&EPA
United States Office of Air Quality
Environmental Protection Planning and Standards
Agency Research Triangle Park, NC 2771 1
EPA/452-F-98-002
September 1998
MET
i
EPA's Strategy for
•Ith Risks in Urban Areas
m
*-
I f
3*Jtl
JNLEADED
-------
Since the Clean Air Act was passed in
1970, much has been done to reduce air
pollution across the country. Much
attention has been given to the unique
problems of our cities and suburbs. But
more needs to be done to solve those
pollution problems. The 1990
Amendments to the Act expanded the role
of the U. S. Environmental Protection
Agency (EPA) in identifying "toxic" urban
air pollutants for regulation. Such toxic air
pollutant emissions in and around our
cities are usually caused by the heavy
concentration of factories, the large
number of vehicles, and other commercial
activities. EPA is currently focusing its
efforts on toxic air pollutants in such areas
and developing an integrated strategy to
effectively target those pollutants that pose
the greatest threat.
What are toxic air
pollutants?
Toxic air pollutants (air toxics) include
heavy metals (like mercury and lead),
chemicals that are either human-made (like
polychlorinated biphenyls [PCB]) or
released as a result of human activities
(like dioxins and benzene), and pesticides
(like chlordane and dichlorodiphenyl
trichloroethane [DDT]). They are known to
cause or are suspected to cause cancer or
other serious human health problems, or
cause adverse environmental and ecological
effects. Under Section 112 of the Act, EPA is
required to address 188 toxic air pollutants.
We are exposed to some of these pollutants
often in the form of gasoline, dry cleaning
agents, cleaning solvents, and paint
strippers. Many of these are used daily in
major industrial production facilities, as
well as smaller ones, or from the publics
everyday activities like driving cars and
trucks.
How are these toxic air
pollutants controlled?
Control of toxic air pollutants differs from
the control of the six widely monitored so-
called "criteria" pollutants, such as ozone
and particulate matter, for which EPA has
established national air quality standards.
For these criteria pollutants, states develop
and implement their own plans to meet
those air quality standards. In contrast, for
toxic air pollutants, the Act provides a two
step approach:
1) Achieve emission reductions
through national standards for major
industrial sources and mobile sources;
and
1993 U.S. Total Air Toxic Pollutant Emissions
Source: EPA, 1998
2) Follow-up with additional
reductions to address remaining
health and environmental risks.
Where do toxic air
pollutants come from?
There are literally thousands of sources
that emit toxic air pollutants. In the U.S.,
air toxic emissions come from mobile
sources (42%), area sources (34%) and
major stationary sources (24%). Mobile
sources include cars, trucks, buses, and
non-road vehicles like ships or farm
equipment. Area sources are smaller
stationary sources like dry cleaners, gas
stations, and small manufacturing
companies. Major stationary sources
include large industrial complexes, like
chemical plants, oil refineries, and steel
mills. Air toxic emissions occur
throughout the United States, but the
highest concentrations of some of the most
toxic air pollutants occur primarily in
urban areas.
What are the health and
environmental risks of air
toxics?
In urban areas, toxic air pollutants are of
special concern because of the
concentration of people close to sources of
emissions. The combination of toxic
emissions from vehicles, industry and
multiple area sources create an unhealthy
mix that varies based on geography,
industry, population, and other factors.
Toxic air pollutants can cause human
health effects ranging from nausea and
difficulty in breathing to cancer. Other
potential health effects can also include
birth defects, serious developmental delays
-------
Major
Sources
19%
Area
Source
44%
Mobile
Sources
37%
155
Remaining
Air Toxic
Pollutants
62%
Distribution of Emissions
of 188 Air Toxic Pollutants
in children, and reduced immunity to
disease in adults and children. Toxic air
pollutants can also fall onto soil or into
lakes and streams where they can weaken
ecological systems and can eventually
affect human health when eaten in
contaminated food, particularly fish
What has EPA done
about air toxics emissions
so far?
As of September 1998, EPA has issued 27
air toxics standards for many of the major
industrial sources, including chemical
List of 33 Priority Air Toxics for the Integrated
Urban Air Toxics Strategy
acetaldehyde
acrolein
acrylonitrile
arsenic compounds
benzene
bis(2-
ethylhexyl)phthalate
1,3-butadiene
cadmium compounds
carbon tetrachloride
chloroform
chromium compounds
coke oven emissions
1 ,4-dichlorobenzene
1 ,3-dichloropropene
2,3,7, 8-tetra-
chlorodibenzo-p-dioxin
(& congeners & TCDF
congeners)
ethylene dibromide
(dibromoethane)
ethylene dichloride
(1,2-dichloroethane)
ethylene oxide
formaldehyde
hydrazine
lead compounds
manganese
compounds
mercury compounds
methyl chloride
methylene diphenyl
diisocynate (MDI)
methylene chloride
(dichloromethane)
nickel compounds
polycyclic organic
matter (POM)
propylene dichloride
(1 ,2-dichloropropane)
guinoline
tetrachloroethylene
(perchloroethylene)
trichloroethylene
vinyl chloride
plants, steel mills, lead smelters, as well as
some categories of smaller sources, like
dry cleaners. When fully implemented,
these standards should reduce air toxic
emissions by almost a million tons per
year. When standards for such sources are
fully implemented, toxic emissions should
drop by another 1 million tons.
Standards to control emissions of
hydrocarbons and particulate matter from
mobile sources are also reducing air toxics,
even with the increases in vehicle miles
traveled each year. For instance, Low
Emission Vehicles (LEV) emit
approximately 99% less Volatile Organic
Compound (VOC) than were emitted by
vehicles before the initiation of emission
controls with the Clean Air Act. As another
example, eliminating leaded gasoline has
resulted in a sharp decline in airborne lead.
In addition, hydrocarbon and particulate
matter from highway diesel engines and
non-road engines such as found in
construction, agricultural, and industrial
equipment have also been controlled, and
tighter controls are envisioned in the
upcoming few years.
What is EPA's new urban
air toxics strategy?
Now EPA is turning its attention to the area
source emissions in and around cities that,
together with major and mobile source
emissions, increase health risks in urban
areas.
The new urban air toxics strategy's
goal is to reduce health risks. As a first
step, under Section 112 of the Act, EPA has
identified 33 of the 188 toxic air pollutants
as the greatest threat to public health in
urban areas (see List) in terms of their
various sources, toxicity, and emissions.
These 33 pollutants are responsible for an
estimated 38% of all emissions of air
toxics.
EPAs new strategy is to target these
pollutants in cities by using a variety of
national and local controls as appropriate.
This integrated approach gives EPA and
the State and local governments the ability
to cooperatively address specific risks and
administer direct and cost efficient
controls. The approach will use authorities
given to EPA under the Clean Air Act and
other statutes to reduce air toxic emissions
from area, mobile and major sources.
EPA will focus on getting better
information through enhanced monitoring;
conducting more research on air toxics;
reducing public health risk; and
implementing specific controls that will be
most beneficial to the greatest number of
people in and around cities.
The urban air toxics strategy identifies
a draft list of 34 categories of area sources
that emit significant amounts of the listed
air toxics and could be subject to future
regulation. It also identifies the need for
further studies of mobile and stationary
sources in urban environments. The
strategy includes both near- and long-term
objectives to achieve emission reductions.
-------
Who will be affected by
the urban air toxics
strategy?
The urban air toxic strategy will cover
most of our major metropolitan areas.
Within these urban areas, various interests
may perceive the actions differently. EPA is
making every effort to address the unique
perspectives of the following groups and
welcomes their input to support an
equitable approach:
Public Health Groups—Public health
concerns are a priority to EPA in this
strategy, especially the impact of air toxics
on susceptible groups, like children. EPA
will identify and address the health risks to
children and seniors.
Environmental Justice Communities—
The cumulative impact of multiple
emission sources on minority populations
and low income populations in urban areas
is of special concern. The urban air toxics
strategy will help identify and plan actions
to decrease emissions that affect these
communities.
Small Business Communities—Because
of the focus on reducing emissions from
area sources in the urban air toxics strategy,
impacts could be felt by the small
businesses. However, EPA strives to ensure
that any regulations do not unfairly impact
small business.
State and Local Governments—
National standards for mobile and major
sources may not adequately address the
risks in urban areas because of the
combined emissions from these and many
different types of smaller sources. For this
reason, state and local agencies will have
an active role in tailoring local approaches
to reducing risks in urban areas and will be
asked to help develop practical programs
that allow them to carry out the strategy.
Environmental Interest Groups—
Environmental groups will be encouraged
to help EPA to ensure that it improves
public health while also providing
flexibility for the business community.
Urban Developers—The urban air
toxics strategy is designed so as not to
unfairly limit the efforts of developers
interested in creating business
opportunities in urban industrial sites or
areas needing revitalization. EPA will work
with these interests to ensure that public
health protection is achieved and economic
development is encouraged.
What is the schedule for
the urban air toxics
strategy?
The draft urban air toxics strategy was
completed on August 31,1998, and is
available for public comment until
November 30,1998. EPA expects to
complete the final strategy in the spring of
1999. It includes a 2-year schedule to
develop and implement mobile source
standards for air toxics, coupled with a 10-
year schedule to develop urban area source
emissions standards and a work plan to
address remaining risks.
What will EPA's urban air
toxics strategy accomplish?
Each year in the U.S. millions of tons of
hazardous air pollutants are released into
the air. By cutting emissions of air toxics
we are reducing significant health and
environmental risks. The urban air toxics
strategy promises great strides in
identifying the most effective ways to
control these pollutants. We expect to
achieve at least 75% reduction from 1990
conditions in the estimated incidence of
cancer due to exposures to air toxics, as
well as reductions in risks of other
diseases.
Where can I get more information on urban air toxics?
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Office of Air Quality Planning and Standards
MD-15
Research Triangle Park, North Carolina 27711
Contact: Laura McKelvey (919) 541-5497
email: mckelvey.laura@epamail.epa.gov
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Office of Mobile Sources
Ann Arbor, Michigan 48105
Contact: Tandi Bagian (734) 214-4901
email: bagian.tandi@epamail.epa.gov
Or visit EPA's Website at www.epa.gov/airlinks
------- |