National Emission Standards Research Articles

Sharp disagreement over 'credible evidence'

The Environmental Protection Agency has issued a rule that makes it perfectly clear that neither it nor anyone else has to rely exclusively on reference test methods to prove violations of various Clean Air Act emissions standards, including new source performance standards and national emissions standards for hazardous air pollutants. Instead, anyone may present any credible to prove these violations. A reference test method is spelled out in a facility's permit and provides exact instructions on how to determine whether that facility is exceeding the emissions limits established by the law. It provides regulators with information they can use in court to prove violations. Some courts have held that the reference test method is the only admissible evidence of a violation; other courts have held otherwise. And EPA wants to make sure the law is clear so that the agency doesn't have to litigate the admissibility of nonreference test data every time it goes ...

Six methods to assess potential radioactive air emissions from a stack.

In accordance with U.S. Title 40, Code of Federal Regulations, Part 61, "National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants," Subpart H, U.S. Department of Energy stack emissions which have the potential to cause an exposure > or = 1 muSv y-1 to the offsite maximally exposed individual must meet the continuous monitoring requirements dictated therein. Since February 1993, all 125 stacks operated by the Westinghouse Hanford Company on the U.S. Department of Energy's Hanford Site have been assessed for their potential unabated radionuclide emissions using one of six methods approved for use by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Region 10. These potential emissions combined with the CAP88 code were used to produce dose estimates to the maximally exposed individual. Results show there are 106 stacks in compliance and below the potential to emit greater than the EPA threshold. The 19 remaining stacks will be brought into full compliance under a Federal Facilities Compliance Agreement which was established in February, 1994. While each method maintains the safety and protection of the occupational worker, the public, and the environment, significant cost benefits may be derived by applying the best available technology. The CAP88 code and the methods for estimating potential emissions are presented, as well as the associated results.

Quantification of Fiber Releases for Various Floor Tile Removal Methods

Abstract The risk of human exposure from asbestos-containing material is directly related to the condition of the material, custodial/maintenance activities, and the methods used to reduce the potential exposure to workers, bystander employees, and occupants of the area containing the asbestos. Many consider floor tile to be nonfriable, which is in accordance with the National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants regulations, although there is some documentation of fiber releases from deterioration of such asbestos-containing materials during polishing, removal, or routine walking, due to the friction generated by such activities. This study evaluates several commonly used procedures for removal of floor tile and quantifies the fibers released during those procedures using data obtained by analyses from phase contrast microscopy and analytical transmission electron microscopy. These data document that fibers are released when floor tile is broken and/or abraded during removal procedures. Fiber ...

Evaluation of the Neshap Radiological Risk Assessment

The Environmental Protection Agency performed a risk assessment as a basis for the National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants. This paper compares the Environmental Protection Agency's risk assessment with the models used by the National Research Council's fifth Committee on the Biological Effects of Ionizing Radiations, the United Nations Scientific Committee on the Effects of Atomic Radiation, and the International Commission on Radiological Protection. Comparison of the parameters used by each organization suggests that the Environmental Protection Agency could improve its own risk assessment by adopting one of the assessments done by the BEIR V Committee, the United Nations Scientific Committee on the Effects of Atomic Radiation, and the International Commission on Radiological Protection.

EPA proposes chemical air emissions rule

The Environmental Protection Agency is expected to issue a proposed regulation this week that will reduce air emissions of 112 toxic organic chemicals nearly 80% below current levels. The proposed rule is the outcome of a settlement agreement between the agency and the chemical industry. he so-called HON rule—going by the ungainly rubric of Hazardous Organic NESHAP (national emission standards for hazardous air pollutants)— was mandated by the Clean Air Act amendments of 1990. Its reach is vast: It affects 60 to 70% of all process units in the synthetic organic chemical manufacturing sector, and covers storage vessels, wastewater units, equipment leaks, process vents, and transfer operations. EPA estimates the cost of compliance at $870 million, but the Chemical Manufacturers Association (CMA) projects more than $1 billion. y law, EPA was forced to issue a final but flawed regulation in April 1994. Many issues remained ill-defined or poorly developed, forcing CMA and Dow Chemical to ...

PCDD/F Emission Control By Intermediate Dust Removal At Medical Waste Incinerators

A 1 tonne day-1 medical incinerator that meets the new national emission standards for PCDD/F of less than 0.1 ng TEQm-3 was installed in Eger, Hungary in January 1994. The unit is batch operated and is charged once or twice a day. It has an intermediate dust control filter between a pyrolysis chamber and an afterburner. Dry lime is inserted before this filter. Two polishing filters using zeolite and coke, respectively, follow a waste heat boiler. © 1996 ISWA

Removal of benzene from industrial wastewater by vapor stripping

Abstract Four types of vapor stripping processes are designed in an effort to investigate methods to treat industrial wastewater in compliance with the Environmental Protection Agency's recently promulgated Benzene National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants (NESHAP) regulations. Each vapor stripping technology involves a unit operation producing a benzene‐enriched vapor stream and a wastewater stream containing less than 10 ppmw benzene, per the applicable regulation. Steam stripping, vacuum stripping, air stripping, and natural gas stripping technologies are designed and evaluated. It is concluded that: (1) steam stripping involves high operating costs due to the need to preheat the feed; (2) vacuum stripping requires high capital investment because of the number of equipment items needed; (3) air stripping provides only a partial solution to the problem, as it converts a water pollution problem into an air pollution problem which must be addressed; and (4) natural gas stripping is the solu...

An Apparatus and Procedure for Measuring Mutual Solubilities of Hydrocarbons + Water: Benzene + Water from 303 to 373 K

A continuous-flow-type liquid-liquid equilibrium apparatus has been designed, constructed, and used to measure the mutual solubilities of hydrocarbon + water systems. New results for benzene + water have been determined in the temperature range of 303-373 K at pressures within 1 bar of the three-phase curve. The results compare favorably with the literature values in the 303-333 K temperature range. The solubility of benzene in water matches the lower range of the high-temperature data (373-473 K). The relative errors in both liquid-phase compositions are less than 6% for all values. For benzene + water, the mutual solubility is correlated and used to estimate enthalpies of solution of benzene in water and water in benzene; results are in good agreement with literature values based on calorimetric measurements. Increasingly stringent emission standards are forcing many refineries and petrochemical plants to modify or totally replace waste water treatment systems (I). While solvent extraction has been recognized as one of the best developed available technologies for refinery waste water treatment, reliable liquid-liquid equilibrium data needed for the design of extraction processes are not plentiful. The very low liquidliquid mutual solubilities of water and hydrocarbons pose significant difficulties in performing accurate and reliable measurements (2). Large variations, and even conflicts, are common in the values reported in the temperature range of 303-373 K. To resolve conflicts in the liquid-liquid mutual solubility data for hydrocarbon + water mixtures in this temperature range and to obtain reliable new measurements, we constructed and operated a liquid-liquid equilibrium apparatus. The flow-through unit facilitates sampling equilibrium phases and subsequent sample treatment and analysis. We began our measurements with the benzene + water binary system because it has been extensively studied (3) and could serve as a basis for testing the performance of both the equilibrium unit and overall experimental procedures. In addition, this system is of immediate practical concern with the promulgation of the National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants; Benzene (4). Experimental Section Two key points had to be addressed to successfully design and operate a continuous-flow-type equilibrium unit to obtain equilibrium mutual solubilities for water + hydrocarbon systems. First, mass transfer between the two liquid phases must be accomplished well before the two phases are separated at equilibrium. Second, the two phases must be completely separated after equilibrium is reached. The physical properties of the aqueous systems considered are different from most of the previous vapor-liquid or liquid-liquid equilibrium systems which have been experimentally studied using flowtype equilibrium cells (5-7). The liquid water and liquid hydrocarbon mixtures have very high interfacial tensions in the temperature range studied. This results in a high mass transfer resistance between the two phases. Meanwhile, the tendency to form emulsions prohibits the vigorous mixing of the two phases. The design of the experimental apparatus must provide mixing at a level to promote mass transfer while avoiding the formation of emulsions which hinders subsequent phase separation.

Update on VOC MACT standards

Title I11 of the Clean Air Act Amendments of 1990 (CAAA) [3] changed the method of operation and drastically increased the scope of federal air toxic provisions. The major thrust of this Congressional restructing of the air toxic or hazardous air pollutant (HAP) provisions of the Clean Air Act was the speedier implementation of regulations limiting emissions of air toxics. The major focus is now maximum available control technology (MACT). The method and means of determining MACT differs significantly from the regulatory development of previous national emission standards for hazardous air pollutants (NESHAPs). In particular, the consideration of control technology and cost has changed. This paper attempts to outline the basic structure of CAAA HAP programs and to provide an update of the status of the development of the implementing regulations, particularly those regarding VOC emissions. The major areas of the HAP programs are as follows:

Risk and Technology in Air Toxics Control California and the Clean Air Act Amendments

A comparison of the federal Clean Air Act Amendments and California air toxics programs identifies conceptual and procedural differences for the control of routine releases of air toxics. At the federal level, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is to implement a mostly technology-based approach involving controls determined by categories of industries. In California, an approach based primarily on public health risk assessment is used. One reason for the difference in approaches is the definition of an acceptable level of risk. While the former National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants (NESHAP) program came to a near standstill over the issue of zero risk, California risk-based programs were made operational by the use of acceptable levels of public health risk. Despite their differences, both federal and California air toxics control programs will require industry to become more knowledgeable about its use and emissions of air toxics. By preparing accurate emission inventories and de...

Control of benzene waste NESHAP emissions from a petroleum refinery

AbstractThis paper discusses the control of benzene emissions from a petroleum refinery as regulated by the National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants (NESHAP) Subpart FF—National Standard for Benzene Waste Operations (40 CFR Part 61.340). This regulation is complex and confusing, but it provides flexibility to achieve compliance through various strategies to control benzene emissions.The first step to achieve compliane with the benzene waste NESHAP is understanding the regulation itself. Therefore, this paper summarizes the regulation to provide the reader with sufficient background to understand why specific controls are required for specific processes. The flexibility provided by the regulation to achieve compliance is not always readily apparent. This paper summarizes some of these subtleties. The author's involvement with an industry trade association in meetings with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) during the development of the regulation allows some of EPA's expressions of their intent and internal interpretation to also be contained in the summary. The second step to achieve compliance with the benzene waste NESHAP is to actually design and operate a cost effective solution for a specific set of existing conditions within a refinery. This paper provides a case study of the equipment necessary to achieve compliance with the substantive requirements of the regulation at a large, integrated refinery. The retrofit requirements are very specific to the circumstances of this facility. Therefore, they will not be a universal, cost effective means of compliance for other refineries.

The Comply Computer Program for Demonstrating Compliance With National Radionuclide Air Emission Standards

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has proposed national radionuclide air emission standards for a number of source categories. One of these standards applies to Nuclear Regulatory Commission Licensees and non-Department of Energy facilities having the potential to release radionuclides to the atmosphere. Approximately 6000 facilities are subject to the standard, which limits the effective whole-body dose commitment to the maximally exposed individual from radionuclide releases to the atmosphere. A computer program to assist the regulated community in determining compliance has been developed by the EPA's Office of Radiation Programs. The computer program COMPLY calculates the dose to an individual residing outside the facility. The program considers dose from inhalation, ingestion of contaminated food, air immersion, and ground deposition. It is based on models developed by the National Council on Radiation Protection and Measurements (NCRP). Compliance procedures provided in COMPLY are designed to reduce the burden on the regulated community. The approach begins with simple-to-use methods that are very conservative in determining compliance. The methods become progressively less conservative but more complicated at succeeding levels. Each higher level requires the input of site-specific information, but allows a more realistic estimate of dose. This paper describes the COMPLY program, and provides estimates of the work required and the degree of conservatism in the dose computed at each level.

Analysis of ambient lead concentrations around three secondary lead smelters

Ambient Pb concentrations measured over a 30 mo span around three secondary Pb smelters in the City of Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada are statistically analyzed. The results obtained are compared with the provincial regulatory air quality guideline. The contribution of smelter emissions to high Pb levels that exceed the provincial guideline is also demonstrated. It is concluded, by inference, that the Secondary Lead Smelter National Emission Standards Regulations were effectively implemented.

Role of Science Advisory Groups in Eastablishing Standards for Ambient Air Pollutants

The scientific data bases on the sources, transport, transformations, sampling and analytical technology, exposures and effects of ubiquitous air pollutants have been essential resources in the development of the National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQSs), and the Clean Air Scientific Advisory Committee (CASAC) has provided critical review and oversight of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) staffs use of the data in developing proposed standards for the Administrator. It has also provided guidance to EPA in planning research needed to address critical knowledge gaps. This paper provides a review of the development of the current process used in developing ambient air standards, a chronology of some landmark events, a critique of the current process, and a summary of CASAC's recent recommendations for improving the process. Standards for point source pollutants are developed by a process that differs in many respects from those used for the more ubiquitous “criteria” pollutants. The health assessment documents for the “hazardous” pollutants from point sources receive critical review from the Environmental Health Committee of the EPA's Science Advisory Board (SAB). They contain quantitative probability estimates of cancer risk based on animal toxicology and human epidemiology studies. While exposure assessments developed for NAAQSs are subject to CASAC review, those for hazardous air pollutants have not been subjected to SAB review. The National Emissions Standards For Hazardous Air Pollutants (NESHAPs) are based primarily on the application of specific source control technologies. There is currently no established procedure for SAB review of the scientific basis for EPA's proposals for NESHAPs. A chronology of some landmark events in the development of regulatory controls for point source pollutants is presented and discussed.

EPA’s Program for Establishing National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants

The Clean Air Act of 1970 established the authority to control hazardous air pollutants. Section 112 of the legislation requires the Administrator to publish, and from time to time revise, a list of hazardous air pollutants for which he intends to establish emission standards, and to establish emission standards for those pollutants. These national emission standards for hazardous air pollutants are commonly referred to as ''NESHAP'' standards. All of the NESHAP that have been promulgated as of April 1984 are summarized. Included are asbestos, beryllium, mercury, vinyl chloride, benzene, and radionuclides. Two types of refrences are included. The first reference identifies the issue of the Federal Register in which the NESHAP is explained in detail. The second reference identifies the background information document which contains the technical and economic information developed to support the NESHAP.

The Collection and Analysis of Mercury from Mercury Cell Chlor-Alkali Plant Gaseous Process Streams

Abstract Recently National Emission Standards Regulations were promulgated for mercury from chlor-alkali plants in Canada using the mercury cell process. The amount of mercury emitted to the ambient air can be measured by the Standard Reference Methods for Source Testing: Measurement of Emissions pf Mercury from Mercury Cell Chlor-Alkali Plants. This paper presents data accumulated during the development of the sample collection and analysis methods described in the above publication. The accuracy of the combined collection and analysis methods is estimated to be ±5%. The sensitivity of the method is estimated to be 10 ng of mercury in the flameless atomic absorption analysis system. Levels of mercury as low as 1 μg/m3 are detected. The method is specific for mercury in its elemental and inorganic forms in the gaseous process streams described in the standard reference method. Organic mercury compounds were not considered to be emitted by the chlor-alkali industry. The precision of sample analysis was estimated to be ±1.6%.

Environmental regulation of the metals industry

Federal air pollution control regulations having the greatest impact on the extractive metals industry are the National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS). Development of new source performance standards and national emission standards that affect the metals industry is discussed. The means of establishing effluent limitations as required by the Water Pollution Control Act Amendments of 1972 is also discussed. Suggestions for cooperation between the metals industry and EPA are given. (JGB)

Federal regulations for new source performance standards.

Section 111 of the Clean Air Act Amendments of 1970 authorizes the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to impose emission standards (NSPS) on those stationary sources that are determined to be significant contributors to air pollution and that consequently endanger the public health or welfare. In five years EPA promulgated 19 final and 1 proposed NSPS for stationary sources. Section 112 of the Act authorizes EPA to promulgate national emission standards for hazardous air pollutants (NESHAPS). EPA promulgated three final and 1 proposed regulation under Section 112. In addition, EPA promulgated NSPS for three "designated" pollutants from specific sources under Section Hid. EPA’s use of Section 111 and 112 authority provides for a quick response emission control program compared to the relatively slow process of establishing additional ambient air quality standards and having the states adopt implementation plans (Section 109). Three court cases, argued in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia, established basic guidelines for future promulgation of NSPS although certain legal actions are still pending. Proposed amendments to the Clean Air Act would further broaden and strengthen EPA’s direct regulatory authority.

Emission standards for particulates.

Promulgation of standards of performance under Section 111 and national emission standards for hazardous pollutants under Section 112 of the Clean Air Act is the responsibility of the Emission Standards and Engineering Division of EPA. The problems encountered and the bases used are examined.

National Emission Standards Introduction

A feature of the 63rd annual meeting of the Air Pollution Control Association, held June 14–18, 1970 in St. Louis, was a plenary session on national emission standards. Presided over by John S. Lagarias, APCA past president, the session explored the theme for both motor vehicles and stationary sources through the presentations of Delbert S. Barth and Arthur C. Stern and the discussions of John A. Maga and Robert L. Harris, Jr. The essence of their remarks appears on the following pages.