Delay In Boiler Regulations Sought

The American Chemistry Council (ACC) and 17 other industry groups petitioned EPA last week to delay implementation of new emissions standards and regulatory requirements for industrial boilers and solid-waste incinerators. The groups requested the stay because EPA has already announced that it plans to tweak the rules. “EPA is reconsidering major portions of these rules, and businesses should not be asked to comply until final requirements are clear,” says Calvin M. Dooley, president and CEO of ACC. Otherwise, he says, businesses could spend millions, if not billions of dollars, to comply with rules that may change. “A stay would avoid premature and potentially misguided expenditures and allow companies to keep their immediate focus on expansion, hiring, and growth,” Dooley says. Existing facilities have three years to comply with the regulations, but new facilities must meet the emissions standards immediately. The rules require boilers to reduce emissions of mercury, dioxins, particulate matter, hydrogen chloride, and carbon monoxide.