FACT SHEET
Proposed Amendments to Air Toxics Standards for Boat Manufacturing
and Reinforced Plastic Composites Manufacturing
ACTION
•	On April 18, 2019, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) proposed amendments
to the 2001 National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants (NESHAP) for Boat
Manufacturing and the 2003 NESHAP for Reinforced Plastic Composites Manufacturing.
•	EPA is proposing minor amendments to enhance the effectiveness of these rules by
improving compliance and implementation.
•	The Boat Manufacturing NESHAP covers the production of fiberglass and aluminum boat
hulls or decks, mold building to manufacture hulls or decks, and boat assembly from
premanufactured parts. The regulated processes include fiberglass resin and gel coat
operations, carpet and fabric adhesive operations, and painting operations.
•	The Reinforced Plastic Composites Manufacturing NESHAP includes the production of
reinforced and/or nonreinforced plastic composites or plastic molding compounds. It
includes the cleaning, mixing, storage and repair operations of hazardous air pollutant-
containing materials associated with the production of plastic composites.
•	Following a residual risk and technology review conducted under the Clean Air Act (CAA),
EPA is proposing to:
o Revise the startup, shutdown and malfunction language to be consistent with
recent court decisions; and
o Require electronic submittal of compliance reports, including performance test
results.
•	The EPA will accept comments for 45 days after the proposal is published in the Federal
Register.
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 assessments, available health information and associated
uncertainties, EPA determined risks from the Boat Manufacturing and the Reinforced Plastic
Composites Production source categories to be acceptable and that the rules provide an
ample margin of safety to protect public health.
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
reviews of the standards for Boat Manufacturing and Reinforced Plastic Composites
manufacturing facilities did not identify any developments that would further reduce

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hazardous air pollutant emissions beyond the original NESHAPs.
BACKGROUND
•	The CAA requires EPA to regulate toxic air pollutants, also known as air toxics, from large
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 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 MACT standards, the CAA requires EPA to 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 comments for 45 days after the proposal is published in the Federal
Register.
•	Comments, identified by Docket ID No. EPA-HQ-OAR-2016-0447 (Boat Manufacturing
NESHAP) and EPA-HQ-OAR-2016-0449 (Reinforced Plastic Composites Manufacturing
NESHAP) 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-2016-0447 and EPA-HQ-OAR-2016-0449.
o Fax your comments to: (202) 566-9744, Attention Docket ID. No. EPA-HQ-OAR-2016-
0447 and EPA-HQ-OAR-2016-0449.
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-2016-0447 and EPA-HQ-OAR-2016-0449.
o Deliver comments in person to: EPA Docket Center, 1301 Constitution Ave., NW,
Room 3334, Washington, DC. Attention Docket ID. No. EPA-HQ-OAR-2016-0447 and
EPA-HQ-OAR-2016-0449. 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
•	Interested parties can download a copy of the proposed action from EPA's website at the
following address: https://www.epa.gov/stationary-sources-air-pollution/boat-
manufacturing-national-emission-standards-hazardous-air and
https://www.epa.gov/stationary-sources-air-pollution/reinforced-plastic-composites-
production-national-emission.
•	Today's proposed action and other background information are also available either
electronically at https://www.regulations.gov. EPA's electronic public docket and comment
system, or in hardcopy at EPA Docket Center's Public Reading Room.
o The Public Reading Room is located at EPA Headquarters Library, Room Number
3334 in 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.
o Materials for this proposed action can be accessed using Docket ID Nos. EPA-HQ-
OAR-2016-0447 and EPA-HQ-OAR-2016-0449.
•	For additional information about this proposed action, contact Brian Storey of EPA's Office
of Air Quality Planning and Standards, Sector Policies and Programs Division, at (919) 541-
1103 or by email at storey.brian@epa.gov.

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