The Environmental Protection Agency released a proposal on April 6 to limit the amount of air toxics chemical manufacturing plants are permitted to release.
The new proposal would reduce up to 6,000 tons of air toxics emitted by plants per year. Chemicals covered by the proposed rules include ethylene oxide and chloroprene, which are known to cause cancer and other severe health side effects.
If passed, the new regulations would update the Clean Air Act, a law regulating air emissions from factories and other sources. It also authorizes the EPA to establish National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) to regulate emissions of hazardous air pollutants to protect public health and welfare.
If the EPA fully implements the regulations, at least 200 plants that produce synthetic organic chemicals would be required to dramatically reduce their air toxics. Many of those facilities are owned by corporations such as Shell, BP and 3M.
The agency's proposal comes at a time when the Biden administration is pressing for tighter regulation of other harmful chemicals found throughout U.S. manufacturing, including PFAS.
Tackling cancer risk
The new proposal would cut nearly 80 additional air toxic pollutants throughout the U.S., EPA Administrator Michael Regan said at a press event in St. John the Baptist Parish, Louisiana on April 6.
The updated proposed regulations would reduce 63% of ethylene oxide emissions annually and 74% of chloroprene emissions a year.
The EPA’s analysis found that 9.3 million people live within about six miles of 195 synthetic organic chemical plants, and 95,000 have a potentially elevated risk of developing cancer from breathing air containing air toxics.
Plants that emit the highest levels of cancer-causing chemicals
“When we think about how toxic these chemicals are, communities don't stop breathing during a hurricane,” Regan told reporters. "They don't stop breathing during an event. So it's the company's responsibility to control this pollution. And it's our responsibility to enforce those laws, and we're going to do just that.”
The proposal would also help decrease air toxics-related cancer risks in underserved communities near the 200 plants that produce synthetic organic chemicals, with a concentration on eight plants in Louisiana and Texas.
Several of the Louisiana plants are known as “cancer alley” for their link to increased carcinogen exposure in nearby residents.
The proposal focuses on two key chemicals: ethylene oxide and chloroprene.
The American Fuel & Petrochemical Manufacturers called ethylene oxide the “world’s most important chemical” in 2017. Chemical manufacturers use the colorless gas to produce items such as antifreeze, polyesters, plastics, fabrics and sterilizes medical equipment.
When people are exposed to the chemical, the carcinogen could cause damage to a person’s skin, lungs, central nervous system, kidneys and liver, and could weaken the immune system, according to the National Library of Medicine.
Chloroprene is a colorless chemical used to produce neoprene rubber, which is then used in items such as wetsuits and adhesives. When exposed to people, the carcinogen could cause damage to a person’s skin, lungs, central nervous system, kidneys, liver and weaken the immune system, according to the National Library of Medicine.
Since ethylene oxide presents the greatest community risk, the EPA proposed the most stringent action level for its use by manufacturers, at 0.2 micrograms per cubic meter of air. For chloroprene, the agency recommended an action level to be 0.3 micrograms per cubic meter of air.
The regulations would eliminate 77 tons of ethylene oxide emissions annually, EPA Deputy Administrator Janet McCabe said in a call with reporters on April 11.
Implementing the proposal would cost $501 million in total capital costs, and $190 million a year to maintain the updated regulations, including product recovery. Most of the funds would go toward complying with rules that apply to manufacturers’ equipment and processes that produce synthetic organic chemicals.
The American Chemistry Council said in a statement it will review EPA’s proposals before commenting further.
However, the trade group said it was concerned about the agency’s proposals regarding ethylene oxide, which they say plays an important role in developing EV batteries and supporting the agriculture, oil and gas industries and sterilizing medical equipment.
“We support strong, science-based regulations for our industry,” the American Chemistry Council said in its statement. “But we are concerned that EPA may be rushing its work on significant rulemaking packages that reach across multiple source categories and could set important precedents.”
