MoreThe EPA's new CAA standards are official, but for how long?
The EPA has established four new standards under the Clean Air Act (CAA) for boilers and incinerators in order to meet deadlines established by the courts. The new rules will impact large boiler systems, small area boiler system, solid waste incinerators and sewerage incinerators.
The EPA on Wednesday, Feb. 23, 2011, finally released its long-expected standards for boilers and incinerators. The agency was under a federal court order to produce the regulation on time, and was basically denied in a request to delay the standards until 2012. The agency had hoped to delay the release in order to re-propose new rules and have a chance for more public input.
Emission reductions will be required for mercury and soot, but the agency said the cost of implementation for businesses will be only about half of that from its April 2010 proposal. The lower costs were mostly because the agency decided that unless coal was the fuel source, the emissions were not so high. If a boiler burns natural gas or a similar clean fuel, the requirements are basically an annual tune up but if coal is burned, there will be additional requirements. Solid waste and sewerage sludge incinerators will also have additional monitoring requirements.
The agency received more than 4,800 comments from businesses and communities across the country in response to the proposed rules. Public input included a significant amount of information that industry had not provided prior to the proposal.
Because the final standards significantly differ from the proposals, the agency said it still believes further public review is required. The EPA is thus planning to reconsider the final standards in the near future and provide additional opportunity for public comment.
Links to each of the new rules and additional information can be found at THIS EPA LINK.
The EPA has established four new standards under the Clean Air Act (CAA) for boilers and incinerators in order to meet deadlines established by the courts. The new rules will impact large boiler systems, small area boiler system, solid waste incinerators and sewerage incinerators.
The EPA on Wednesday, Feb. 23, 2011, finally released its long-expected standards for boilers and incinerators. The agency was under a federal court order to produce the regulation on time, and was basically denied in a request to delay the standards until 2012. The agency had hoped to delay the release in order to re-propose new rules and have a chance for more public input.
Emission reductions will be required for mercury and soot, but the agency said the cost of implementation for businesses will be only about half of that from its April 2010 proposal. The lower costs were mostly because the agency decided that unless coal was the fuel source, the emissions were not so high. If a boiler burns natural gas or a similar clean fuel, the requirements are basically an annual tune up but if coal is burned, there will be additional requirements. Solid waste and sewerage sludge incinerators will also have additional monitoring requirements.
The agency received more than 4,800 comments from businesses and communities across the country in response to the proposed rules. Public input included a significant amount of information that industry had not provided prior to the proposal.
Because the final standards significantly differ from the proposals, the agency said it still believes further public review is required. The EPA is thus planning to reconsider the final standards in the near future and provide additional opportunity for public comment.
Links to each of the new rules and additional information can be found at THIS EPA LINK.
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