FACT SHEET Proposed Amendments to Air Toxics Standards for Rubber Tire Manufacturing ACTION • On September 27, 2019, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) proposed to amend the 2002 National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants (NESHAP) for Rubber Tire Manufacturing. • EPA is proposing minor amendments to enhance the effectiveness of the rule by improving compliance and implementation. • The Rubber Tire Manufacturing source category is subcategorized into rubber processing, tire production, tire cord production and puncture sealant application; however, there are no longer any major sources of tire cord production or puncture sealant application. • The Rubber Tire Manufacturing source category includes 21 major source facilities. • Following a residual risk and technology review conducted under the Clean Air Act (CAA), EPA is proposing no changes to the existing standards. EPA is, however, proposing minor amendments to enhance the effectiveness of the standards by improving compliance and implementation. Specifically, EPA is proposing to: o Revise requirements for periods of startup, shutdown and malfunction to be consistent with recent court decisions; and o Require electronic reporting. • EPA will accept comment on the proposed amendments for 45 days after publication in the Federal Register. RESIDUAL RISK ASSESSMENT • The CAA requires EPA to assess the risk remaining after application of the final air toxics emissions standard. This is known as a residual risk assessment. • Facilities in this source category mainly emit methyl isobutyl ketone, xylenes and various organic air toxics, such as methylene chloride, carbon disulfide and toluene. • The inhalation cancer maximum individual risk based on actual emissions is 4-in-l million for the Rubber Tire Manufacturing source category. • The total estimated cancer incidence from rubber tire manufacturing emission sources based on actual and allowable emission levels is 0.002 excess cancer cases per year, or one case in every 500 years. Based upon actual or allowable emissions, 4,500 people are estimated to be exposed to cancer risks greater than or equal to 1-in-l million. Additional health risk screenings and ecological risk screenings do not indicate levels of concern. • EPA determined the remaining risk after application of the technology-based standards is acceptable, and the standards provide an ample margin of safety to protect public health and the environment. 1 ------- 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. • As a result of the technology review of the Rubber Tire Manufacturing standards, EPA did not identify any cost-effective developments that would further reduce air toxics emissions beyond the original NESHAP. BACKGROUND • The CAA requires EPA to regulate hazardous air pollutants, also known as air toxics, from categories of 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 prevention. HOW TO COMMENT • The EPA will accept comment on the proposal for 45 days after publication in the Federal Register. Comments, identified by Docket ID No. EPA-HQ-OAR-2019-0392, 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-2019-0392. o Fax your comments to: (202) 566-9744, Attention Docket ID No. EPA-HQ-OAR- 2019-0392. 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-2019-0392. o Deliver comments in person to: EPA Docket Center, 1301 Constitution Ave., NW, Room 3334, Washington, DC. Note: In person deliveries (including courier 2 ------- deliveries) are only accepted during the Docket's normal hours of operation. Special arrangements should be made for deliveries of boxed information. FOR MORE INFORMATION • Interested parties can download a copy of the proposed rule notice from EPA's website at the following address: https://www.epa.gov/stationary-sources-air-pollution/rubber- tire-manufacturing-national-emission-standards-hazardous-air. • Today's 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 the EPA Docket Center's Public Reading Room. o The Public Reading Room is located at the EPA Headquarters Library, room number 3334 in the 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 No. EPA-HQ- OAR-2019-0392. • For further technical information about the rule, contact Korbin Smith, EPA's Office of Air Quality Planning and Standards, at (919) 541-2416 or smith.korbin@epa.gov. 3 ------- |