A heads up an EPA call next week, sent from the EPA EJ Listserv this morning.
This is a very important rule change, and an opportunity for input.
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Source: New Orleans Times Picayune
Background:
Proposed EPA rule would reduce refinery flaring, require fence line monitoring of toxic chemicals, Times Picayune
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Community Conference Call on U.S. EPA’s Proposed Air Rule
Proposed Petroleum Refinery Sector Risk and Technology Review and New Source Performance Standards
Intended Audience: Environmental Justice and Tribal Communities or Organizations
When: May 28, 2014
Time: 1:00pm – 2:00pm EDT
When: May 28, 2014
Time: 1:00pm – 2:00pm EDT
Register at: https://cfpub.epa.gov/oarweb/
Participant Dial-in Number: (800) 309-5450; Conference ID#: 50424561
To assist operators, please dial in 10 minutes prior to the start of the call.
On May 15, 2014, Administrator McCarthy signed proposed standards to update the toxic air pollution standards for petroleum refineries. The agency’s common sense proposal would further reduce toxic pollution from flaring and other processes and include new monitoring requirements. Additionally, the proposal for the first time, requires monitoring of air concentrations of benzene around the fencelines of refineries to assure that emissions are controlled and these results would be made available to the public. This proposal would also require upgraded emission controls for storage tanks including controls for smaller tanks; performance requirements for flares to ensure that waste gases are properly destroyed; and emissions standards for delayed coking units which are currently a significant unregulated source of toxic air emissions at refineries.
When these proposed updates are fully implemented, EPA estimates toxic air emissions, including benzene, toluene and xylene, would be reduced by 5,600 tons per year. Volatile organic compound emissions would be cut by approximately 52,000 tons per year.
EPA is issuing this proposal as part of a process outlined in the Clean Air Act that requires the agency evaluate the emission standards currently in place to determine whether there is any remaining risk to public health or the environment and whether there have been any new developments in practices, processes and control technologies.
EPA will take comments on the proposal for 60 days after it is published in the Federal Register. The agency plans to hold two public hearings near Houston and Los Angles, and will finalize the standards in April 2015. Additionally, the EPA will hold webinars on the proposed rule. Information on the public hearings and the webinars will be made available on EPA’s website shortly.
Additional information about the proposal: https://www.epa.gov/ttn/atw/
Speaker: Brenda Shine, EPA, Office of Air Quality Planning and Standards, shine.brenda@epa.gov, 919-541-3608.
If there are any questions regarding this call, please contact Lena Epps-Price, epps-price.lena@epa.gov, 919-541-5573.
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