Final Rule to Strengthen Standards for Synthetic Organic Chemical Plants and Polymers and Resins Plants

April 9, 2024, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced a set of final rules that will significantly reduce emissions of toxic air pollution from chemical plants, including the potent air toxics ethylene oxide (EtO) and chloroprene. The reductions dramatically reduce the number of people with elevated air toxics-related cancer risks in communities surrounding the plants that use those two chemicals, especially communities historically overburdened by air toxics pollution.

Regulatory Documents

• Final Rule
• Regulatory Impact Analysis for the Final Rule (pdf) (1.35 MB)
• Residual Risk Assessment for the Synthetic Organic Chemical Manufacturing Source Category
• Residual Risk Assessment for the Polymers & Resins I Neoprene Production Source Category

Fact Sheets, Infographic and Presentation

• Fact Sheet: Overview of the Final Rule (pdf) (287.64 KB)
  • Hoja informativa (pdf) (187.89 KB)

    Recorded Webinar on Final Rules

    This webinar, designed for a community audience, covers how EPA regulates air emissions from chemical plants and provides an overview of key requirements in the rule, along with the impacts it is expected to have in nearby communities. Watch the webinar

  • ​ TỜ THÔNG TIN (pdf) (242.41 KB)
• Fact Sheet: Key Things to Know About the Final Rule (pdf) (192.91 KB)
  • Aspectos más importantes (pdf) (82.21 KB)
  • Những điều quan trọng cần biết (pdf) (114.38 KB)
• Infographic: EPA’s Air Toxics Rules for the Synthetic Organic Chemical Manufacturing and Polymers & Resins Industries (pdf) (54.75 MB)
• Overview Presentation: EPA's Final Rules for the Synthetic Organic Chemical Manufacturing Industry and Group I & II Polymers and Resins Industry (pdf) (711.33 KB)

Additional Documents

• List of facilities covered by National Emissions Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants for Synthetic Organic Chemical Plants and Group I and Group II Polymers and Resins Plants

Documents from Proposal

• Proposed Rule 
• Regulatory Impact Analysis for the Proposal
• Fact Sheet on EPA's Community Risk Assessment and Risk Based Demographic Assessment

Web Pages for Individual Air Toxics Rules Included in the Final Action 

• Synthetic Organic Chemical Manufacturing Industry: Organic National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants (NESHAP) - 40 CFR 63 Subparts F,G,H,I

• Group I Polymers and Resins: National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants (NESHAP)

• Group 2 Polymers and Resins: Epoxy Resins Production and Non-Nylon Polyamides: National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants (NESHAP)