The Printing and Publishing Industry: National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants (NESHAP)
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Rule Summary
The rule requires existing and new major sources to control emissions using the maximum achievable control technology (MACT) to control hazardous air pollutants (HAP). The final rule includes organic HAP emission limits for publication rotogravure, product and packaging rotogravure, and wide-web flexographic printing. A variety of organic HAP are used as solvents and components of inks and other materials used by printers. The HAP emitted by the facilities covered by this final rule include xylene, toluene, ethylbenzene, methyl ethyl ketone, methyl isobutyl ketone, methanol, ethylene glycol, and certain glycol ethers. All of these pollutants can cause reversible or irreversible toxic effects following exposure.
These standards will reduce nationwide emissions of HAP from rotogravure and wide-web flexographic printing operations by approximately 6700 Mg/yr (7400 tpy) in 1999 and, to some extent, reduce volatile organic compounds (VOC) emissions from those same operations.
Rule History
04/21/2011 – Final Rule (76 FR 22566)
10/21/2010 – Proposed Rule (75 FR 23839)
05/24/2006 – Proposed Rule (71 FR 29778) & Direct Final Rule(71 FR 29792)
05/30/1996 – Final Rule (61 FR 27132)
04/03/1995 – Federal Register Correction (60 FR 16920)
03/14/1995 – Proposed Rule (60 FR 13664)
Additional Resources
Fact Sheet: Final Air Toxics Regulation for the Printing and Publishing Industry
View the supporting documents for the 2006 final rule in the docket folder.
View the supporting documents for the 2011 final rule in the docket folder.
Related Rules
Control Techniques Guidelines for Offset Lithographic Printing and Letterpress Printing
Alternative Control Techniques Document Offset Lithographic Printing
Control Techniques Guidelines for Flexible Package Printing
Publication Rotogravure Printing (Graphic Arts Industry): New Source Performance Standards (NSPS)
Flexible Vinyl and Urethane Coating and Printing: New Source Performance Standards (NSPS)