EPA Proposes Four Approacahes for Regulation of Benzene Emissions

Abstract

Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lee M. Thomas has taken a new tack for regulating air exposure to benzene, one that has made few friends for him in the environmental activist community. Last month he proposed four alternative approaches for regulating benzene emissions from sources in chemical manufacturing, petroleum refining, and the iron and steel industries. The approaches vary widely, both in the amount of risk they presume from benzene exposure and cost, and the agency is seeking considerable public comment on which way to proceed. It's a thorny problem, EPA has found, to set a standard that protects public health but doesn't result in wholesale shutdowns of production facilities. Hazardous chemical air pollutants are regulated under Section 112 of the Clean Air Act. EPA has been able to set standards for only 24 hazardous chemicals, despite promises that it would do more. A lawsuit against EPA over regulation of vinyl chloride resulted in a significant ...