FACT SHEET Proposed National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants: Site Remediation ACTION • On May 2, 2016, the EPA proposed changes to the National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants (NESHAP): Site Remediation. EPA granted reconsideration of these issues on March 25, 2015. The Site Remediation NESHAP applies to site remediation activities that involve the removal and treatment of hazardous substances from contaminated media (soil or groundwater), the contaminated media itself, or the hazardous substances by themselves. It applies to certain types of site remediation equipment used to clean up hazardous substances containing organics that potentially could be released to the atmosphere as hazardous air pollutants (HAP). • EPA is proposing to amend the NESHAP to remove the exemption for site remediation activities conducted under the authority of CERCLA under a RCRA corrective action or other RCRA order. • EPA is also proposing to require standalone site remediations, with the potential to emit 10 tons per year of a single HAP or 25 tons per year for a combination of HAPs, to comply with the rule. • The types of businesses most likely to be subject to the rule include, but are not limited to, organic liquid storage terminals, petroleum refineries, chemical manufacturing facilities, government facilities such as military operations, and manufacturing facilities using organic materials. • EPA estimates that there are 286 major source facilities currently subject to the rule. The Agency expects 69 additional major source facilities would become subject to the rule as a result of the proposed amendments. • Based on current data, the EPA does not anticipate hazardous air pollutant (HAP) emission reductions from these additional facilities. However, the removal of these exemptions ensures that remediation activities conducted at major source facilities under the authorities of RCRA and CERCLA will now be subject to the required emission levels for HAP and work practice standards in the rule. • Facilities conducting existing site remediation activities that become newly subject to the Site Remediation NESHAP as a result of these proposed amendments would be required to comply with the rule within 18 months from the date the final rule amendments are published in the ------- Federal Register. New sources (source constructed on or after the date these proposed amendments are published in the Federal Register for public comments) would be required to be in compliance on the effective date of final rule amendments or upon startup, whichever is later. BACKGROUND • On October 8, 2003, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency finalized the National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants: Site Remediation, 40 CFR Part 63 subpart GGGGG. The NESHAP established national emissions limitations and work practice standards for HAP emitted from site remediation activities as well as requirements to demonstrate initial and continuous compliance with those limitations and standards. • On December 8, 2003, the EPA received a petition for reconsideration of two issues in the Site Remediation NESHAP from the Sierra Club, Blue Ridge Environmental Defense League and Concerned Citizens for Nuclear Safety. In a March 25, 2015 letter to the petitioners, the EPA granted reconsideration of the two issues raised in the petition. This proposed rulemaking addresses the first issue raised in the petition. The second issue in the petition requests that EPA reconsider amending the rule to include emissions standards for heavy metal HAP. FOR MORE INFORMATION • The notice of reconsideration is posted at http://www3.epa.gov/ttn/atw/siterm/sitermpg.html. • Today's action and other background information are also available either electronically at http://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 in EPA Headquarters Library, Room Number 3334 in EPA WJC West Building, located at 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 EPA visitor log. All visitor materials will be processed through an X- ------- o 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 No. EPA-HQ-OAR- EPA-HQ- OAR-2002-0021. • For questions about this proposed action, contact Ms. Paula Hirtz, Refinery and Chemicals Group, Sector Policies and Programs Division (E143-01), Environmental Protection Agency, Research Triangle Park, NC 27711; telephone number: (919) 541-2618; fax number: (919) 541- 0246; email address: hirtz.paula@epa.gov. For information about the applicability of the NESHAP to a particular entity, contact Tavara Culpepper, Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance (OECA) (202) 564-0902, culpepper.tavara@epa.gov. ------- |