Proposed Amendments to Air Toxics Standards for Paper and Other Web
Coating: Fact Sheet
ACTION
•	On August 22, 2019, the US. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) proposed
amendments to the 2002 Paper and Other Web Coating National Emission
Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants (NESHAP).
•	The Paper and Other Web Coating NESHAP applies to facilities that produce
the following products: pressure-sensitive tapes and labels; flexible
packaging; photographic film; coated vinyl; wall coverings; sandpaper and
other abrasives; paperboard boxes; vinyl flooring; industrial and decorative
laminates; carbon paper and carbonless paper; circuit boards and business
forms.
•	Following a residual risk and technology review conducted under the Clean
Air Act (CAA), EPA is proposing to:
o Eliminate the startup, shutdown and malfunction exemption;
o Require periodic air emissions performance testing once every 5 years for
facilities using non-recovery add-on controls to demonstrate compliance with
the standards;
o Require facilities to submit electronic copies of compliance reports,
including performance tests;
o Clarify regulatory requirements; and
o Provide more flexibility for monitoring requirements.
•	EPA will accept comment on the proposed amendments for 45 days after
publication in the Federal Register.
RESIDUAL RISK ASSESSMENT
•	The CAA requires EPA to assess the risk remaining after application of the final
air toxics standards. This is known as a residual risk assessment.
•	Based on the completed risk assessment, available health information and
associated uncertainties, EPA determined risks from the Paper and Other Web
Coating source category to be acceptable and provide an ample margin of safety
to protect public health.
•	The maximum individual cancer risk for inhalation is estimated to be 6-in-l
million.
•	The chronic hazard index is below 1 and the acute hazard quotient is 3.
TECHNOLOGY REVIEW
•	The CAA also requires EPA to asses, review and revise the air toxics standards as
necessary, taking into account developments in practices, processes and control
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technologies since the standards were first issued.
•	As a result of the technology assessment for paper and other web coating, EPA
did not identify any technological developments to reduce emissions of air
toxics.
BACKGROUND
•	The CAA requires EPA to regulate toxic air pollutants, also known as air toxics, from
categories of industrial facilities in two phases.
•	The first phase is "technology-based," where EPA develops standards for controlling
the emissions of air toxics from sources in an industry group (or "source category").
These maximum achievable control technology (MACT) standards are based on
emissions levels that are already being achieved by the best-controlled and lower-
emitting sources in an industry.
•	Within 8 years of setting MACT standards, the CAA directs the EPA to assess the
remaining health risks from each source category to determine whether the MACT
standards protect public health with an ample margin of safety and protect against
adverse environmental effects. This second phase is a "risk-based" approach called
residual risk. Here, EPA must determine whether more health-protective standards
are necessary.
•	Also, every 8 years after setting MACT standards, the CAA requires that the EPA
review and revise the standards, if necessary, to account for improvements in air
pollution controls and/or prevention.
HOW TO COMMENT
•	The EPA will accept comment on the proposal for 45 days after publication in the Federal
Register. Comments, identified by Docket ID No. EPA-HQ- OAR-2018-0416, may be
submitted by one of the following methods:
o Go to https://www.regulations.gov/ and follow the online instructions for submitting
comments.
o Send comments by email to: a-and-r-Docket@epa.gov, Attention Docket ID No. EPA-
HQ- OAR-2018-0416.
o Fax your comments to: (202) 566-9744, Attention Docket ID No. EPA-HQ-OAR-2018-
0416.
o Mail your comments to: EPA Docket Center, Environmental Protection Agency, Mail
Code: 28221T, 1200 Pennsylvania Ave., NW, Washington, DC 20460, Attention Docket
ID No. EPA-HQ-OAR-2018-0416.
o Deliver comments in person to: EPA Docket Center, 1301 Constitution Ave., NW,
Room 3334, Washington, DC. Note: In person deliveries (including courier deliveries)
are only accepted during the Docket's normal hours of operation. Special
arrangements should be made for deliveries of boxed information.
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FOR MORE INFORMATION
•	To download a copy of the proposed rule notice, go to EPA's website at
https://www.epa.gov/stationary-sources-air-pollution/paper-and-other-web-coating-
national-emission-standards-hazardous-O.
•	Today's action notice and other background information are also available ether
electronically at https://www.regulations.gov/. EPA's electronic public docket and
comment system, or in hardcopy at the EPA Docket Center's Public Reading Room.
o The Public Reading Room is located at the EPA Headquarters library, room number
3334 in the WJC West Building, 1301 Constitution Avenue, NW, Washington, DC.
Hours of operation are 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., eastern standard time, Monday
through Friday, excluding federal holidays,
o Visitors are required to show photographic identification, pass through a metal
detector and sign the EPA visitor log. All visitor materials will be processed through an
X-ray machine as well. Visitors will be provided a badge that must be visible at all
times.
o Materials for this proposed action can be accessed using Docket ID No. EPA-HQ-OAR-
2018-0416.
•	For further technical information about the rule, contact Dr. Kelley Spence at the
EPA's Office of Air Quality Planning and Standards, at (919) 541-3158 or at
spence.kelley@epa.gov.
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