper. Martha Keating Pollutant Assessment Branch U.S. Environmental Protection Agency MD-13 Research Triangle Park, NC 27711 FIRST CLASS MAIL U.S. Postage Paid E.P.A. Permit No. G-35 I I i i br v n-H.. Recu on Woodbridoe *venue Kit WkW'-' ' f. J i <*oi' - lld lilmiiililtiluilltliiiltlitll ------- |