Residual risk report to Congress
The 1970 CAA mandated a health-based program that required EPA to identify and list HAPs based on human health criteria. EPA was to then promulgate standards (national emission standards for hazardous air pollutants, or NESHAPs) for each pollutant at a level that would ensure the protection of public health with `an ample margin of safety`. In the 20 years following enactment of the 1970 legislation, EPA identified eight pollutants as HAPs and regulated sources of seven of them. In the 1990 CAA Amendments, Congress shifted the focus from individual pollutants to industrial and commercial source categories, and a phased approach to controlling air toxics emissions was developed. In the first regulatory phase, EPA must promulgate national, technology-based emission standards for source categories emitting any of the 188 currently listed HAPs in amounts exceeding specific emission thresholds. The fundamental approach is the use of available control technologies or work practice changes to achieve emission reductions in a timely manner for as many of the listed HAPs as possible, without explicit consideration of a HAP`s inherent toxicity and potential risk. This technology-based standards program is commonly referred to as the maximum achievable control technology (MACT) program. Regulation of air toxics emissions through the MACT program is expected to achieve significant reductions in emissions of HAPs. In the second regulatory phase, the 1990 Amendments provide for a human health risk and adverse environmental effects-base needs test. Also included in the 1990 CAA Amendments are provisions that EPA study several specific topics. In accordance with this mandate, EPA has published a number of reports to Congress and continues to study these and other special topics. These programs, in combination with the residual risk program, will provide a coordinated federal approach to address air toxics.
- Research Organization:
- Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Air Quality Planning and Standards, Research Triangle Park, NC (United States)
- OSTI ID:
- 350782
- Report Number(s):
- PB-99-133654/XAB; EPA-453/R-99/001; TRN: 91311457
- Resource Relation:
- Other Information: DN: See also PB99-116535.; PBD: Mar 1999
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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