Clean Air Act (CAA) Compliance Monitoring | US EPA

EPA works with its federal, state and tribal regulatory partners to monitor and ensure compliance with clean air laws and regulations in ... Skiptomaincontent Officialwebsitesuse.gov A.govwebsitebelongstoanofficialgovernmentorganizationintheUnitedStates. Secure.govwebsitesuseHTTPS Alock(LockAlockedpadlock)orhttps://meansyou’vesafelyconnectedtothe.govwebsite.Sharesensitiveinformationonlyonofficial,securewebsites. Compliance ContactUs CleanAirAct(CAA)ComplianceMonitoring ResourcesandGuidanceDocuments ComplianceAssistanceResourcesandGuidanceDocuments ComplianceMonitoringResourcesandGuidanceDocuments StateOversightResourcesandGuidanceDocuments EPAworkswithitsfederal,stateandtribalregulatorypartnerstomonitorandensurecompliancewithcleanairlawsandregulationsinordertoprotecthumanhealthandtheenvironment.TheCleanAirActistheprimaryfederallawgoverningairpollution. Onthispage: ComplianceMonitoringStrategy MajorProgramAreasforComplianceMonitoringundertheCleanAirAct AcidRainInspectionandTradingProgram ApplicabilityDeterminationIndex(ADI) AsbestosDemolitionandRenovation MobileSources NationalEmissionStandardsforHazardousAirPollutants(NESHAP)AirToxics NewSourceReview/PreventionofSignificantDeterioration(NSR/PSD) PreventionofAccidentalReleases StandardsofPerformanceforNewStationarySources StratosphericOzoneProtectionincludingchlorofluorocarbon(CFSs)andotherOzone-DepletingSubstances(ODS) WoodHeaters StackTesting RiskManagementPlan AreaSourceRule ComplianceMonitoringStrategy EPA’sCAAStationarySourceComplianceMonitoringStrategy (CMS)providesguidancetoEPAandauthorizedstateswithrespecttoadministeringandimplementinganAgencyprogramforCAAcompliancemonitoring. EPAandauthorizedstatesmakedecisionsaboutcompliancemonitoringbasedon: implementinganEPAorstateplan,or "forcause"-thatis: asaresultoftipscomplaints,or asafollow-uptopreviousmonitoringactivities. MajorProgramAreasforComplianceMonitoringUndertheCleanAirAct EPAmonitorscomplianceofregulatedoperations(facilities,activities,andentities)pursuanttoCAAinseveralmajorprogramareas: AcidRainInspectionandTradingProgram Thegoaloftheprogramistoachievesignificantenvironmentalandpublichealthbenefitsthroughreductionsinemissionsofsulfurdioxide(SO2)andnitrogenoxides(NOx),theprimarycausesofacidrain. Toachievethisgoalatthelowestcosttosociety,theprogramemploysbothtraditionalandinnovative,market-basedapproachesforcontrollingairpollution.Inaddition,theprogramencouragesenergyefficiencyandpollutionprevention. SeeAcidRainProgram ApplicabilityDeterminationIndex(ADI) Thegeneralprovisionsof40CFRParts60and61allowasourceowneroroperatorto: requestadeterminationofwhetheraruleappliestothem(applicabilitydeterminations);or seekpermissiontousemonitoringorrecordkeepingwhichisdifferentfromthepromulgatedstandards(alternativemonitoring). ToensurenationalconsistencyinimplementingtheNSPSandNESHAPprograms,EPAmaintainsacompilationofsuchlettersandmemorandasincetheywerefirstissued.ThiscompilationiscurrentlyavailableontheApplicabilityDeterminationIndex(ADI)databaseWebsite.TheADIalsocontains“regulatoryinterpretations”whicharewrittenresponsesthatapplytothebroadrangeofNSPSandNESHAPregulatoryrequirementsastheypertaintoawholesourcecategory.TheADIisacomputerizeddatabasewhichallowsuserstosearchbydate,officeofissuance,subpart,citation,controlnumber,orkeywordsearches. AsbestosDemolitionandRenovation TheAsbestosNationalEmissionStandardsforHazardousAirPollutants(NESHAP) programfocusesonrenovationanddemolitionactivitiesandwastedisposalsites.Itappliestoasbestosgenerationduringmining,manufacturing/fabricating,renovationanddemolitionandwastedisposal. EPA,stateandlocalairprograminspectorsinspectrenovationanddemolitionsitestodeterminecompliancewiththeAsbestosNationalEmissionStandardsforHazardousAirPollutants(NESHAP) MobileSources EPA's CleanAirActMobileSourcesProgram promulgatesemissionsstandardsforvirtuallyallmotorvehicleandnon-roadvehiclesandequipmentandthefuelsthatareusedinthem.Themobilesourcestandardsapplytovehiclesandengines,rangingfromhugeenginesthatpowerlargemarinevesselsandlocomotives,tosmallenginesusedinhand-heldlawnandgardenequipment.Thefuelsstandardsapplytoallgasolineanddieselfuelusednationwide,includingfuelthatisproducedatdomesticrefineriesandfuelthatisimported. NationalEmissionStandardsforHazardousAirPollutants(NESHAP)AirToxics Section112oftheCAArequirestheEPAtoestablish,amongotherthings,standardsforemissionsofhazardousairpollutants(HAP)forspecificsourcecategories. ThesestandardsrequirethemaximumdegreeofreductionofHAPsatthetimethestandardisestablished,commonlyreferredtoas“maximumachievablecontroltechnology”or“MACT.”The NationalEmissionStandardsforHazardousAirPollutants(NESHAP) arefoundin40CFRParts61and63.TheNESHAPSapplytobothnewandexistingsourcesatthetimethatEPAestablishesthestandards. ThisapplicabilityissomewhatdifferentfromNSRandNSPSforexistingunits,whichisdependentonanactioninthefuture.  NewSourceReview/PreventionofSignificantDeterioration(NSR/PSD) Sections165and173oftheCAAandtheirimplementingregulationsrequirenewormodifiedmajorsourcesthatincreaseregulatedairpollutantsbydesignatedthresholdstomeetspecificpermittingrequirementsandinstallBestAvailableControlTechnology(BACT)orLowestAchievableEmissionRate(LAER)technology.AffectedsourcesmustalsodemonstratethatoperationwillnotcauseorcontributetoaviolationoftheNationalAmbientAirQualityStandards(NAAQS).Thesecontrolsare“technology-forcing”inthatthebestcontrolskeepimproving,sowhatrepresentsBACT/LAERtodaymaynotbeBACT/LAERinthefuture. SeeNSR/PSDEnforcement PreventionofAccidentalReleases Section112(r)oftheCAAalsoimposesageneraldutyonownersandoperatorsofstationarysourcesproducing,processingandstoringextremelyhazardoussubstancesto: identifyhazardsassociatedwithanaccidentalrelease, designandmaintainasafefacility,and minimizeconsequencesofaccidentalreleasesthatoccur.  Section112(r)requiresEPAtoestablishregulationstopreventtheaccidentalreleaseofHAPs. See CleanAirActSection112(r):AccidentalReleasePrevention/RiskManagementPlanRuleFactSheet StandardsofPerformanceforNewStationarySources Section111oftheCAArequirestheEPAtodevelopStandardsofPerformanceforNewStationarySourceswhichapplyspecifictechnologyorlimitstocategoriesofstationarysourcesthatcauseorcontributesignificantlytoairpollution.ThesestandardsarereferredtoasNewSourcePerformanceStandards(NSPS).TheNSPSapplytonew,modified,orreconstructedaffectedfacilitiesinspecificsourcecategoriessuchasmanufacturersofglass,cement,rubbertiresandwoolfiberglass.Asof2012,EPAhaddeveloped94NSPS.EPAcandelegatetheresponsibilitytoimplementandenforcetheNSPS(orasubset)toitspartners(states,local,territorial,ortribal),however,evenwhendelegatedtothestates,EPAretainsauthoritytoimplementandenforcetheNSPS. StratosphericOzoneProtectionincludingchlorofluorocarbon(CFCs)andotherOzone-DepletingSubstances(ODS) TheCAASection601-618,requiresEPAtodevelopprogramsthatprotectthestratosphericozonelayer.Thestratosphere,or"good"ozonelayer,extendsupwardfromabout6to30milesandprotectslifeonEarthfromthesun'sharmfulultraviolet(UV)rays.Thisnaturalshieldhasbeengraduallydepletedbyman-madechemicalslikechlorofluorocarbons(CFCs)andhydro-chlorofluorocarbons(HCFCs).AdepletedozoneshieldallowsmoreUVradiationtoreachtheground,leadingtomorecasesofskincancer,cataracts,andotherhealthandenvironmentalproblems.EPA’sregulatoryprogramsthatprotecttheozonelayerinclude: phase-outoftheproductionandimportofozone-depletingsubstances, requirementsfortheserviceanddisposalofstationaryrefrigerationandair-conditioning, serviceofmotorvehicleair-conditioning,and  labelingofproductscontainingormanufacturedwithozonedepletingsubstances.  SeeOzoneLayerProtection WoodHeaters Residential woodheaters,whichincludewoodstoves,contributesignificantlytoparticulateairpollution.EPAhasregulatedwoodheaterparticulateemissionssince1988.WoodheatermodellinesthatareincompliancewiththerulearereferredtoasEPA-certifiedwoodheaters. EPA'scertificationprocessrequiresmanufacturerstoverifythateachoftheirwoodheatermodellinesmeetaspecificparticulateemissionlimitbyundergoingemissiontestingatanEPAaccreditedlaboratory. StackTesting BeyondtheCAACMS,the CAANationalStackTestingGuidance providesadditionalguidanceonimplementingstacktesting,oneofthemostimportanttoolsfordeterminingwhetherafacilityhastheabilitytocomplywiththeCAA.TheStackTestingGuidanceaddresseslegalandpolicyissuesassociatedwiththeconductofstacktestsandtheinterpretationoftestresults. RiskManagementPlan TheRiskManagementPlanRule(RMPRule)providesguidanceforchemicalaccidentpreventionatfacilitiesusingextremelyhazardoussubstances.Therule,whichbuiltuponexistingindustrycodesandstandards,requirescompaniesofallsizesthatusecertainflammableandtoxicsubstancestodevelopaRiskManagementProgram. Asummaryofthefacility'sRiskManagementProgrammustbesubmittedtoEPAandmustberevisedandresubmittedeveryfiveyears.The GuidanceforConductingRiskManagementProgramInspectionsunderCleanAirActSection112(r) providesinformationonconductingon-sitecomplianceevaluationsatRMPfacilities. AreaSourceRule The AreaSourceRuleImplementationGuidance providesguidanceregardingtheimplementationoftheCAAAreaSourceRules. ContactUstoaskaquestion,providefeedback,orreportaproblem.