FACT SHEET

Proposed Amendments to Air Toxics Standards for
Miscellaneous Coatings Manufacturing

ACTION

•	On June 1, 2022, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) proposed to amend
the National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants (NESHAP) for
Miscellaneous Coating Manufacturing (MCM).

•	The MCM source category covers the manufacturing of paints, inks and adhesives that
are intended to be applied to a substrate and consist of a mixture of resins, pigments,
solvents, and/or other additives, where the material is produced by a manufacturing
operation where materials are blended, mixed, diluted, or otherwise formulated.

•	The MCM source category includes 42 major source facilities.

•	Following the technology review for the NESHAP, EPA is proposing to:

o Require facilities with process vessels emitting inorganic hazardous air pollutants
(HAP) to demonstrate initial and continuous compliance with particulate matter
(PM) emission limits.

o Require facilities emitting inorganic HAP from their process vessels to demonstrate
ongoing compliance through monitoring of control devices such as baghouses and
fabric filters.

•	EPA will accept comment on the proposed amendments for 60 days after publication
in the Federal Register.

TECHNOLOGY REVIEW

•	The Clean Air Act (CAA) requires EPA to assess, review and revise air toxics standards, as
necessary, taking into account developments in practices, processes, and control
technologies. The technology review of the standards for MCM facilities identified a gap
in the regulation of emission sources and EPA is proposing to set maximum achievable
control technology (MACT) standards to address this gap.

BACKGROUND

•	The CAA requires EPA to regulate HAP, 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." For
major sources, EPA must establish MACT standards These MACT standards are based
on emissions levels that are already being achieved by the best-controlled and lower-
emitting sources in an industry.

•	Within eight 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

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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 eight years after setting MACT standards, the CAA section 112 requires
EPA to review and revise the standards, if necessary, to account for improvements in
air pollution controls, practices, or processes.

•	On August 14, 2020, EPA promulgated the risk and technology review for this standard.
In order to complete the required technology review, EPA is proposing inorganic HAP
standards for process vessels.

HOW TO COMMENT

•	EPA will accept comments for 60 days after the proposal is published in the Federal
Register.

•	Comments, identified by Docket ID No. EPA-HQ-OAR-2018-0747 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-2018-0747.
o Fax your comments to: (202) 566-9744, Attention Docket ID No. EPA-HQ-OAR-
2018-0747.

o Mail your comments to: EPA Docket Center, Environmental Protection Agency,
o Mail Code: 28221T, 1200 Pennsylvania Ave., NW, Washington, DC 20460,

Attention Docket ID No. EPA-HQ-OAR-2018-0747.
o Deliver comments in person to: EPA Docket Center, 1301 Constitution Ave., NW,
Room 3334, Washington, DC. Note: In-person deliveries (including courier
deliveries) are only accepted during the Docket Center'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/miscellaneous-coating-manufacturing-national-emission-standards

•	Today's action and other background information are also available electronically at
https://www.regulations.gov/. EPA's electronic public docket and comment system.

•	For further technical information about the rule, contact Angie Carey, EPA's Office of Air
Quality Planning and Standards, at (919) 541-2187 or carey.angela@epa.gov.

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