Emissions Standards for Boilers and, Certain Incinerators: EPA Announces Steps

• Date: January 27, 2011
• Source: Admin

A news release dated Jan 20, 2011 issued by the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) states that a federal District Court judge in Washington D.C. issued an order on Jan 20, 2011 extending by 30 days EPA’s deadline to issue emission standards concerning large and small boilers and solid waste and sewage sludge incinerators. EPA would have been happier with a longer extension. 

The standards will be significantly different than what the EPA proposed in April 2010. On April 29, 2010, EPA proposed a set of regulatory proposals under the Clean Air Act that address emissions from boilers, process heaters, and certain solid waste incinerators. These rules would significantly cut emissions of pollutants that are of particular concern for children. Mercury and lead can cause adverse affects on children's developing brains -- including effects on IQ, learning, and memory. The rules would also reduce emissions of other pollutants including cadmium, dioxin, furans, formaldehyde and hydrochloric acid. These pollutants can cause cancer or other adverse health effects in adults and children. 

The agency believes these changes still deserve further public review and comment.  It hopes to solicit further comment through a reconsideration of the rules. Through the reconsideration process, EPA intends to ensure that the rules will be practical to implement.

EPA received more than 4,800 comments.  It received additional data during the public comment period for these rules. This information shed new light on a number of key areas, including the scope and coverage of the rules and the way to categorize the various boiler types. Given the extensive comments, EPA filed a motion with the court seeking more time to fully evaluate all the comments and data and finalize the rules.

Source:

1.    http://yosemite.epa.gov/opa/admpress.nsf/0/58F5BEE5E13C61228525781E007E9881

2.    http://www.epa.gov/airquality/combustion/