Small Municipal Waste Combustors (SMWC): New Source Performance Standards (NSPS) and Emission Guidelines (EG)
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Rule Summary
Section 129 of the Clean Air Act (CAA) directs the Administrator to develop regulations under section 111 of the Act limiting emissions of nine air pollutants (i.e., particulate matter, carbon monoxide, dioxins/furans, sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxides, hydrogen chloride, lead, mercury, and cadmium) from four categories of solid waste incineration units: municipal solid waste; hospital, medical and infectious solid waste; commercial and industrial solid waste; and other solid waste.
The new source performance standards (NSPS) and Emission Guidelines (EG) for new and existing small municipal waste combustors fulfill the requirements of sections 111 and 129 for incinerators that combust from 35 to 250 tons per day of municipal solid waste. The rule and guidelines, which address only the incineration of nonhazardous solid wastes, protect public health and the environment by reducing emissions of harmful air pollutants.
Rule History
01/31/2003 – Final Rule (Subpart JJJ)
06/14/2001 – Proposed Rule (Subpart JJJ)
12/06/2000 – Final Rule (Subparts AAAA (65 FR 76350) & BBBB (65 FR 76378) )
08/30/1999 – Proposed Rule (Subparts AAAA (64 FR 47276) & BBBB (64 FR 47234) )
Additional Resources
March 17, 2026 - Proposed Consolidation of Air Curtain Incinerator Provisions
On March 17, 2026, EPA proposed to consolidate air curtain incinerator (ACI) requirements across four Clean Air Act section 129 rules for ACIs solely used for the incineration of wood waste, yard waste, and clean lumber. Read the proposed rulemaking.
Helpful Information on Small Municipal Waste Combustors
Small Municipal Waste Combustion Units Air Toxics Rules Fact Sheets
Legacy Docket Numbers:
A-89-08
A-90-45
A-98-18
Related Rules
Compliance
Status of Section 111(d)/129 State Plans (SP) for Small Municipal Waste Combustors (MWC) Units
Applicability Determination Index (ADI). The ADI is maintained by EPA's Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance (OECA) and provides a data base of memoranda dealing with applicability issues. The database is searchable by Subpart.