Mercury and Air Toxics Standards for Electric Utilities Revised by EPA On March 28 , EPA updated limits under the Mercury and Air Toxics Standards ( MATS ) on emissions of mercury , particulate matter , sulfur dioxide , acid gases , and certain individual metals , and adjusted certain monitoring and testing requirements for future coal-fired and oil-fired power plant units . The update does not change the emission limits or other requirements for existing power plants . These changes are intended to also address concerns of the regulated community that vendors of electric generating unit ( EGU ) emission controls had been unwilling to provide guarantees that they will be able to meet all of the standards for new EGUs published in the February 2012 version of the MATS rule . With this update , EPA is not taking final action on requirements applicable during periods of startup or shutdown but intends to act promptly to address these issues . For more information , contact Bob Breeze at 512.879.3671 or bbreeze @ zephyrenv . com .
EPA Interprets PCB Rule to Promote Recycling of Plastics from Shredder Waste On April 5 , EPA provided notice of an interpretation of its Part 761 regulations of polychlorinated biphenyls ( PCBs ) aimed at promoting recycling of plastic separated from shredder residue . As explained in this interpretation , when shredders and their suppliers follow the “ Voluntary Procedures for Recycling Plastics from Shredder Residue ” document developed by the Institute of Scrap Recycling Industries , the concentration of PCBs in the resulting plastics will be assumed to be less than 50 parts per million , and the materials will be treated as excluded PCB products . For more information , contact Betty Moore at 512.879.6622 or bmoore @ zephyrenv . com .
EPA Reports Continued Downward Trend in Greenhouse Gas Emissions In April , EPA reported in its “ Inventory of U . S . Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Sinks : 1990-2011 ,” that U . S . GHG emissions dropped 6.9 percent between 2005 and 2011 . EPA credited the recent downward trend to reduced emissions from electricity generation , improvements in fuel efficiency of vehicles , and year-to-year changes in prevailing weather . Total emissions of the six main GHGs ( carbon dioxide , methane , nitrous oxide , hydrofluorocarbons , perfluorocarbons , and sulfur hexafluoride ) in 2011 were equivalent to 6,702 million metric tons of carbon dioxide . For more information , contact Lou Corio at 410.312.7912 or lcorio @ zephyrenv . com .
EPA Proposes Formaldehyde Emissions Standards for Composite Wood Products On June 10 , EPA proposed new requirements under the Formaldehyde Standards for Composite Wood Products Act , or Title VI of the Toxic Substances Control Act ( TSCA ), to implement TSCA formaldehyde emission standards for hardwood plywood , medium-density fiberboard , and particleboard sold , supplied , offered for sale , or manufactured in or imported into the United States . The proposed rulemaking includes labeling requirements for composite wood panels and finished goods , chain of custody requirements , and recordkeeping requirements . For more information , contact Michele Foss at 281.668.7342 or mfoss @ zephyrenv . com .
Fish and Wildlife Service Proposes to Return Gray Wolf Management and Protection to States On June 7 , the U . S . Fish and Wildlife Service proposed to remove the Western Great Lakes and Northern Rocky Mountain populations of the gray wolf ( Canis lupus ) from the list of threatened and endangered species . Under the proposal , state wildlife management agency professionals would resume responsibility for management and protection of gray wolves in states where the wolves occur . The Service is proposing to maintain protection efforts for the Mexican wolf ( Canis lupus baileyi ) in the Southwestern U . S ., where it remains endangered . For more information , contact Clay V . Fischer at 512.879.6629 or cfischer @ zephyrenv . com .
EPA Proposes Corrections to Error in Title V Compliance Certification Rule In late March , EPA proposed to correct an error in the compliance certification requirements for the state and federal Title V operating permits program involving the inadvertent deletion of the following language related to making the annual certifications of compliance status : “ If necessary , the owner or operator also shall identify any other material information that must be included in the certification to comply with Section 113 ( c )( 2 ) of the Act , which prohibits knowingly making a false certification or omitting material information .” The restoration of this sentence to the rules would clarify that material information ( beyond required monitoring ) known by the owner or operator must be identified and addressed in the compliance certifications . For more information , contact Lou Corio at 410.312.7912 or lcorio @ zephyrenv . com .
EPA Finalizes Changes to the Refinery MACT for Heat Exchange Systems On June 20 , EPA amended its national emission standards for hazardous air pollutants for heat exchange systems at petroleum refineries to address issues raised in a petition for reconsideration of the amendments proposed in January 2012 . This rulemaking adds , as an alternative monitoring option , quarterly monitoring using a leak action level defined as a total strippable hydrocarbon concentration in the stripping gas of 3.1 parts per million by volume , revises the definition of a heat exchange system in the context of the applicability of monitoring and repair provisions ,
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