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PA EPA PROPOSES FIRST CONSOLIDATED AIR RULE
Release Date: 10/02/98
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FOR RELEASE: FRIDAY, OCTOBER 2, 1998
EPA PROPOSES FIRST CONSOLIDATED AIR RULE
EPA today proposed its first consolidated air regulation (CAR) under the Clean Air Act. The proposal, a pilot project emanating from President Clinton’s March 1995 initiative to reinvent environmental regulations, will consolidate 16 existing federal air rules into one simplified, voluntary guideline for the synthetic organic chemical manufacturing industry. The proposed rule is expected to save the average size U.S. plant 1700 person-hours -- or $80,000 -- annually by removing duplicative monitoring, record keeping and reporting requirements. Today’s action, however, is voluntary; chemical plant owners can continue to comply with existing rules. CAR would maintain the current levels of health and environmental benefits from the 16 existing rules, which are currently reducing emissions of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and air toxics to the atmosphere. Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are a prime ingredient in the formation of ground-level ozone (smog); air toxics are pollutants known or suspected of causing cancer, birth defects and other serious health effects. EPA worked in close partnership for over three years with state and local government air pollution officials and industry representatives to reach today’s consolidation proposal. It 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, phone Rick Colyer of EPA’s Office of Air Quality Planning and Standards at 919-541-5262, or e-mail him at: [email protected].
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