[Federal Register Volume 60, Number 15 (Tuesday, January 24, 1995)]
[Notices]
[Pages 4624-4627]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 95-1669]



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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
[FRL-5142-5]


Proposed Revision of Initial List of Categories of Sources and 
Schedule for Standards Under Sections 112(c)(1), 112(c)(9), and 112(e) 
of the Clean Air Act

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

ACTION: Proposed delisting of the asbestos processing area source 
category from the initial list of categories and [[Page 4625]] schedule 
for major and area sources of hazardous air pollutants.

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SUMMARY: This notice proposes a revision to the initial list of 
categories of sources of hazardous air pollutants (HAP), published on 
July 16, 1992, and the schedule for promulgation of emission standards, 
published on December 3, 1993. The Agency is obligated to, ``from time 
to time, but no less often than every 8 years, revise, if appropriate, 
in response to public comment or new information, a list of all 
categories and subcategories of major sources and area sources. . .''.
    Today's proposal would, if made final, remove an area source 
category (asbestos processing ) that was listed on July 16, 1992. The 
proposal to remove (delist) the asbestos processing source category is 
based on information obtained during the initial stage of standards 
development for this source category. These data conclusively show that 
asbestos emissions from specific plants that were the basis for the 
initial listing are significantly lower than previously estimated. As a 
result, the Agency believes that no source in the category emits 
asbestos in quantities which may cause a lifetime risk of cancer 
greater than one in one million in the individual most exposed to such 
emissions and that the previous determination that asbestos emissions 
from these plants pose a threat of adverse health effects appears to be 
no longer supportable.
    Through this notice, EPA solicits comments on this proposed 
decision.

DATES: Comments. Written comments must be received on or before 
February 23, 1995.

ADDRESSES: Interested parties may submit written comments (in 
duplicate) to Public Docket No. A-94-69, at the following address: U. 
S. Environmental Protection Agency, Air Docket Section, Waterside Mall, 
Room 1500, 401 M Street, S.W., Washington, D.C., 20460. The Agency 
requests that a separate copy also be sent to the contact person listed 
below.
    Docket. Docket No. A-94-69, containing supporting information used 
in developing this notice, is available for public inspection and 
copying between 8:30 a.m. and 3:30 p.m., Monday through Friday, at the 
Agency's Air Docket, 401 M Street, S.W., Washington, D.C. 20460. A 
reasonable fee may be charged for copying.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For information concerning specific 
aspects of this proposal, contact Susan Fairchild-Zapata, Minerals and 
Inorganic Chemicals Group, Emission Standards Division (MD-13), U.S. 
Environmental Protection Agency, Research Triangle Park, NC 27711, 
telephone number (919) 541-5167.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Background

    The Clean Air Act Amendments of 1990 (Pub. L. 101-549) amended the 
Clean Air Act (the Act) to require, under section 112, that the Agency 
list and promulgate regulations requiring control of emissions of HAPs 
from categories of major and area sources. Section 112(c)(1) requires 
the Administrator to publish, and from time to time revise, if 
appropriate, in response to comments or new information, a list of all 
categories and subcategories of major and area sources of HAPs. Section 
112(c)(3) requires that the Administrator list any area source category 
(one for which each source emits less than 10 tons/year of any one HAP 
and less than 25 tons per year of all HAPs) that the Administrator 
finds poses a threat of adverse health effects to human health. 
Pursuant to the various specific listing requirements in section 
112(c), the Agency published on July 16, 1992 (57 FR 31590) a finding 
of adverse effects for the source category of asbestos processing and 
therefore included that source category on the list of source 
categories that would be thenceforth subject to emission standards. 
Following this listing, pursuant to requirements in section 112(e), the 
Agency on December 3, 1993 (58 FR 63941) published a schedule for the 
promulgation of emission standards for each of the 174 listed source 
categories. The reader is directed to these two notices for information 
related to development of the initial list and schedule.
    Subsequent to publication of the initial list and schedule, several 
notices have revised the list and schedule in the context of actions 
related to individual source categories. For example, on November 12, 
1993 (58 FR 60021), the Agency listed marine vessel loading operations 
as a category of major sources, with standards to be promulgated, 
pursuant to section 112(c)(5) by the year 2000. As another example, on 
September 8, 1994 (59 FR 46339), the Agency promulgated standards for 
HAP emissions for industrial process cooling towers. This latter action 
did not revise the list or schedule, per se, but specifically 
delineated rule applicability by defining the affected sources within 
the listed category. The Agency believes that defining rule 
applicability and affected sources as part of standard setting 
constitutes an important aspect of list clarification. As was stated in 
the original listing notice (57 FR 31576):

    The Agency recognizes that these descriptions [in the initial 
list], like the list itself, may be revised from time to time as 
better information becomes available. The Agency intends to revise 
these descriptions as part of the process of establishing standards 
for each category. Ultimately, a definition of each listed category, 
or subsequently listed subcategories, will be incorporated in each 
rule establishing a NESHAP for a category.

    Various other Agency actions may trigger the need for revisions to 
the list or schedule. As one example, the Administrator may delete 
categories of sources pursuant to section 112 (c)(9), on her own motion 
or on petition, subject to criteria regarding cancer effects, non-
cancer health effects and environmental effects. In addition, under 
section 112(c)(1), the Agency may revise the initial source category 
list if new information indicates that such action is appropriate.
    Pursuant to section 112(c)(9), EPA today is proposing to delete a 
category of area sources, the asbestos processing source category, from 
the list on the Administrator's own motion. Further, EPA believes that 
the previous determination under section 112(c)(1) that asbestos 
emissions from these plants pose a threat of adverse health effects, 
and hence should be included on the list of area source categories, 
appears to no longer be supportable.
    Prior to issuance of the initial source category list under section 
112(c)(1), the EPA published a draft initial list for public comment, 
see 56 FR 28548 (June 21, 1991). Although EPA was not required to take 
public comment on the initial source category list, the Agency believed 
it was useful to solicit input on a number of issues related to the 
list. Indeed, in most instances, even where there is no statutory 
requirement to take comment, EPA solicits public comment on actions it 
is contemplating. The EPA has, therefore, decided that it is 
appropriate to solicit additional public comment on the revision 
proposed in today's notice.

II. Description of Proposed Revision

A. Deletion of a Source Category on the Administrator's Own Motion

    In today's notice, the Agency is proposing to delete the asbestos 
processing area source category on the Administrator's own motion. The 
Agency has obtained new information which no longer supports the 
finding of a threat of adverse health effects on which the initial 
listing for this area source was based under section 112(c)(3).
[[Page 4626]]

    The Agency is proposing to take this action under the authority of 
section 112(c)(9)(B) for deleting source categories and under section 
112(c)(1) of the Act which allows the Agency to revise the list of 
source categories if such revision is appropriate in response to new 
information. Under section 112(c)(9)(B), the Agency may delete a 
category of major or area sources from the list, based on petition of 
any person or on the Administrator's own motion, upon a determination 
that: (1) In the case of sources that emit HAPs that may result in 
cancer, no source in the category (or group of sources in the case of 
area sources) emits HAPs in quantities that may cause lifetime cancer 
risk greater than one in one million to the most exposed individual; 
or, (2) in the case of sources that emit HAPs that may result in non-
cancer adverse health effects or adverse environmental effects, 
emissions from no source in the category (or group of sources in the 
case of area sources) exceed a level adequate to protect public health 
with an ample margin of safety and no adverse environmental effects 
will result. As discussed below, the Agency has met the legal 
requirements of section 112(c)(9)(B) for this action.
    Regarding section 112(c)(1) of the Act, EPA believes that the new 
information discussed below indicates that the asbestos processing 
source category was improperly listed based on incorrect data. New 
information indicates that the level of asbestos emissions from such 
sources was greatly overstated in the initial studies, and the new 
information indicates that no source in the category is emitting 
asbestos in quantities that may cause adverse health effects. 
Accordingly, EPA is proposing to revise the source category list by 
deleting the asbestos processing source category.

B. Asbestos Processing

    The area source category of asbestos processing was included on the 
initial source category list, accompanied by a finding under section 
112(c)(3) of a threat of adverse effects to human health. The 
Administrator made no such finding with regard to environmental effects 
and made no finding with regard to the non-carcinogenic effects of 
emissions. The reader is referred to the initial July 16, 1992 list (57 
FR 31576) for a discussion of this finding. In 1991, the Agency 
gathered information from the ten highest emitters of asbestos from 
asbestos processing facilities in the Nation to estimate the threat to 
human health from these facilities. Asbestos processing includes 
asbestos milling, manufacturing and fabrication. Products that are 
manufactured or fabricated using asbestos include, but are not limited 
to, textiles, papers and felts, friction materials, cements, vinyl-
asbestos floor tiles, gaskets and packings, shotgun shell wads, asphalt 
concrete, fireproofing and insulating materials, and chlorine. As cited 
in the area source finding, information on asbestos emissions was 
limited at that time by the lack of an appropriate measurement method. 
Therefore, engineering estimates of asbestos emissions were developed, 
which were based in part on the hypothesis that the concentration of 
asbestos in particulate matter emitted from fabric filtration 
(baghouse) control devices operated at these facilities was the same as 
the concentration of asbestos in the captured particulate matter.
    After the asbestos processing source category was included in the 
initial list under section 112(c)(1) and section 112(c)(3), the Agency 
collected information under the authority of section 114 of the Act 
from all facilities that mill, manufacture, or fabricate asbestos or 
asbestos-containing products. This information was gathered for 
development of the maximum achievable control technology (MACT)/
generally available control technology (GACT) asbestos processing 
standard. From this information collection activity, new measurements 
of asbestos emissions were obtained. This new information was supplied 
by a company that operates two of the facilities that had been included 
in the 1991 study used to establish the area source finding for 
asbestos processing. Details on the new test information are discussed 
in the document entitled, ``Particulate and Asbestos Emission Study'', 
[Docket No. A-94-69]. The Agency reviewed the methods used to test this 
facility and concluded that the emission estimates supplied by the 
company are valid. As a result of this information, the Agency now 
believes that due to the morphology of asbestos, fibers are captured 
selectively by fabric filtration devices (baghouses) with much greater 
efficiency than was previously thought. In addition, those two 
facilities now process less asbestos than previously, which has 
resulted in lower asbestos emissions.
    The new emissions data indicate that emissions of asbestos are 
approximately 150 times lower than initially estimated and that the 
risk to the most exposed individual for both sources is below one in 
one million. In addition, the other eight sources in the initial study 
have either ceased operations or no longer use asbestos in their 
operations. Therefore, the MIR for all ten sources that were the basis 
for the original listing are now below one in one million.
    Moreover, EPA distributed information collection requests to over 
250 other companies thought to be processing asbestos or asbestos-
containing materials. The information provided by these other smaller 
potential sources of asbestos indicates that all potential asbestos 
processing sources are either no longer operating, not using asbestos, 
or using the emission control devices required under the current 
asbestos NESHAP, 40 CFR 61 Sec. 61.140 et. seq. This information shows 
that the other sources in the asbestos processing source category also 
do not present a MIR of greater than one in one million.
    Therefore, the Administrator has preliminarily determined that no 
source or group of sources in the category emits asbestos in quantities 
which may cause a lifetime risk of cancer greater than one in one 
million to the individual most exposed to asbestos emissions. As 
discussed earlier, EPA based its initial listing of this source 
category on the risk to human health caused by the carcinogenic 
properties of asbestos emissions. EPA has no information regarding 
whether or not there are adverse environmental effects of these 
emissions or whether or not noncarcinogenic effects of such asbestos 
emissions are at a level that is adequate to protect human health with 
an ample margin of safety. However, as the original listing of this 
source category was based on the carcinogenic effects of asbestos, and 
as the new information substantially refutes the original data upon 
which EPA based its initial decision to list this source category, EPA 
believes that a delisting would be appropriate in these circumstances. 
If this finding is finally determined to be accurate, the Agency will 
delete the asbestos processing source category from the source category 
list pursuant to section 112(c)(9) of the Act.
    The Administrator has also made a preliminary decision to delete 
the asbestos processing area source category under section 112(c)(1), 
based on new information not in EPA's possession at the time of 
listing. The Agency would not have listed this source category had this 
information been available at the time of listing. EPA has made a 
preliminary decision that this area source category does not present a 
threat of adverse effects to human health or the environment sufficient 
to warrant regulation under section 112(d) of the Act. Additional 
information on this decision is available in the docket. (Docket no. A-
94-69) [[Page 4627]] 
    EPA notes that the information collected in connection with this 
preliminary decision also shows that a subcategory of asbestos 
processing sources, the friction product manufacturing subcategory, has 
individual facilities which emit more than 10 tons/year of a single 
non-asbestos HAP or more than 25 tons per year of a collection of non-
asbestos HAPs (methyl chloroform, methyl ethyl ketone, formaldehyde, 
phenol, and toluene). Therefore, EPA intends to add this subcategory to 
the source category list as a major source category in a general 
revision to the source category list that is currently being developed.

III. Administrative Requirements

A. Docket

    The docket (Docket no. A-94-69) is an organized and complete file 
of all the information submitted to or otherwise considered by the 
Agency in the development of this proposed revision to the initial list 
of categories of sources. The principal purpose of this docket is to 
allow interested parties to identify and locate documents that serve as 
a record of the process engaged in by the Agency to publish today's 
proposed revision to the initial list and schedule.

B. Executive Order 12866

    Under Executive Order (E.O.) 12866, the EPA must determine whether 
the proposed regulatory action is ``significant'' and therefore, 
subject to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) review and the 
requirements of the Executive Order. The Order defines ``significant'' 
regulatory action as one that is likely to lead to a rule that may:
    (1) Have an annual effect on the economy of $100 million or more or 
adversely affect in a material way the economy, a sector of the 
economy, productivity, competition, jobs, the environment, public 
health or safety in State, local, or tribal governments or communities;
    (2) Create a serious inconsistency or otherwise interfere with an 
action taken or planned by another agency;
    (3) Materially alter the budgetary impact of entitlements, grants, 
user fees or loan programs or the rights and obligations of recipients 
thereof; or
    (4) Raise novel legal or policy issues arising out of legal 
mandates, the President's priorities, or the principles set forth in 
the Executive Order.
    Pursuant to the terms of Executive Order 12866, OMB has determined 
that this action is ``significant''. As such, this action was submitted 
to OMB for review. Changes made in response to OMB suggestions or 
recommendations are documented in the public record.

C. Paperwork Reduction Act

    This action does not contain any information collection 
requirements subject to OMB review under the Paperwork Reduction Act, 
55 U.S.C. 3501 et seq.

D. Regulatory Flexibility Act Compliance

    Pursuant to 5 U.S.C. 605(6), I hereby certify that this action will 
not have a significant economic impact on a substantial number of small 
entities because it imposes no new requirements.

    Dated: January 13, 1995.
Carol M. Browner,
Administrator.
[FR Doc. 95-1669 Filed 1-23-95; 8:45 am]
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