New EPA Rule Will Help Clean Up Hazardous Air Pollutants from Chemical Manufacturing

Today, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) finalized updated New Source Performance Standards for the Synthetic Organic Chemical Manufacturing Industry and updated the National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants for sources in the chemical manufacturing industry. In response, the American Lung Association’s President and CEO Harold Wimmer issued the following statement:

“Today’s final standards are an important step in cleaning up dangerous air toxics that can have devastating effects on the lungs. The updated rules will help reduce health harms in communities located near chemical manufacturing facilities. 

“The facilities covered by the final standards emit a host of toxic air pollutants that can cause short-term respiratory harm and long-term lung harm, as well as increased cancer risk and long-term damage to the nervous, cardiovascular and immune systems. For example, the standards will help reduce ethylene oxide emissions from these facilities. This is a critical part of EPA’s ongoing work to protect communities from this hazardous air pollutant. 

“The standards will also reduce emissions of volatile organic compounds, or VOCs. In addition to causing direct health harms, VOCs also contribute to the formation of ground-level ozone pollution, or smog. Ozone pollution can worsen asthma, aggravate existing lung and heart problems, increase hospital visits, and contribute to low birth weight and premature death. 

“We also support the inclusion of fenceline monitoring requirements for many of these facilities, which will help protect nearby communities by giving them more accurate information about the quality of the air they are breathing. 

“The Lung Association now calls on President Biden and EPA to continue its work finalizing clean air and climate protections, including measures to ratchet down toxic air emissions from burning coal and set much-needed limits on carbon pollution from power plants.”