Smallbiz@EPA a Monthly Newsletter for the Small Business Community January 2020

SMALLBIZ@EPA

A MONTHLY NEWSLETTER FOR THE
SMALL BUSINESS COMMUNITY

EPA'S ASBESTOS AND SMALL BUSINESS OMBUDSMAN

January 2020

IS)

• mm

0)
IS)

a
c

IIU ,

>»
fc

I ®

< ^
<1

US u

c u

> <

P T3

a
E

CD
u

c
• ¦¦

§ «
O u

u c

ll *12

•E 2

Ct5

The EPA Asbestos and Small Business Ombudsman
(ASBO) Program serves as an advocate and liaison for
small businesses in the rule development and
compliance assistance process at EPA. ASBO regularly
partners with a variety of stakeholders to address small
business questions and concerns, including; the state
Small Business Ombudsmen and Small Business
Environmental Assistance Programs (SBEAPs), small
business trade associations, headquarter and regional
EPA programs offices, as well as federal agencies like
the Small Business Administration.

ASBO's partnerships provide the perspective and
collaboration EPA requires to support small businesses
in achieving their environmental performance goals.
The SmallBiz@EPA Bulletin strives to provide EPA and
the small business community access to the necessary
environmental news, regulatory updates and resources
that may impact or assist small businesses.

SmallBizOEPA Bulletin
Welcome your
Submissions

Potential

Submission Topics:

Upcoming Events
Success Stories
New Assistance Tools
Technical Updates
Regulatory Updates
Stories to Reach the Small
Business Community

• Updated Contact Info.

Submission Guidelines:

• 150 words or less

• Provide a title for the article

• Include a link to more
information on the topic

• Include contact information
to be included in the article
submission

• Articles should be
submitted by the 15th of
each month.

• Submit your articles to
shepherd.sheila@epa.gov
and

thompston.elnora@epa.gov

,«>

33
\

"
-------
2020 National SBEAP Training and Awards

Ceremony

2019 SBEAP's National Training

Save the date! The 2020 Small Business Environmental Assistance Program (SBEAP) National Training and
Awards Ceremony is scheduled for May 5-7, 2020 in the Washington, D.C. Metro Area. More details on
exact location to come but stay tuned to https://nationalsbeap.org/training.

Every year, during the annual SBEAP Training, the National Steering Committee (NSC) hosts )
SBO/SBEAP Annual Awards Ceremony. This ceremony is the States' premier awards program for
recognizing outstanding environmental leadership among small businesses and small business assistance
providers. Nominations for 2020 awards will open soon. SBO/SBEAP awards recognize small
businesses, SBEAP/SBO programs and individuals, trade associations and other business assistance
providers who have made significant contributions to protecting the environment. The awards program is
sponsored by the SBEAP/SBO NSC in partnership with U.S. EPA Asbestos and Small Business Office. Be
on the lookout for the awards nomination process and go to the https://nationalsbeap.org/content/2019-
sbeapsbo-national-awards for up to date information.

Most recently the Kansas program received the 2019 Small Business Environmental Assistance Program
Excellence Award. This award category recognizes accomplishments of a Small Business Environmental
Assistance Program nationwide in the areas of compliance assistance, sustainability, advocacy and
collaboration. Press release

https://nationalsbeap.org/content/2019-sbeapsbo-national-awards

EPA's Asbestos arid Small Business Ombudsman | Washington, D.C., 1-800-368-5888

-------
1990 Clean Air Act Amendments - 30 Year Anniversary

The United States has made great progress since 1970 in cleaning the air, but the job is far from complete.
November 15, 1990 marks a milestone in Clean Air Act history, the signing of the 1990 Amendments. These
amendments set the stage for protecting the ozone layer, reducing acid rain and toxic pollutants, and
improving air quality and visibility.

Accomplishments of the Clean Air Act can be found in the 2019 Annual Report: Our Nation's Air.

For more information and an overview on the Clean Air Act go to: https://www.epa.gov/clean-air-act-overview

Air Quality Improves as America Grows

https://gispub.epa.gov/air/trendsreport/2019
+275%

1970 2000 2010 2018

-74% (BROKEN HyperLink - please fix)

Economic Growth with Cleaner Air

Between 1970 and 2018, the combined emissions of
the six common pollutants (PM2.5 and PM10, S02,
NOx, VOCs, CO and Pb) dropped by 74 percent.
This progress occurred while the U.S. economy
continued to grow, Americans drove more miles
while population and energy use increased.

Percent Change ComparisonoGrowth Areas and
Declining Emissions
1970-2018

Pb (3-month) CO (8-hour) N02 (annual) N02 (1-
hour) 03 (8-hour) PM2.5 (annual) PM2.5 (24-hour)
PM10 (24-hour) S02 (1-hour)

Declining National Air Pollutant Concentration
Averages

Percent Above or Below NAAQS (%)

Air Quality Trends Show Clean Air
Progress

While some pollutants continue to pose serious
air quality problems in areas of the U.S.,
nationally, criteria air pollutant concentrations
have dropped significantly since 1990,
improving quality of life for many Americans.
Air quality improves as America grows.

CO -74%

Pb (from 2010) -82%

NO_ annual -57%

NO_ 1-hour -50%

0_ -21%

PM -26%

PM annual (from 2000) -39%

PM 24-hour (from 2000) -34%

SO_ -89%

Most Recent National Standard

1990 1992 1994 1996 1998 2000 2002 2004 2006
2008 2010 2012 2014 2016 2018

EPA's Asbestos and Small Business Ombudsman | Washington, D.C., 1-800-368-5888

-------
Draft Risk Evaluation for
N-Methylpyrrolidone (NMP)

On Jan. 3, 2020, the Environmental Protection Agency published a notice extending the comment period for its draft
risk evaluation for N-methylpyrrolidone (NMP) to Jan. 21, 2020.

EPA published its draft risk evaluation for NMP on Nov. 7, 2019. Under the Toxic Substance Control Act, EPA is
required to conduct risk evaluations to determine whether existing chemicals present an unreasonable risk of injury
to health or the environment under the conditions of use. NMP is used as a solvent in a wide range of industrial,
commercial and consumer applications. In the draft risk evaluation, EPA found unreasonable risk of injury to human
health for various conditions of use for workers and consumers, which include paint and coating removers, adhesive
removers, paint and coatings, cleaner or degreaser for electrical equipment. EPA, however, did not present any
unreasonable risk finding for occupational non-users, bystanders or the environment in some of the evaluated
conditions of use. A final determination that a condition of use presents an unreasonable risk of injury to health or
the environment will move the uses into the risk management phase under TSCA. This means that the agency will
have to regulate those risks, which can include use-restrictions or bans.

Draft Risk Evaluation Findings

In the November 2019 draft risk evaluation, EPA reviewed a suite of potential NMP exposures and made the
following initial determinations on risk. These preliminary determinations may change as EPA's evaluation becomes
more refined through the public comment and peer review processes.

EPA did not find risk to the environment, bystanders, or occupational non-users. For all the conditions of use
included in the draft risk evaluation, EPA has preliminarily found no unreasonable risks to the environment,
bystanders, or occupational non-users from NMP.

EPA's draft risk evaluation preliminarily found unreasonable risks associated with acute and chronic
inhalation and dermal exposure to NMP under a variety of conditions of use. EPA found that workers and
consumers could be adversely affected by NMP under certain conditions of use. These initial determinations are
based on a draft risk evaluation of the reasonably available information and are not EPA's final determinations on
whether this chemical presents unreasonable risks under the conditions of use. The Agency will use feedback
received from the public comment and peer review processes to inform the final risk determinations.

This draft risk evaluation and the initial risk determinations are not a final action. This draft represents the
Agency's preliminary conclusions, findings, and determinations on NMP and will be peer reviewed by independent
scientific experts. The draft risk evaluation includes input from other EPA offices as well as other federal agencies.

For further information contact: Todd Peterson (202)564-6428 email at Peterson.todd@epa.gov

EPA's Asbestos and Small Business Ombudsman | Washington, D.C., 1-800-368-5888

-------
Small Business Environmental Assistance Program

SBEAP

Q's & A's

Dear Ask SBEAP:

As a small metal fabricating business, our facility is subject to a national emissions standard for
hazardous air pollutants, or NESHAP We filed our initial notification and notification of compliance,
but do we also need to file an "annual certification and compliance report?"

Compliance Chad

Dear Chad:

Happy New Year! As we close out 2019, industries subject to air quality rules and regulations, such as
NESHAPs, need to review and possibly report on their compliance status. The end of the year or
beginning of a new year is a good time to go over your facility's requirements and plan for the new year
of recordkeeping and reporting.

Your first step should be to review your permits and note the specific recordkeeping and reporting
requirements, as well as dates any reports are due. If you do not have a copy of the air permits for your
facility, you should contact the permitting agency in your state for a copy.

Based on what you have described, it sounds as if you are subject to the metal fabricating NESHAP,
often called the 6X rule. This rule does require an annual compliance report, which are due by January
31st each year. Depending on your requirement for visual emissions reporting, there may be two

different forms.

Environmental regulations can vary from state to state, Ask SBEAP recommends you contact your state
SBEAP who is there to provide environmental compliance technical assistance personalized to your
small business. To find your state SBEAP, click on this map.

EPA's Asbestos arid Small Business Ombudsman | Washington, D.C., 1-800-368-5888

-------
SUBJECT: Updated Working Approach To
Making New Chemical Determinations
Under the Toxic Substances Control Act
(TSCA); Notice of Availability and Request
for Comment

https://www.federalregister.gov

Federal Register: Vol. 85, No. 1,

Thursday, January 2, 2020/Notices
AGENCY: EPA
ACTION: Notice

SUMMARY: EPA is announcing the availability of
and soliciting public comment on a document
entitled: "TSCA New Chemical Determinations: A
Working Approach for Making Determinations
under TSCA Section 5". This document builds upon
EPA's November 2017 document entitled: "New
Chemicals Decision-Making Framework: Working
Approach to Making Determinations under section 5
of TSCA". Feedback received will help inform the
Agency's ongoing efforts to improve policy and
processes relating to the review of new chemicals
under TSCA. Comments must be received on or
before February 18, 2020.

For further information contact: Ryan Schmit
(202)564-0610 email at schmit.ryan@epa.gov

EPA FEDERAL REGISTER NOTICES:

SUBJECT: Access by United States
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
Subcontractor to Information Claimed as
Confidential Business Information (CBI)
Submitted Under Clean Air Act (CAA), Title
I, Programs and Activities Air, and Title II
Emission Standards for Moving Sources, and
Act To Prevent Pollution From Ships (APPS)

https://www.federalregister.gov

Federal Register: Vol. 85, No. 10,

Wednesday, January 15, 2020/Notices
AGENCY: EPA
ACTION: Notice

SUMMARY: On April 17, 2015, the Environmental
Protection Agency (EPA or the Agency)
promulgated national minimum criteria for existing
and new coal combustion residuals (CCR) landfills
and existing and new CCR surface impoundments.
On August 21, 2018, the DC. Circuit Court of
Appeals issued its opinion in the case of Utility Solid
Waste Activities Group, et al. v. EPA (USWAG).
This rule proposes regulations to implement the
court's vacatur of the provisions that allow unlined
impoundments to continue receiving coal ash unless
they leak, and that classify "clay-lined"
impoundments as lined, thereby allowing such units
to operate indefinitely. In addition, EPA is proposing
to establish a revised date by which unlined surface
impoundments must cease receiving waste and
initiate closure, following its reconsideration of those
dates in light of the USWAG decision. Comments
must be received on or before January 31, 2020.
Public Ftearing. The EPA will hold a public hearing
on January 7, 2020.

For further information contact: Jeffrey Kimes
(303)312-6445 email at kimes.jeffrey@epa.gov

EPA's Asbestos arid Small Business Ombudsman | Washington, D.C., 1-800-368-5888

-------