FACT SHEET

New Source Performance Standards Review for Surface Coating of
Plastic Parts for Business Machines — Final Rule

ACTION

•	On March 7, 2023, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) finalized a New
Source Performance Standards (NSPS) Review for Industrial Surface Coating of Plastic
Parts for Business Machines (40 CFR part 60, subpart TTT).

•	Following a review of the NSPS, EPA is finalizing amendments that:

o Establish volatile organic compound (VOC) emission limits in a new
subpart (I I I a) for application of coatings onto plastic parts for business
machines at affected facilities that commence construction, reconstruction, or
modification after June 21, 2022;
o Require electronic submission of compliance reports;
o Require that the new subpart Ilia standards apply at all times, without

exemptions for startup, shutdown, or malfunction; and
o Revise the definition of "business machine" by updating the list of example
business machine products.

NSPS REVIEW

•	Section 111 of the Clean Air Act (CAA) requires EPA to review and revise, as necessary,
the NSPS at least every eight years.

•	EPA's review of the 1998 NSPS focused on whether there are any emission reduction
techniques that are used in practice that achieve greater emission reductions than those
currently required for the Surface Coating of Plastic Parts for Business Machines source
category, and whether any of these techniques have become the best system of
emission reduction (BSER).

•	EPA has determined that there are emission reduction techniques used in practice that
achieve greater emission reductions than those currently required by the NSPS. EPA is
requiring these VOC emission reduction techniques, through this action, to help reduce
ambient concentrations of ground level ozone and increase compliance with the
National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) for ozone.

BACKGROUND

•	On January 29, 1988, EPA promulgated the NSPS for Industrial Surface Coating of Plastic
Parts for Business Machines (subpart III).

•	These standards require all new, modified, and reconstructed facilities that surface coat
plastic parts for business machines to control emissions of volatile organic compounds

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(VOC) to the level achievable by the best demonstrated system of continuous emission
reduction, considering costs, health, and environmental and energy impacts.

•	Because of their potential to generate VOC emissions, spray booths are the processing
units of interest at these facilities.

•	The Surface Coating of Plastic Parts for Business Machines source category includes
three facilities. Two of the three facilities are small businesses. Over the next eight years
following June 21, 2022 (the date of publication of the proposed action in the Federal
Register), EPA expects no new, modified, or reconstructed facilities to perform surface
coating of plastic parts for business machines.

FOR MORE INFORMATION

•	Interested parties can download a copy of the final rule notice from EPA's website at the
following address: https://www.epa.gov/stationary-sources-air-pollution/surface-
coating-plastic-parts-business-machines-industrial-surface.

•	The action notice 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 EPA WJC West Building, 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.

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 action can be accessed using Docket ID No. EPA-HQ-OAR-2021-
0200.

•	For further technical information about the rule, contact Ms. Lisa Sutton, EPA's Office of
Air Quality Planning and Standards, at (919) 541-3450 or sutton.lisa@epa.gov.

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