FACT SHEET

FINAL NATIONAL EMISSION STANDARDS FOR HAZARDOUS AIR POLLUTANTS: OFF-

SITE WASTE AND RECOVERY OPERATIONS

ACTION

•	On February 26, 2015, the U. S. Environmental Protection Agency issued a final rule addressing the
risk and technology review of the National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants: Off-
Site Waste and Recovery Operations. These facilities receive certain wastes, used oil, or used
solvents from off-site locations for storage, treatment, recovery, or disposal at the facility. There are
about 50 major source off-site waste and recovery operations in the United States. There are four
small businesses owning facilities in this source category.

•	EPA established standards to limit emissions of air toxics for off-site waste and recovery operations
in 1996. Today's final rule requires off-site waste and recovery operations to further reduce toxic air
emissions, improving air quality and protecting public health in communities where these facilities
are located.

•	Exposure to hazardous air pollutants, also known as air toxics, can cause respiratory problems and
other serious health issues and can increase the risk of developing cancer.

•	In this final rule, residual risks for the off-site waste and recovery operations industry were evaluated
and found to be at acceptable levels for public health. In determining the acceptability, the EPA
considered the lifetime cancer risk to the individual most exposed, cancer incidence, the number of
people with cancer risk over 1-in-l million, chronic and acute non-cancer hazard index exposures,
multipathway risks and adverse environmental effects.

•	EPA's projections show that, as a result of the maximum achievable control technology (MACT)
standard to limit air toxics at these facilities, lifetime cancer risk to the individual most exposed
would be no greater than 9-in-l million and cancer incidence is 0.02 cases per year.

•	The EPA conducted a technology review and identified cost-effective advancements in technology
for tanks and leak detection and repair. Therefore, the Agency is requiring more stringent provisions
for some tanks; establishing lower leak detection limits for valves and pumps; and adding connector
monitoring to the leak detection and repair program.

•	After application of these final standards, the EPA projects that hazardous air pollutant emissions
will be reduced by approximately 200 tons per year (tpy). With these final controls and measures in
place, risk levels will be reduced, and the final rule will provide an ample margin of safety.

•	To determine the emissions limits, the EPA gathered information on off-site waste and recovery
operations through review of a Clean Air Act (CAA) section 114 survey, current literature, data from
the National Emissions Inventory, Toxics Release Inventory, and information obtained from
industry.

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BACKGROUND

•	The CAA directs the Agency to assess the risk remaining (i.e., residual risk) after the application of
the MACT standards and to promulgate additional standards, if required, to provide an ample margin
of safety to protect health or prevent an adverse environmental effect.

•	In addition, the CAA requires the Agency to review and to revise the MACT, if necessary, taking
into account developments in practices, processes and control technologies (i.e., technology review).

•	A major source facility emits or has the potential to emit 10 or more tpy of any single air toxic, or 25
tpy or more of any combination of air toxics.

FOR MORE INFORMATION

•	Interested parties can download the notice from the EPA's web site at the following address:
http ://www. epa.gov/ttn/ atw/offwaste/oswropg.html.

•	The final rule and other background information are also available either electronically at
http://www.regulations.gov, the EPA's electronic public docket and comment system or in hard copy
at the EPA Docket Center's Public Reading Room.

•	The Public Reading Room is located in the EPA Headquarters Library, Room Number
3334 in the EPA WJC West Building, located at 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.

•	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.

•	Materials for this action can be accessed using Docket ID Number EPA-HQ-OAR-2012-
0360.

•	For further information, contact Paula Hirtz of the EPA's Office of Air Quality Planning and
Standards by phone at (919) 541-2618, or by email at hirtz.paula@epa.gov.

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