May 15, 1996
FACT SHEET
FINAL AIR TOXICS REGULATION FOR THE
PRINTING AND PUBLISHING INDUSTRY
TODAY'S ACTION...
~	The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is issuing a
final regulation to reduce emissions of air toxics from
the printing and publishing industry. Air toxics are
those pollutants known or suspected of causing cancer or
other serious health effects.
~	EPA's final regulation covers two distinct segments of
this industry. Publication rotogravure printers produce
saleable paper products such as catalogues, magazines,
newspaper inserts, and telephone directories. Package-
product rotogravure and wide-web flexographic facilities
print on paper, plastic film, metal foil, and vinyl for
use in products such as flexible packaging, labels, gift
wrap, floor coverings, and decorative laminates. Air
toxics are released from the ink systems used by these
types of printers.
~	Today's action demonstrates EPA's commitment to making
pollution prevention an integral part of regulatory
actions whenever possible. EPA's final regulation may be
met through substitution of non-toxic materials for air
toxics, capture and control of air toxics emissions, or a
combination of these approaches.
WHAT ARE THE HEALTH AND ENVIRONMENTAL BENEFITS?
~	EPA's final regulation will reduce emissions of a number
of air toxics from the printing industry, including
toluene, xylene, methanol, and hexane. Exposure to these
and other air toxics associated with rotogravure and
flexographic printing can cause adverse health effects,
including eye, nose, throat, and skin irritation; damage
to the heart, liver, kidneys, and blood cells.
~	Air toxics emissions will be reduced from publication
rotogravure printers by about 5,200 tons annually,
representing a 30 percent reduction from current levels.
Air toxics emissions will be reduced from package-product
rotogravure and wide-web flexographic printers by about
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2,100 tons annually, representing a 40 percent reduction
from current levels.
HOW IS THE FINAL REGULATION RELATED TO EPA'S "COMMON SENSE"
INITIATIVE?
~	EPA's "Common Sense" Initiative involves a comprehensive
examination of six industrial sectors, including the
printing and publishing industry. Through this program,
which was launched in 1994, EPA works with selected
industries, environmental and public interest groups,
State regulators and other stakeholders to improve the
environment, while reducing the economic impact of its
programs. The program focuses on improving and
streamlining six specific areas, including regulation
development, pollution prevention, and recordkeeping and
reporting.
~	EPA's final printing and publishing regulation
incorporates many principles of the Common Sense
Initiative. The final regulation includes flexible
compliance options, emphasizes pollution prevention
measures, and contains simplified recordkeeping and
reporting requirements.
BACKGROUND
~	Under the Clean Air Act Amendments of 1990, EPA is
required to regulate emissions of 189 listed toxic air
pollutants. On July 16, 1992, EPA published a list of
source categories that emit one or more of these air
toxics. For listed categories of "major" sources (those
that have the potential to emit 10 tons/year or more of a
listed pollutant or 25 tons/year or more of a combination
of pollutants), the Clean Air Act requires EPA to develop
standards that will require the application of stringent
air pollution controls, known as maximum achievable
control technology (MACT).
~	EPA's published list of industry groups (known as "source
categories") to be regulated includes major sources in
the printing and publishing industry, including
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publication rotogravure printers and package-product
rotogravure and wide-web flexographic printers.
WHAT ARE THE MAIN COMPONENTS OF THE FINAL REGULATION?
~	EPA's final rule establishes emission limits for
publication rotogravure printing and package-product
rotogravure/wide-web flexographic printing, and provides
industry with several compliance options. Facilities may
comply with the rule's requirements through the use of
pollution prevention methods, which allow printers to
eliminate the use of toxic chemicals by substituting non-
toxic chemicals for toxic ones; traditional emissions
capture and control equipment; or a combination of the
two compliance options.
~	EPA's final regulation outlines the monitoring,
recordkeeping, and reporting requirements. Existing
facilities will have three years to comply with the rule.
HOW DOES THE FINAL REGULATION PROVIDE FLEXIBILITY TO INDUSTRY?
~	EPA's final regulation allows for the use of inks,
coatings, and other materials that contain low quantities
of hazardous air pollutants without having to install
additional control equipment. This provides a pollution
prevention approach to compliance. Since most hazardous
air pollutants used by printers are also volatile organic
compounds (VOCs), most materials that contain low amounts
of VOCs also contain low amounts of hazardous air
pollutants. VOCs are the prime ingredient in forming
ground-level ozone (smog). The use of materials that
contain low amounts of VOCs has provided a popular,
alternative method for printers to meet State and Federal
VOC emission requirements without the costs of additional
control equipment. The pollution prevention options in
EPA's final rule build upon this alternative method for
meeting VOC emissions requirements by extending it to
hazardous air pollutants.
~	The final regulation allows all affected facilities to
assess compliance across all of the printing presses
present at the facility. In the proposed regulation,
compliance was assessed for package-product
rotogravure/wide-web flexographic printing facilities on
a press-by-press basis. The multi-press approach in the
final regulation will allow for the most cost-effective
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reduction of hazardous air pollutant emissions and
provide printers with the most flexibility in scheduling
production in their facilities.
WHO WILL BE AFFECTED BY THE FINAL REGULATION?
~	EPA's final regulation applies to about 200 printing and
publishing facilities nationwide. This includes some
facilities that are major sources because of non-printing
activities and that emit only small amounts of hazardous
air pollutants from printing operations. Simplified
requirements for these facilities are included in the
final rule.
HOW MUCH WILL THE FINAL REGULATION COST?
~	The estimated industry-wide annualized costs of the final
regulation are estimated at $40 million. These costs
include $21 million per year for publication rotogravure
printers and $19 million per year for package and product
rotogravure and wide-web flexographic printers. The
annual costs associated with the final regulation could
be considerably lower for facilities that use inks,
solvents, and other materials that contain low amounts of
hazardous air pollutants.
~	The average end product price increases are estimated to
be less than 1.5 percent for both rotogravure and wide-
web flexographic printers.
FOR MORE INFORMATION...
~	Anyone with a computer and a modem can download the rule
from the Clean Air Act Amendments bulletin board of EPA's
electronic Technology Transfer Network by calling (919)
541-5742 (look under "Recently Signed Rules"). For
further information about how to access the board, call
(919) 541-5384. For further information about the rule,
contact David Salman of EPA's Office of Air Quality
Planning and Standards at (919) 541-0859.
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