April 23, 2004—The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has proposed a rule to significantly reduce air pollutant emissions from five types of combustion sources that burn hazardous waste, namely: incinerators, cement kilns, lightweight aggregate kilns, steam and heat generation boilers, and hydrochloric acid production furnaces. EPA estimates the proposal would affect 150 facilities operating 276 existing hazardous waste-burning sources. This proposal would apply to all new and existing hazardous waste combustors, no matter what their size.
The proposal could cut up to 4,000 tons yearly of such hazardous pollutants as mercury, lead, dioxin, arsenic, soot, and sulfur dioxide. EPA says hazardous air pollutants produce a wide variety of serious human health effects, including cancer, kidney damage, and irritation of the lungs, skin, and mucous membranes.
These rules, including the new proposal, require the use of maximum achievable pollution control technology (MACT). Under MACT, new plants must use control technology as good as any being used in the country; existing plants must use technology as good as the average of the top 12 percent of existing facilities.
A factsheet and background support documents on this proposed rule are available from EPA.
