---

The United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has proposed additional options for reducing emissions of air toxic pollutants from petroleum refineries based on information received since a 2007 proposal.

Included in this proposal are options for controlling air toxic emissions from storage tanks located at petroleum refineries and revisions to the maximum achievable control technology work practice standards for cooling towers.

In addition to reducing 2,250 tons of air toxics each year, the EPA said it proposed to slash 14,600 tons of volatile organic compounds with a $3.8 million savings nationwide.

The EPA issued a national rule to limit emissions of toxic air pollutants from these facilities in 1995. In August 2007, it proposed amendments to the 1995 standards under the Clean Air Act’s residual risk and eight-year technology review provisions.

The supplemental proposal adds to the 2007 proposal another option for controlling air toxics emissions from storage vessels located at petroleum refineries. Under the additional option, certain storage tanks would be required to comply with the control requirements in the EPA’s existing regulations for storage vessels, issued in 1999.

The supplemental proposal also revises the proposed MACT work practice standards for cooling towers. It revises the definition of a leak and also revises the requirements for leak detection and repair programs. The EPA made this change based on new data received since the 2007 proposal.

The EPA said it will accept public comment on this proposal for 45 days following publication in the Federal Register.

For more information on this action visit: http://www.epa.gov/ttn/oarpg/t3fs.html