FACT SHEET

Final Amendments to Air Toxics Standards for
Organic Liquids Distribution (Non-Gasoline)

ACTION

•	On March 12, 2020, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) finalized
amendments to the 2004 National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants
(NESHAP) for Organic Liquids Distribution (Non-Gasoline).

•	The Organic Liquids Distribution air toxics standards apply to major source facilities
engaged in the storage and distribution of organic liquids other than gasoline. The
source category includes, for example, bulk storage terminals, organic chemical
production facilities and other manufacturing sites.

•	Specifically, the NESHAP limits organic hazardous air pollutant (HAP) emissions from
storage tanks, transfer operations and equipment leaks.

•	In this action, EPA is finalizing the results of its residual risk and technology review, as
required by the Clean Air Act (CAA), as well as additional amendments to enhance the
effectiveness of the rule.

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.

•	Based on the completed risk assessment, available health information and associated
uncertainties, EPA determined risks from the Organic Liquids Distribution (Non-
Gasoline) source category to be acceptable and the existing standards provide an ample
margin of safety to protect public health.

•	The results of the chronic inhalation cancer risk assessment indicated the maximum
lifetime individual cancer risk to be approximately 20-in-l million.

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 organic liquids distribution (non-gasoline)
facilities did identify cost-effective developments that would further reduce HAP
emissions beyond the original NESHAP.

•	In this action EPA amends the requirements for storage tanks.

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ADDITIONAL ACTIONS

•	Separate from the findings of the residual risk and technology review, EPA is finalizing
additional amendments to improve the compliance and implementation of the rule.
These proposals include:

•	revisions to requirements for periods of startup, shutdown, and malfunction
(SSM) to be consistent with recent court decisions, including removing an
exemption for transfer operations during periods of planned, routine
maintenance of a control device;

•	a requirement for electronic reporting of performance test results and other
reports;

•	new operational requirements for flares used as control devices;

•	a work practice standard for tank degassing;

•	the retention of a standard and the removal of an exemption for pressure relief
devices; and

•	several rule clarifications.

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 emission 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
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 requires EPA to review
and revise the standards, if necessary, to account for improvements in air pollution
controls and/or prevention.

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/organic-
liquids-distribution-national-emission-standards-hazardous.

•	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.

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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-2018-0074.

• For further technical information about the rule, contact Neil Feinberg, EPA's Office of
Air Quality Planning and Standards, at (919) 541-2214 or feinberg.stephen@epa.gov.

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