National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants: Surface Coating of Metal Furniture

This action promulgates national emission standards for hazardous air pollutants (NESHAP) for new and existing metal furniture surface coating operations located at major sources of hazardous air pollutant (HAP) emissions. The final standards implement section 112(d) of the Clean Air Act (CAA) which requires the Administrator to regulate emissions of HAP listed in section 112(b) of the CAA. The intent of the standards is to protect public health and the environment by requiring new and existing major sources to control emissions to the level attainable by implementing the maximum achievable control technology (MACT). The final standards will eliminate approximately 73 percent of nationwide HAP emissions from major sources that coat metal furniture. Metal furniture surface coating operations emit HAP such as xylene, toluene, ethylene glycol monobutyl ether and other glycol ethers, ethylbenzene, and methyl ethyl ketone. Health effects associated with these pollutants include eye, nose, throat, and skin irritation; nausea, vomiting, headache, and dizziness; and liver and kidney damage. We do not have the type of current detailed data on each of the facilities covered by the final rule and the people living around the facilities that would be necessary to conduct an analysis to determine the actual population exposures to the HAP emitted from these facilities and 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, the final rule will reduce emissions and subsequent exposures.