National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants: Miscellaneous Coating Manufacturing

This action promulgates national emission standards for hazardous air pollutants (NESHAP) for miscellaneous coating manufacturing facilities. The final rule establishes emission limits and work practice requirements for new and existing miscellaneous coating manufacturing operations, including process vessels, storage tanks, wastewater, transfer operations, equipment leaks, and heat exchange systems, and implements section 112(d) of the Clean Air Act (CAA) by requiring all major sources to meet hazardous air pollutant (HAP) emission standards reflecting application of the maximum achievable control technology (MACT). The HAP emitted from miscellaneous coating manufacturing facilities include toluene, xylene, glycol ethers, methyl ethyl ketone, and methyl isobutyl ketone. Exposure to these substances has been demonstrated to cause adverse health effects such as irritation of the lung, eye, and mucous membranes, effects on the central nervous system, and cancer. We do not have the type of current detailed data on each of the facilities and the people living around the facilities covered by the final rule for this source category that would be necessary to conduct an analysis to determine the actual population exposures to the HAP emitted from these facilities and the potential for resultant health effects. Therefore, we do not know the extent to which the adverse health effects described above occur in the populations surrounding these facilities. However, to the extent the adverse effects do occur, and the final rule reduces emissions, subsequent exposures will be reduced. The final rule will reduce HAP emissions by 4,900 tons per year (tpy) for existing facilities that manufacture miscellaneous coatings.