EPA is poised to plug a long-standing gap in its air toxics emissions standards for rubber tire manufacturers.
On Friday, the White House regulations office completed a routine review of an update to the standards, clearing the way for final EPA action by this Wednesday under the amended terms of a lawsuit settlement with environmental groups.
The tire manufacturing sector, which includes household names like Michelin and Goodyear, is among dozens of industries covered by limits on their releases of hazardous pollutants. While the agency’s original regulations for tire makers date back to 2002, they currently do not include standards for the “subcategory” of rubber processing.
Under a draft rule published last November, EPA would impose first-ever hazardous pollutant emission standards for that part of the industry. The proposed changes, which would apply to about a dozen plants, were projected to cut total releases of hazardous metals and other pollutants by almost 1,100 tons annually, with a yearly compliance price tag of $20.8 million, according to a summary.
