New Boiler Standards
Reconsidered standards setting emission limits for less than 1% of boilers.
WASHINGTON – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) proposes changes to Clean Air Act standards for boilers and certain incinerators. These EPA boiler standards follow extensive analysis and review. The agency considered data from states, environmental groups, industry, lawmakers, and the public. The proposal aims to enhance public health protections. It focuses on reducing toxic air pollutants, including mercury and soot. The new EPA boiler standards rules offer greater flexibility and address compliance issues raised by industry and labor groups. They also lower implementation costs by nearly 50 percent compared to the original 2010 proposal. Despite these changes, health benefits remain intact. These standards align with the requirements in the 1990 Clean Air Act Amendments.
Soot
Soot and other harmful pollutants released by boilers and incinerators can lead to adverse health effects including cancer, heart disease, aggravated asthma and premature death. In addition, toxic pollutants such as mercury and lead that will be reduced by this proposal are linked to developmental disabilities in children. These standards will avoid up to 8,100 premature deaths. They will also prevent 5,100 heart attacks and avert 52,000 asthma attacks per year in 2015.
“With this action, EPA is applying the right standards to the right boilers,” said Gina McCarthy, assistant administrator for EPA’s Office of Air and Radiation. “Gathering the latest and best real-world information is leading to practical, affordable air pollution safeguards that will provide the vital and overdue health protection that Americans deserve.”
Most Boilers are Cleaner
More than 99 percent of boilers in the country are either clean enough that they are not covered by these standards or will only need to conduct maintenance and tune-ups to comply. Today’s proposals focus on the less than one percent of boilers that emit the majority of pollution from this sector. For these high emitting boilers, typically operating at refineries, chemical plants and other industrial facilities, EPA is proposing more targeted emissions limits that protect Americans’ health. Moreover, EPA is also providing industry with practical, cost-effective options to meet the standards – informed by data from these stakeholders. These limits are based on currently available technologies. In addition, these technologies are in use by sources across the country.
As a result of further information gathered through the reconsideration process, including significant dialog and meetings with stakeholders, the proposal maintains the dramatic cuts in the cost of implementation that were achieved in the final rules issued in March. At the same time, it continues to deliver significant public health benefits. Therefore, EPA estimates that for every dollar spent to cut these pollutants, the public will see $12 to $30 in health benefits. These benefits include fewer premature deaths.
Using a wide variety of fuels, including coal, natural gas, oil and biomass, boilers are used to power heavy machinery and provide heat for industrial and manufacturing processes. In addition, boilers are used in a number of other uses, or heat large buildings. EPA’s proposal recognizes the diverse and complex range of uses and fuels. As a result, it tailors standards to reflect the real-world operating conditions of specific types of boilers.
Some of the key changes EPA is proposing include:
Boilers at large sources of air toxics emissions: The major source proposal covers approximately 14,000 boilers. That’s less than one percent of all boilers in the United States. It’s also located at large sources of air pollutants, including refineries, chemical plants, and other industrial facilities. In addition, EPA is proposing to create additional subcategories and revise emissions limits.
In addition, EPA is also proposing to provide more flexible compliance options for meeting the particle pollution and carbon monoxide limits. The agency will replace numeric emissions limits with work practice standards for certain pollutants. Besides this, the agency will allow more flexibility for units burning clean gases to qualify for work practice standards and reduce some monitoring requirements.
EPA estimates that the cost of implementing these standards remains about $1.5 billion less than the April 2010 proposed standards. Accordingly, health benefits to children and the public associated with reduced exposure to fine particles and ozone from these large source boilers have increased by almost 25 percent. In 2015, these benefits are estimated to be $27 billion to $67 billion.
Boilers at small sources of air toxic emissions are included in the proposal. This covers about 187,000 boilers in commercial buildings, universities, hospitals, and hotels. Most of these boilers emit very little. Thus, 98 percent of area source boilers only need to perform maintenance and routine tune-ups to meet the standards. Only 2 percent may require additional steps for compliance. To provide more flexibility, EPA proposes initial compliance tune-ups after two years instead of one year.
Solid-Waste Incinerators
Solid waste incinerators and revisions to the list of non-hazardous secondary materials: There are 95 solid waste incinerators that burn waste at a commercial or an industrial facility, including cement manufacturing facilities. EPA is proposing to adjust emissions limits for waste-burning cement kilns and for energy recovery units.
EPA proposes revisions to its final rule. This rule identified non-hazardous secondary materials that can burn in boilers or solid waste incinerators. After the release, stakeholders raised concerns about the criteria for a legitimate, non-waste fuel. They also questioned how to demonstrate compliance. The proposed EPA boiler standards revisions clarify which secondary materials qualify as non-waste fuels. They offer greater flexibility. They classify several secondary materials as non-wastes when used as fuel. Furthermore, boiler or solid waste operators can request EPA to identify specific materials as non-waste fuels.
Following the April 2010 proposals, the agency received more than 4,800 comments from businesses, communities and other key stakeholders. As part of the reconsideration process, EPA also received additional feedback after the agency issued the final standards in March 2011. EPA will accept public comment on these standards for 60 days following publication in the Federal Register. Meanwhile, EPA intends to finalize the reconsideration by spring 2012.
Source: EPA Air Quality
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency · 1200 Pennsylvania Avenue NW · Washington DC 20460 · R353
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE, December 2, 2011
