Category: EPA

EPA Hazard Review Inspections Notice

Posted on by Conversion Technology

The United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is constantly striving to ensure businesses, big or small, are keeping our environment safe. They accomplish this through new regulations and initiatives. One such initiative is titled “Reducing Risks of Accidental Releases at Industrial and Chemical Facilities.” In 2022 alone, the EPA concluded 3 judicial actions, 145 administration penalty actions, and 18 administrative compliance orders. Through an increase in on-site inspections, the agency plans to continue cracking down on reducing risks of accidental releases in the years to come.

What is the EPA inspecting for? Continue reading “EPA Hazard Review Inspections Notice” →

Georgia Emissions Inventories for Calendar Year 2022

Posted on by Conversion Technology

It is time to complete your Air Emissions Inventory (EI) reporting for Calendar Year 2022. Every year, federal regulations require that all state agencies responsible for regulating air pollution collect emissions data from certain facilities. EI reporting opened on February 6, 2023 and is due by June 30, 2023 for Georgia facilities. All Title V facilities whose potential to emit (PTE) emissions is equal to or exceeds the following thresholds in Calendar Year 2022 are required to submit emissions data: Continue reading “Georgia Emissions Inventories for Calendar Year 2022” →

Redesignation of the Atlanta Nonattainment Area to Attainment for the 2015 Ozone Standards

Posted on by Conversion Technology

Non-attainment area is an area considered to have air quality worse than the National Ambient Air Quality Standards as defined in the Clean Air Act Amendments of 1970.

Non-attainment areas must have and implement a plan to meet the standard, or risk losing some forms of federal financial assistance.

An area may be a non-attainment area for one pollutant and an “attainment area” for others. In October 2022, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced the approval of Georgia’s request to have the Atlanta Nonattainment area redesignated to attainment status for ozone Nation Ambient Air Quality Standard (NAAQS). The Atlanta Nonattainment Area includes the counties of Bartow, Clayton, Cobb, DeKalb, Fulton, Gwinnnett, and Henry. Continue reading “Redesignation of the Atlanta Nonattainment Area to Attainment for the 2015 Ozone Standards” →

How to Stay in Compliance with SARA Title III Regulations

Posted on by Conversion Technology

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has created the Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act (EPCRA) in 1986. This act was created by Congress through Title III of the Superfund Amendments and Reauthorization Act (SARA) to help communities plan for and manage chemical emergencies. This act implemented several reporting requirements on most industrial facilities throughout the U.S. These reporting requirements are most commonly known as SARA Reporting. In this article, we will discuss the most common of the SARA Reports and Notifications and what your facility may need to do about each of them. These Reports include: Sections 302, 303, 304, 311, 312, and 313.

Continue reading “How to Stay in Compliance with SARA Title III Regulations” →

EPA Allows Reclassification from A Major Source of Hazardous Air Pollutants (HAP) to An Area Source

Posted on by Adam Haroz, EIT

On July 26, 2019, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) proposed revisions that would allow an operating facility to be reclassified from a major source of hazardous air pollutants under Section 112 of the Clean Air Act to an area source, thus removing the policy commonly known as “once in, always in”. This revision could take a lot of pressure for capital investments and permitting off of facilities that are eligible.

Continue reading “EPA Allows Reclassification from A Major Source of Hazardous Air Pollutants (HAP) to An Area Source” →

Environmental Deadline List

Posted on by Conversion Technology

Environmental rules and regulations include deadlines for submission of reports, plans, fees, training, inspections, and analytical testing. Some of these tasks need to be submitted to the U.S. EPA, some to the State Regulatory Agency, and some to both. Some tasks are only required to be kept on file. We hope that this list of deadlines will assist your facility in maintaining compliance.
Continue reading “Environmental Deadline List” →

EPA Nonattainment New Source Review Updates – Georgia

Posted on by Conversion Technology

On September 9, 2019, the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) released an Air Plan Approval that will grant approval of proposed changes to Georgia’s Nonattainment New Source Review (NNSR) permitting rules, proposed in Georgia’s July 2, 2018 SIP revision. The proposed changes have already been implemented by the Georgia Environmental Protection Division (GA EPD), and this Air Plan Approval is the EPA saying that it is okay for the GA EPD to continue implementation and begin enforcement. Continue reading “EPA Nonattainment New Source Review Updates – Georgia” →

White Paper on Managing Lumber Kiln Condensate

Posted on by Conversion Technology

Over the past decade, there has been a push by lumber manufacturers to install continuous dry kilns, or CDKs, to supplement or replace batch kilns. There are numerous benefits with CDKs, including higher quality lumber, more efficient combustion of fuel, pre-heating of green, undried lumber with heat that would be lost with a batch kiln, and elimination of charge turnover resulting in a significant increase in production efficiency.   With all these benefits, comes a substantial problem: a dramatic increase in the generation of kiln condensate.

The regulations that apply to kiln condensate are complex and typically require stringent permits or alternative management techniques. CTI’s white paper provides an overview of the regulations that are applicable to kiln condensate, and it details the legal options lumber manufacturers have in managing it.

Click here for access to the white paper

EPA Proposes NESHAP Amendments to Withdraw “Once In, Always In” Policy for MACT Standards

Posted on by Conversion Technology

On July 26, 2019, the U.S. Federal Register published the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) proposed amendments to the provisions in the National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants (NESHAP). The primary purpose of the proposed amendments is to withdraw the “Once In, Always In” (OIAI) policy regarding the classification of facilities as major sources of hazardous air pollutants (HAPs) subject to Maximum Achievable Control Technology (MACT) standards. A major source is defined as any facility which emits at least 10 tons per year of any HAP or at least 25 tons per year of any combination of HAPs. A facility that is not classified as a major source is considered an area source. The OIAI policy, issued in 1995, required major source facilities that are subject to a MACT standard to permanently comply with that standard even if a facility reduces its HAP emissions below major source thresholds. The withdrawal of the OIAI policy was also previously discussed in EPA’s guidance memorandum issued on January 25, 2018. Continue reading “EPA Proposes NESHAP Amendments to Withdraw “Once In, Always In” Policy for MACT Standards” →

EPA Proposed Changes to the Plywood and Kiln MACT

Posted on by Conversion Technology

On September 6, 2019, the EPA published a proposed amendment to what is commonly referred to as the Plywood or Kiln MACT. This proposed amendment does not address lumber kiln emission standards. EPA has stated that the lumber kiln emission and work practice standards will be addressed in a later proposed amendment.

This proposed amendment to 40 CFR 63, Subpart DDDD: National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants (NESHAP) for Plywood and Composite Wood Products (PCWP) is based on the completion of the residual risk and technology review. The review has found that no revisions are necessary to the current controls in the original rule. The rule does propose removal of the startup, shutdown, and malfunctions plans as EPA has deemed this to be sufficiently addressed in the work practice standards of the regulation, as well as by the Clean Air Act (CAA).

The proposed rule is open to comments until October 21, 2019. All submissions must include Docket ID No. EPA-HQ-OAR-2016-0243-0034. The EPA encourages that comments be submitted through the Federal eRulemaking Portal located at https://www.regulations.gov/.

If you need help identifying how this proposed rule change will affect your facility or need assistance with providing comments to the EPA, please contact us at (770) 263-6330 or cti@conversiontechnology.com.