New emissions rules for Wool Fiberglass and Mineral Wool product facilities

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (“EPA”) has signed the Final Rules for the Wool Fiberglass Manufacturing and Mineral Wool Production MACT Standards (“Final Rules” or “Rules”), and the Rules have been published in the Federal Register (80 Fed. Reg. 45,279 (July 29, 2015)). The Final Rules represent a significant success for NAIMA and its members. Because of the tremendous effort of NAIMA and its members – responding to multiple information requests and EPA proposals, participating in many in-person meetings with EPA staff and management, and arranging numerous EPA site visits to many facilities – EPA ultimately issued feasible rules. For Fiber Glass, the formaldehyde limits are unchanged from the original MACT, there is no phenol and methanol limit, and the chromium limit applies to only oxy fuel and air gas furnaces; 80% of industry furnaces are not subject to the chromium limit. For Mineral Wool, existing control equipment will meet limits for existing source categories, and the curing and collection (formaldehyde, phenol, and methanol), carbonyl sulfide, and hydrogen fluoride (“HF”) and hydrochloric acid (“HCl”) emission limits are feasible and do not require installation of additional controls.

NAIMA has thoroughly reviewed the Final Rules and found no problems that were not satisfactorily addressed during the rulemaking process. Similarly, King and Spalding reviewed the Final Rules and concluded that there were not “any significant issues that might be of concern, i.e. worthy of petitioning EPA for reconsideration or the D.C. Circuit for review or otherwise raising with EPA and not already known and/or addressed by NAIMA on behalf of the industry.”

There has been no legal challenge to the Rules, so the Final Rules will be implemented in conformity with the compliance schedule as set forth in the Final Rules.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]