April 30, 2007—The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has issued a final rule that assures facilities producing ethanol for human consumption, industrial use, or fuel are treated equally under Clean Air Act permitting requirements.
Ethanol is produced at corn milling facilities for use as fuel, in industrial processes, or for human consumption. While the processes are similar, these facilities have historically been treated differently under Clean Air Act permitting programs, explains EPA.
This final rule establishes the same emissions thresholds for new facilities that produce ethanol using a feedstock such as corn or sugar beets regardless of the product produced. The thresholds for the nonattainment NSR and Title V programs will remain at current levels.
The final rule also will no longer require facilities producing ethanol for fuel or industrial purposes to count emissions of criteria pollutants that do not come from process stacks or vents when determining if they meet or exceed the emissions thresholds for the Clean Air Act operating permits, nonattainment NSR, or PSD programs.
For more information about this final rule, visit EPA’s New Source Review (NSR) page.
