Chemistry Reference
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acetamide, acetonitrile, acetophenone, 2-acetylaminofluorene, acrolein,
acrylamide, acrylic acid, acrylonitrile, allyl chloride, 4-aminobiphenyl, ani-
line, o-anisidine, and asbestos. The law requires that the EPA Administrator
periodically reviews and revises the list.
The EPA uses a technology-based approach to reduce emissions. Stan-
dards are developed for controlling emissions from each major type of facility
within an industry group. The standards are based upon the emission levels
that are already being achieved by the lower emitting sources within the indus-
try. They are known as maximum achievable control technology (MACT)
standards. MACT standards require sources to meet specific emissions limits
that are based on emissions levels already being achieved by many similar
sources in the country. MACT standards are a way the EPA has of promoting
best practices. The EPA has issued more than 20 MACT standards for differ-
ent air toxics. For example one of the MACT standards, published in 1994,
reduces emission of 131 air toxics from chemical manufacturing processes. It
requires reductions in toxic organic air pollutants emitted from places such as
process vents, storage vessels, and other equipment. This MACT standard has
a goal of a 90% reduction from the preregulated levels. Many of the MACT
standards are not linked as closely to the chemical industry. For example,
another standard, published in 1997 deals with incineration of medical waste.
In 1994, EPA promulgated (40 CFR Part 63) national emission standards
for hazardous air pollutants (NESHAP) for the synthetic organic chemical
manufacturing industry. This rule is commonly known as the hazardous
organic NESHAP (HON) and established maximum achievable control
technology standards to regulate the emissions of hazardous air pollutants
from production processes that are located at major sources. This regulates
emissions from five sources: process vents, transfer operations, storage
vessels, equipment leaks, and finally wastewater streams, collections and
treatment operations. Requirements for compliance, record keeping and
reporting are given.
The 1976 Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) (42 U.S.C.
ยง6901 et seq.) involves the control of hazardous waste. RCRA governs not
just chemicals but also municipal waste and landfills.
It was amended in 1984 to focus on waste minimization and to phase
out hazardous waste disposal in landfills. In 1986 it was further amended
to include regulation of underground storage facilities. The focus here was
underground storage of gasoline. Recall that about that time, there had been
some storage tanks that had leaked and a fuel additive, methyl t-butyl ether
(MTBE) had been found in the groundwater as a result of leaking gasoline
storage tanks.
The European Union regulates chemicals with a law called REACH.
REACH is an acronym for the Registration, Evaluation, Authorization and
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