TOXIC AIR POLLUTANTS

Introduction Our Positions Documents Links

Toxic Air Pollutants

Toxic air pollutants, also referred to as hazardous air pollutants, are substances that cause or may cause cancer or other serious health effects, such as reproductive, birth or developmental defects, and neurological, cardiovascular, and respiratory disease. They can be found in gaseous, aerosol, or particulate forms. Some toxic air pollutants (e.g., mercury) are persistent bioaccumulative toxics, which means they are stored indefinitely in the body and increase over time. These toxics can deposit onto soils or surface waters, where they are taken up by plants and are ingested by animals, with concentrations increasing as the toxics move up through the food chain to humans. Toxic air pollutants include, among others, formaldehyde; acrolein; benzene; naphthalene; arsenic and metals, such as cadmium, mercury, chromium and lead. Sources of hazardous air pollutants include stationary sources, such as power plants, factories, dry cleaners, and hospitals, as well as mobile sources such as cars, buses, and construction equipment. In the United States, the federal Clean Air Act identifies 187 hazardous air pollutants to be regulated. “National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants” (NESHAPS) have been established for industries emitting the listed pollutants and generally require the use of “Maximum Achievable Control Technology” (MACT). Standards have been promulgated to apply to many kinds of sources, including hazardous and municipal waste incinerators, commercial/industrial boilers, chlor-alkali plants, cement kilns, dry cleaners, printing plants, degreasers and a host of others. Strategies for controlling toxic air pollutants include pollution prevention measures, such as product substitution, process modification, work-practice standards and materials separation; coal cleaning (relevant to mercury control); flue gas treatment technologies (such as "scrubbers"); and alternative strategies. Motor vehicles are significant sources of toxic air pollution, so programs to reduce emissions from cars, trucks and buses also decrease concentrations of toxic air pollutants. These programs include reformulated gasoline, the federal motor vehicle control program and gasoline sulfur control requirements, among others.

OUR POSITIONS DATE
Air Toxics – Risk and Technology Review – NACAA Comments on Stationary Combustion Turbine RTR
05/21/2019
Air Toxics – n-Propyl Bromide – NACAA Comments on EPA Draft Notice to Grant Petition List n-PB under Section 112
03/13/2017
Air Toxics – Municipal Solid Waste Landfills – NACAA Comments on EPA’s proposed revisions to the Standards of Performance for Municipal Solid Waste Landfill (NSPS) and Existing Guidelines and Compliance Times (EG) for Municipal Solid Waste Landfills
10/26/2015
Air Toxics – n-Propyl Bromide – NACAA Comments on Petition to EPA to List n-PB under Section 112
05/07/2015
Air Toxics – Risk and Technology Review – NACAA Comments on EPA’s Proposed Residual Risk and Technology Review Standard for Aerospace Manufacturing and Rework Facilities
04/01/2015
Air Toxics – Brick and Clay – NACAA Comments on the Proposed NESHAP for Brick and Structural Clay Products Manufacturing and for Clay Ceramics Manufacturing
03/18/2015
Air Toxics – Risk and Technology Review – NACAA Comments on EPA’s Supplemental Proposal for Primary Aluminum Reduction Plants
02/03/2015
Air Toxics – Risk and Technology Review – NACAA Comments on EPA’s Supplemental Proposal for Secondary Aluminum Production
02/03/2015
Air Toxics – Risk and Technology Review – NACAA Comments on EPA’s Proposed Residual Risk and Technology Review Standard for Petroleum Refineries
10/28/2014
Air Toxics – Municipal Solid Waste Landfills – NACAA Comments on EPA’s Advanced Notice of Proposed Rulemaking on Municipal Solid Waste Landfills
09/15/2014
Air Toxics – Risk and Technology Review – NACAA Comments on EPA’s Proposed Residual Risk and Technology Review Standard for Off-Site Waste and Recovery Operations
08/18/2014
Air Toxics – Risk and Technology Review – NACAA Testimony for EPA Petroleum Refineries Hearing
08/05/2014
Air Toxics – Risk and Technology Review – NACAA Comments on EPA’s Proposed Residual Risk and Technology Review for Acrylic and Modacrylic Fibers Production, Polycarbonate Production and Amino/Phenolic Resins Production
03/10/2014
Air Toxics – Risk and Technology Review – NACAA Comments on EPA’s Draft Residual Risk and Technology Review for Flexible Polyurethane Foam
12/04/2013
Air Toxics – RICE – NACAA Comments on RICE Reconsideration
11/04/2013
Air Toxics – Risk and Technology Review – Mineral Wool/Wool Fiberglass – NACAA Comments on Proposed RTR
05/28/2013
Air Toxics – NATA – NACAA Letter to EPA in Support of NATA
08/15/2012
Air Toxics – RICE – NACAA Comments on Proposed Reciprocating Internal Combustion Engines (RICE) Amendments
08/09/2012
Air Toxics – Risk and Technology Review – Chromium Electroplating and Steel Pickling – NACAA’s Comments on Proposed RTR
03/26/2012
Air Toxics – Risk and Technology Review – Group IV Polymers and Resins, Pesticide Active Ingredient, and Polyether Polyols Production – NACAA’s Comments on Proposed RTR
03/09/2012
Air Toxics – Risk and Technology Review – Pulp and Paper Industry – NACAA’s Comments on Proposed RTR
02/27/2012
Air Toxics – Industrial Boilers – NACAA Comments on EPA's Proposed Reconsideration of Boiler and CISWI MACTs
02/21/2012
Air Toxics – Risk and Technology Review – Primary Aluminum Reduction Plants – NACAA’s Comments on Proposed RTR
02/01/2012
Air Toxics – Risk and Technology Review – Mineral Wool/Wool Fiberglass – NACAA's Comments on Proposed RTR
01/31/2012
Air Toxics – Risk and Technology Review – Ferroalloys – NACAA’s Comments on Proposed RTR
01/24/2012
Air Toxics – Risk and Technology Review – NACAA Comments on EPA’s Proposed NSPS and NESHAP for the Oil and Natural Gas Sector
11/30/2011
Air Toxics – TRAIN Act – NACAA Letter to House Leaders Opposing H.R. H.R. 2401 – The Transparency in Regulatory Analysis of Impacts on the Nation Act of 2011
09/21/2011
Air Toxics – Industrial Boilers – NACAA Letter to House Energy and Commerce Committee Opposing Bills Halting Boiler and Cement Rules
09/19/2011
Air Toxics – Industrial Boilers – NACAA Letter to House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Energy and Power Opposing Bills Halting Boiler and Cement Rules
09/12/2011
Air Toxics – Utilities – NACAA Comments on EPA’s Proposed MACT and NSPS for Power Plants
08/04/2011
Air Toxics – Risk and Technology Review – Secondary Lead Smelting – NACAA Comments on Proposed RTR
07/26/2011
Air Toxics – Industrial Boilers – NACAA Comments on Boiler and CISWI MACT Reconsideration
07/14/2011
Air Toxics – PVC – NACAA Comments on EPA’s Proposed PVC MACT
07/11/2011
Air Toxics – Risk and Technology Review – Shipbuilding and Repair and Wood Furniture Manufacturing – NACAA Comments on Proposed RTR
02/22/2011
Air Toxics – Lesser Quantity Threshold for Mercury – NACAA Letter in Support
01/13/2011
Air Toxics – Lesser Quantity Threshold for Mercury – Quicksilver Caucus Letter to EPA Recommending Lesser Quantity Threshold for Mercury
01/05/2011