National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants: Printing, Coating, and Dyeing of Fabrics and Other Textiles

This action promulgates national emission standards for hazardous air pollutants (NESHAP) for existing and new fabric and other textile coating, printing, slashing, dyeing, and finishing operations. The final standards implement section 112(d) of the Clean Air Act (CAA) by requiring all major sources to meet the hazardous air pollutants (HAP) emission standards reflecting the application of the maximum achievable control technology (MACT). The EPA has estimated that there are approximately 135 major source facilities in the printing, coating, and dyeing of fabrics and other textiles source category. The principal HAP emitted by these sources include toluene, methyl ethyl ketone (MEK), methanol, xylenes, methyl isobutyl ketone (MIBK), methylene chloride, trichloroethylene, n- hexane, glycol ethers (ethylene glycol), and formaldehyde. The final rule will reduce nationwide organic HAP emissions from major sources by approximately 4,100 tons per year or about 60 percent from baseline emissions. Exposure to these substances has been demonstrated to cause adverse health effects such as irritation of the eye, lung, and mucous membranes, effects on the central nervous system, and damage to the liver. The EPA has classified two of the HAP, methylene chloride and trichloroethylene, as probable or possible human carcinogens. 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.