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PA EPA ANNOUNCES THREE NEW AIR RULES CUTTING SMOG-FORMING EMISSIONS OVER 235,000 TONS YEARLY
Release Date: 08/21/98
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FOR RELEASE: FRIDAY, AUGUST 21, 1998
EPA ANNOUNCES THREE NEW AIR RULES CUTTING SMOG-FORMING EMISSIONS OVER 235,000 TONS YEARLY
As part of EPA's flexible, common sense approach to environmental regulation, the Agency today announced final rules significantly reducing volatile organic compound (VOC) emissions from three consumer and commercial product industries by over 235,000 tons a year. VOCs are the prime ingredient in the formation of ground-level ozone (smog), the nation’s most pervasive air pollutant, which can damage lung tissue, cause respiratory illness, and also harm farm crops. Many state air pollution officials have requested EPA to expedite these rules because, without them, many states would need to adopt alternative measures to attain the federal smog standard, such as auto emission testing programs and adopting additional, more expensive controls on businesses. Consumer and commercial products contribute approximately 30 percent (six million tons) of all national VOC emissions annually. Today’s new rules also demonstrate EPA’s commitment to making pollution prevention an integral part of regulatory actions whenever possible: They are based on product reformulation at the manufacturer level, rather than on installation of control equipment. They also include provisions providing flexibility in the means of compliance. One rule affects the auto refinishing coatings industry, which makes primers and topcoats used mostly by painters at bodyshops to refinish cars and trucks. The regulation, which will affect approximately five large coating manufacturers and importers and 10-15 smaller manufacturers, would reduce VOC emissions by 32,000 tons annually -- a 33 percent reduction from current levels. The rule affects only the manufacturing process, not the process of applying auto-refinish coatings; local auto and truck body shops are not directly affected by today’s requirements. Manufacturers must comply with the rule by reformulating the coatings they sell to local body shops, so the products will contain lower VOC content. The compliance date for today’s regulation is no later than four months after its publication in the Federal Register. Another rule affects the architectural coatings industry. Architectural coatings are commonly applied by consumers and contractors, and include products such as exterior and interior house paints, highway and traffic paints, primers, industrial maintenance coatings and wood and roof coatings. The regulation, which will affect about 500 architectural coating manufacturers and importers nationwide, would reduce VOC emissions 113,500 tons a year -- a 20 percent reduction from 1990 levels. The rule establishes a VOC content limit for each of 61 categories of architectural coatings. For most products, manufacturers must comply with the regulation within one year. Another rule affects the household consumer products industry, and includes cleaning and personal care goods, as well as a variety of insecticides. The regulation, which will affect about 220 consumer product manufacturers and importers, would reduce VOC emissions by 90,000 tons annually -- a 20 percent reduction from 1990 levels. The rule establishes a VOC content limit at the manufacturer’s level for 24 consumer product categories. Manufacturers must comply within three months. EPA expects the rule to increase the prices of consumer products by less than one percent. These three final regulations will appear soon in the Federal Register, but can be read immediately on the internet under “Recent Actions” at website: https://www.epa.gov/ttn/oarpg. For further technical information on the auto refinishing rule , contact Mark Morris of EPA’s Office of Air Quality Planning and Standards at 919-541-5416; for architectural coatings, Ellen Ducey at 919-541-0787; and for consumer products, Bruce Moore at 919-541-5460.
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