FACT SHEET
Final Amendments to Air Toxics Standards for Friction Materials Manufacturing Facilities
ACTION
•	On December 20, 2018, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) issued final
amendments to the 2002 National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants
(NESHAP) for Friction Materials Manufacturing Facilities.
•	Friction materials include brake and clutch linings and are used in brake and clutch
assemblies.
•	EPA is finalizing minor amendments to enhance the effectiveness of the rule by improving
compliance and implementation.
•	EPA issued the air toxics standards for Friction Materials Manufacturing Facilities on
October 18, 2002.
•	Following a residual risk and technology review conducted under section 112 of the Clean
Air Act (CAA), with this action EPA is finalizing:
o Amendments to the requirements for periods of startup, shutdown and malfunction
to be consistent with recent court decisions; and
o Amendments to the requirements for reporting deviations.
RESIDUAL RISK ASSESSMENT
•	The CAA requires EPA to assess the risk remaining after application of the final air toxics
emission 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 Friction Materials Manufacturing Facilities
source category are acceptable and provide an ample margin of safety to protect public
health.
•	The maximum individual cancer risk for the source category is estimated to be less than 1-
in-1 million. The population exposed to cancer risks greater than or equal to 1-in-l million,
considering actual and allowable emissions, is zero.
•	The chronic non-cancer respiratory risk for the source category indicates a maximum hazard
index of less than 1.
•	The maximum acute hazard quotient is below 1 for all friction materials manufacturing
facilities, with hexane being the risk driver.
TECHNOLOGY REVIEW
•	The CAA requires EPA to assess, review and revise air toxics standards, as necessary, taking
into account developments in practices, processes and control technologies. The technology
review of the standards for Friction Materials Manufacturing Facilities identified two
technologies that were not previously identified in the original NESHAP. However, both
technologies were found to not be cost effective.
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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 emission levels
that are already being achieved by the best-controlled and lower-emitting sources in an
industry.
•	Within 8 years of setting the MACT standards, the CAA directs 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 the MACT standards, the CAA requires EPA review and
revise the standards, if necessary, to account for improvements in air pollution controls
and/or prevention.
FOR MORE INFORMATION
•	Interested parties can download a copy of the final rule from EPA's website at the following
address: https://www.epa.gov/stationarv-sources-air-pollution/friction-materials-
manufacturing-facilities-national-emission.
•	Today's action and other background information are also available either electronically at
https://www.regulations.gov. the EPA's electronic public docket and comment system, or in
hardcopy at the EPA Docket Center's Public Reading Room. The Docket ID number for this
proposed action is EPA-HQ-OAR-2017-0358.
o The Public Reading Room is located at EPA Headquarters Library, room number
3334 in the EPA WJC West Building, 1301 Constitution Ave., 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.
•	For additional technical information about the final rule, contact Korbin Smith, EPA's Office
of Air Quality Planning and Standards, Sector Policies and Programs Division, Minerals and
Manufacturing Group, at (919) 541-2416 or smith.korbin@epa.gov.

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