EPA Proposes New Area Source Rules for Nonferrous Facilities

As part of its Urban Air Toxics Strategy under the Clean Air Act and a consent decree with the Sierra Club, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is required to promulgate new air emissions standards for smaller, or area sources of hazardous air pollutants (HAPs), from a broad range of industry sectors, including aluminum, copper and other nonferrous metalcasting facilities. On Jan. 15, EPA signed the proposed area source rule for nonferrous metalcasters.
EPA expected to publish the proposed rule in the Federal Register by the end of January. Pursuant to the terms of the court order, EPA must issue a final rule for these three metalcasting area sources by June 15.

The proposed rule establishes a set of management practices for all of the area source metalcasting facilities and emission limits for copper and other nonferrous metalcasting facilities. The proposed rule requires all aluminum, copper and other nonferrous metalcasting facilities that melt 600 tons of metal per year to meet the following management practices: cover or enclose each melting furnace that is equipped with a cover or enclosure during the melting operation, to the extent practicable (ie., except where access is needed, such as for charging, alloy addition, tapping); purchase only metal scrap that has been depleted of HAPs in the materials charged to the metal furnace (except metal scrap that is purchased specifically for its HAP metal content for use in alloying); prepare and operate pursuant to a written management plan that includes both of the practices listed previously and any other management practices that are implemented at the facility to minimize emissions from melting furnaces. The comment period on the proposed rule will be 30 days from the date of publication in the Federal Register. The AFS 10-E Committee will be conducting a more thorough review of the proposed rule and preparing comments on behalf of the metalcasting industry.

To view the proposed rule summary, click here. For more information, contact Jeff Hannapel, The Policy Group, at jhannapel@thepolicygroup.com or 202/457-0630.