FAQ'S ABOUT BIOCOATINGS
FAQ’s
What is the Clean Air Act?
The 1990 Clean Air Act is a piece of U.S. legislation that deals with a variety of air-related environmental concerns, including acid rain, hazardous air pollutants, visibility in national parks, depletion of the stratospheric ozone layer, and formation of ground-level ozone. It follows the Clean Air Act in 1963, the Clean Air Act Amendment in 1966, the Clean Air Act Extension in 1970, and the Clean Air Act Amendments in 1977. It was enacted by the 101st United States Congress (Pub.L. 101-549).
How are VOCs regulated?
Most states operate their own air toxics programs. Additionally, most VOC regulations are established by state or local authorities, often pursuant to guidance issued by EPA. Also, many states manage their own emergency planning and community right-to-know programs, analogous to the federal Emergency Planning and Right-to-Know Act (EPCRA - described in Federal Regulation of Solvents).
Examples of some of these state programs and regulatory requirements are:
California
Ozone Transport Commission
What are the California Clean Air Certification Program Rules 1171 and 1172?
Rule 1171(Solvent Cleaning Operations) and Rule 1122 (Solvent Degreasers) are two key components of the AQMD’s ozone reduction strategy, as these rules control VOC emissions from numerous uses of solvents in industrial, commercial, and general purpose cleaning and degreasing activities
What is the OZONE Transportation Commission?
The Ozone Transportation Commission [OTC] consists of twelve states: Connecticut, Delaware, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and the District of Columbia. All current indications are that these states will be following the Regulations set by the State of California.
Does the Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act (EPCRA) regulate air emissions?
EPCRA does not regulate air emissions, nor does it require solvent users to make any changes in their operations. Instead, it requires facilities to report annually their “releases” of certain listed chemicals to air, water, or land. These reports must be filed each year and are publicly available through the Toxics Release Inventory (TRI). Under Section 313 of EPCRA, 667 chemicals and chemical categories are listed as “toxic chemicals” for which emissions information must be reported annually.
What are the federal regulations regarding hazardous air pollutants (HAPSs)?
In 1990 Congress enacted a sweeping set of changes to the federal Clean Air Act. Among these changes was a new regulatory program designed to reduce HAP emissions. The 1990 legislation included a list of 189 chemicals and chemical categories that are classified as HAPs, including a handful of common solvents. The HAP list can be found here.
What are the Federal regulations regarding volatile organic compounds (VOCs)?
The EPA has defined “VOC” very broadly. In effect, “any volatile compound of carbon” is classified as a VOC for regulatory purposes, unless specifically exempted. See 40 C.F.R. 51.100 (s). Individual states may have their own VOC definitions, including their own list of exemptions. Although state definitions (including exemptions) are generally the same as the EPA definition, a solvent user should be aware of the precise definition that applies in his or her state.
What is the current regulatory status of common solvents (as of September 2002)?
The status of many common solvent can be found summarized in the Solvents Industry Group publication, Cutting Through the Maze:
http://www.americanchemistry.com/s_acc/sec_solvents.asp?CID=1515&DID=580
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What are the Federal regulations regarding ground-level ozone?
Ground-level ozone is the main component of urban smog. It is formed by the photochemical reaction of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and nitrogen oxides (NOx) in the atmosphere. In order to reduce ozone levels, the Clean Air Act regulates man-made emissions of both VOCs and NOx. In order to reduce ozone levels, federal and state agencies have developed regulations to reduce VOC emissions from a variety of sources, including products that contain solvents.
What are the differences between HAP regulations and VOC regulations?
HAP regulations and VOC regulations: HAP regulations typically apply nationwide to facilities that have the “potential to emit” 10 tons or more per year of one HAP or 25 tons or more per year of all HAPs. VOC regulations, on the other hand, generally apply only to emitters in nonattainment areas. HAP regulations under the Clean Air Act are set by the EPA, although many states also operate their own air toxics programs pursuant to state environmental statutes. Most VOC regulations are set by state or local regulatory agencies-- often based on guidance from the EPA, although as noted above, EPA has set national standards for VOC content of architectural coatings and a few other product categories.
What is the European Union doing about VOCs?
European Union directive 2004/42/EC, to which all member states must comply, covers VOCs in coatings applied to buildings, their trim and fittings, and associated structures when applied for decorative, functional and protective purposes.
What is Life cycle assessment?
Life cycle assessment (LCA)is the investigation and valuation of the environmental impacts of a given product or service caused or necessitated by its existence.
The goal of LCA is to compare the full range of environmental damages assignable to products and services, to be able to choose the least burdensome one. The term 'life cycle' refers to the notion that a fair, holistic assessment requires the assessment of raw material production, manufacture, distribution, use and disposal including all intervening transportation steps necessary or caused by the products existence. The sum of all those steps is the life cycle of the product.
The concept also can be used to optimize the environmental performance of a single product or to optimize the environmental performance of a company.
The pollution prevention aspect of Life Cycle Assessment is concerned with questions relating to the impact of manufacturing processes on the environment: Do the processes involved generate unwelcome gaseous, liquid, or solid wastes; and does the product readily biodegrade or can be disposed safely?
What is the Montreal Protocol adopted by the United Nations?
The Montreal Protocol on Substances That Deplete the Ozone Layer is an international treaty designed to protect the ozone layer by phasing out the production of a number of substances believed to be responsible for ozone depletion.
Note:
While we are pleased to provide you with certain regulatory information of general interest, we are not presenting that information as legal advice, nor can we assure you that the information is correct and up-to-date. For those purposes, we recommend that you consult competent and independent legal counsel.
