FACT SHEET

Final Amendments to Air Toxics Standards for
Surface Coating of Automobiles and Light-Duty Trucks;

Surface Coating of Miscellaneous Metal Parts and Products;

Surface Coating of Plastic Parts and Products;

Surface Coating of Large Appliances;

Printing, Coating, and Dyeing of Fabrics and Other Textiles; and
Surface Coating of Metal Furniture

ACTION

•	On March 11, 2020, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) finalized
amendments to the 2004 National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants
(NESHAP) for three source categories: Surface Coating of Automobile and Light-Duty
Trucks; Surface Coating of Miscellaneous Metal Parts and Products; and Surface Coating
of Plastic Parts and Products.

•	Surface coating operations for these source categories are defined as the application of
coating to a substrate using, for example, spray guns or dip tanks. When applied to a
substrate, surface coating also includes associated activities, such as surface preparation,
cleaning, mixing and storage.

•	The processes in these source categories produce similar air toxics, including: xylene,
toluene, naphthalene, glycol ethers, ethyl benzene and methyl isobutyl ketone.

•	Following a residual risk and technology review (RTR) conducted under the Clean Air
Act (CAA), EPA determined that risks from the source categories are acceptable and that
no new cost-effective controls are available. The agency is not making any changes to the
standards based on the results of the RTR.

•	EPA is, however, finalizing minor amendments to enhance the effectiveness of the
standards by improving compliance and implementation. Specifically, EPA is:

o revising requirements for periods of startup, shutdown and malfunction (SSM) to

be consistent with recent court decisions;
o requiring electronic reporting of performance test results; and
o requiring 5-year testing for facilities with add-on controls.

•	The final rule also makes technical corrections to rule text for the NESHAP for Surface
Coating of Metal Furniture; Surface Coating of Large Appliances; and Printing, Coating,
and Dyeing of Fabrics and Other Textiles.

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.

•	The maximum individual risk (MIR) for inhalation cancer based on actual emissions is
20-in-l million for the Surface Coating of Miscellaneous Metal Parts and Products source
category and 10-in-l million for both the Surface Coating of Automobiles and Light-
Duty Trucks and the Surface Coating of Plastic Parts and Products source categories.

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•	A MIR of 20-in-l million implies that up to 20 people out of 1 million equally exposed
people could contract cancer if exposed continuously (24 hours per day) to the specific
concentration over 70 years (an assumed lifetime). This would be in addition to cancer
cases that would normally occur in 1 million unexposed people.

•	Chronic noncancer hazard indices for all of these source categories are less than 1. A
hazard index of 1 or lower means air toxics are unlikely to cause adverse noncancer
health effects over a lifetime of exposure.

•	EPA determined the remaining risk after application of the standard is acceptable, and the
standard provides and ample margin of safety to protect public health and the
environment.

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.

•	The technology review of the standards for Surface Coating of Automobiles and Light-
Duty Trucks; Surface Coating of Miscellaneous Metal Parts and Products; and Surface
Coating of Plastic Parts and Products facilities did not identify any developments that
would further reduce hazardous air pollutant emissions beyond the original NESHAP.

BACKGROUND

•	The CAA requires EPA to regulate toxic 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 practices and technologies.

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FOR MORE INFORMATION

•	Interested parties can download a copy of the final rule from EPA's website at the
following addresses:

o https://www.epa.gov/stationarv-sources-air-pollution/surface-coating-

miscellaneous-metal-parts-and-products-national
o https://www.epa.gov/stationarv-sources-air-pollution/surface-coating-plastic-

parts-and-products-national-emission
o https://www.epa.gov/stationarv-sources-air-pollution/surface-coating-

automobiles-and-light-dutv-trucks-national-emission
o https://www.epa.gov/stationary-sources-air-pollution/printing-coating-and-

dveing-fabrics-and-other-textiles-national
o https://www.epa.gov/stationarv-sources-air-pollution/surface-coating-metal-

furniture-nati onal -emi s si on- standards
o https://www.epa.gov/stationarv-sources-air-pollution/surface-coating-large-
appliances-national-emission-standards

•	Today's final action and other background information are also available either
electronically at https://www.regulations.govA 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, WJC West
Building, Room 3334, 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 final action can be accessed using Docket ID Nos. EPA-HQ-
OAR-2019-0314, EPA-HQ-OAR-2019-0312, EPA-HQ-OAR-2019-0313, EPA-
HQ-OAR-2017-0670, EPA-HQ-OAR-2017-0668 and EPA-HQ-OAR-2017-0669.

•	For further technical information about these NESHAP RTR, contact Kaye Whitfield,
EPA's Office of Air Quality Planning and Standards, Sector Policies and Programs
Division, at (919) 541-2509 or whitfield.kave@epa.gov.

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