January 7, 2005—The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is proposing new rules to reduce emissions of air pollutants from the last remaining category of waste incinerators requiring Clean Air Act regulation. This final category, called “other solid waste incinerators” (OSWI), consists of institutional waste incinerators and very small municipal waste combustors.
Institutional waste incinerators can be located in schools, churches, and local, state, or federal buildings that burn waste generated on site. Very small municipal waste combustors burn less than 35 tons per day of municipal solid waste.
EPA has already issued regulations to control emissions from large municipal waste combustors; small municipal waste combustors; medical waste incinerators; and commercial and industrial solid waste incinerators. The new proposed rules will provide important improvements in protecting human health and the environment by reducing pollutant emissions of almost 2,800 tons per year when fully implemented.
For a pre-publication copy of the proposed rules and a fact sheet, visit EPA/AIRLinks. Comments may be submitted on this action for 60 days following publication of the proposed rules in the Federal Register. EPA will finalize the OSWI regulations by November 30, 2005.
