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Whitman Enacts Measures for Continued Reductions in Toxic Air Emissions -- Agency On Track To Implement Additional Standards

Release Date: 03/03/2003
Contact Information:

CONTACT: Dave Deegan 202_564_9828

(03/03/03) EPA Administrator Christie Whitman has signed 13 final rules to reduce toxic air emissions from industrial facilities across the United States.

Air toxics, also known as hazardous air pollutants, are substances that are known or suspected to cause cancer and other serious health problems in humans. When fully implemented, these final rules will reduce annual toxic air emissions by over 37,000 tons per year and avoid health effects including eye, lung, and skin irritation, liver, and kidney damage and cancer. The 13 standards that have been signed will also reduce over 6,000 tons of other air pollutants including: particualte matter and ozone forming volatile organic compounds.

These final rules apply to the following industries: asphalt processing and asphalt roofing manufacturing; brick and structural clay products manufacturing; coke oven batteries; engine test cells/stands; fabric and other textile coating, printing, and dyeing; flexible polyurethane foam fabrication operations; hydrochloric acid production; integrated iron and steel manufacturing; surface coating of metal furniture; reinforced plastics manufacturing; refractories manufacturing; semiconductor production; and surface coating of wood building products.

With this action EPA has issued final rules to control air toxics emissions from 123 of the 169 categories of industries listed for control in the Clean Air Act. More information on the 13 standards is available at: https://www.epa.gov/airlinks/airlinks3.html .