PRESS RELEASE
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency proposed amendments July 9 to the 2013 National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants (NESHAP) for Industrial, Commercial and Institutional Boilers and Process Heaters. This rule — known as the Boiler MACT — establishes emission standards for categories of boilers based on the maximum achievable control technologies (MACT).
“America’s air quality is the cleanest it’s been in modern history, and these amendments will reduce emissions of hazardous air pollutants even more,” said EPA Administrator Andrew Wheeler. “With this action, we are proposing updated standards to limit emissions of hazardous air pollutants from certain industrial boilers.”
The proposed updated standards address deficiencies identified by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit and align them with requirements in the Clean Air Act. In response to the three remands, EPA is proposing:
To revise 34 (of 90) emission limits for certain types of new and existing boilers;
- An updated rationale for using carbon monoxide (CO) as a surrogate for controlling organic hazardous air pollutants (HAPs); and
- An updated rationale for its original determination that setting a CO standard below 130 parts per million would not provide any additional organic HAP reduction.
- The proposed amendments would continue to reduce emissions of HAPs — including mercury, formaldehyde, benzene and polycyclic organic matter.
EPA will accept comment on this proposed action for 60 days after it is published in the Federal Register.
Background
Boilers are combustion devices used to generate steam or hot water for on-site use in certain industrial plant operations. Boilers may emit a wide variety of air pollutants, and EPA estimates that there are approximately 444 boilers subject to the emission standards being revised. Of the units covered by these proposed standards, EPA estimates 33 would need to take steps to further reduce emissions. The Boiler MACT does not cover large steam electric generating units operated by electric utility companies. A different NESHAP applies to those boilers.