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Air Issues
National Emissions Standards For Hazardous Air Pollutants From Miscellaneous Organic Chemical Manufacturing And Miscellaneous Coating Manufacturing (MON MACT)
Boiler and Process Heater NESHAP
Area Source Regulations
CAA Startup, Shutdown, and Malfunction Plans
Risk Management Program
National Emissions Standards For Hazardous Air Pollutants From Miscellaneous Organic Chemical Manufacturing And Miscellaneous Coating Manufacturing (MON MACT)
Under the Clean Air Act Amendments of 1990, the EPA is required to establish maximum achievable control technology (MACT) standards for a number of industrial sectors that are believed to be major emitters of hazardous air pollutants (HAPS). Many of these standards will directly affect the organic chemical industry. The Miscellaneous Organic National Emission Standard for Hazardous Air Pollutants (MON) is intended to cover all organic chemical processes not covered by other standards such as the Hazardous Organic NESHAP or "HON". The MON was proposed in April 2002 and was published in final form on November 10, 2004. Affected facilities must fully implement the rule requirements by November 10, 2007. The rule is currently the subject of litigation, the outcome of which is expected to alter some of the rule requirements and may affect compliance dates as well. SOCMA continues to help members through compliance assistance in the form of the MON Resource Center. Click here for more information on this tool. For more information on the MON rule, visit EPA's website.
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Boiler and Process Heater NESHAP
Under the Clean Air Act Amendments of 1990, the EPA is required to establish maximum achievable control technology (MACT) standards for a number of industrial sectors that are believed to be major emitters of hazardous air pollutants (HAPs). Many of these standards will directly affect the organic chemical industry. The Industrial/Commercial/Institutional (ICI) Boilers and Process Heaters MACT (Boiler MACT) is intended to regulate HAP emissions from boilers and process heaters located at major sources. The Boiler MACT was proposed on January 13, 2003.
SOCMA submitted comments on the proposed rule on March 14, 2003 and on EPA's reconsideration on August 11, 2005. The rule requires implementation of various emission limits and work practice standards for boilers and process heaters located at sources emitting more than 10 tons of any one HAP or 25 tons of aggregate HAP (i.e. a "major source"). The rule divides boilers and process heaters into various subcategories depending on size and fuel type, and has different standards for new and existing units.
The final rule was published September 13, 2004, but was challenged in court by several NGOs, where it still remains. SOCMA is participating in an industry intervention of the lawsuit on behalf of EPA. Meanwhile, SOCMA continues to keep members aware of compliance assistance and to answer any member questions through EPA guidance. For more information and EPA guidance, click here.
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Area Source Regulations
The area source standards to regulate emissions of air toxics (hazardous air pollutants) are focused on those emitters that are minor sources of the pollutants. That is, they emit less than 10 tpy of any one hazardous air pollutant (HAP) or less than 25 tpy aggregate HAPs.
Under CAA §112(k) and 112(c), EPA is required to develop a strategy for reducing the public health risk in urban areas from the 30 most-hazardous HAPs. EPA is required to identify and list the area source categories that represent 90 percent of the emissions of the at least the 30 "listed" air toxics and subject them to standards under the CAA (section 112(d)).
EPA has identified a total of 70 area source categories which represent 90 percent of the emissions of the 30 listed air toxics. Of these 70 area source categories, 15 have been regulated and the remaining area source standards are under development or will be developed in the future. EPA's National Emissions Inventory (NEI) data was used to rank the sources relatively by toxicity, which determined the order in which the rules would be drafted. Completion dates will likely be affected by ongoing litigation between EPA and the Sierra Club. EPA has projected approximately 4-5 years per rule from start to finish. Those categories most relevant to SOCMA members include the following:
Synthetic Rubber Manufacturing
Agricultural Chemicals & Pesticides Manufacturing
Miscellaneous Organic NESHAP
Pharmaceutical Production
Cyclic Crude and Intermediates, and
Plastic Materials and Resins Manufacturing
This program is still in its early stages at EPA, but it will impact almost all SOCMA members in some form. For this reason, SOCMA is working persistently to ensure that we will be included in the rulemaking process and that our members' concerns will be heard, and hopefully addressed, before a rule is even proposed. Click here for more information.
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CAA Startup, Shutdown, Malfunction Plans
The implementing regulations for § 112 of the Clean Air Act include provisions requiring source owners or operators to develop startup, shutdown, and malfunction (SSM) plans. 40 CFR 63.6(e)(3) says in relevant part that "the owner or operator of an affected source must develop and implement a written startup, shutdown, and malfunction plan that describes, in detail, procedures for operating and maintaining the source during periods of startup, shutdown, and malfunction, and a program of corrective action for malfunctioning process and air pollution control and monitoring equipment used to comply with the relevant standard."
In addition to drafting and implementing the actual plan, SSM requirements also include several recordkeeping and reporting requirements. Regular records must be kept confirming that actions taken during periods of SSM were consistent with the plan. Facilities are also required to file a semiannual report. Actions taken that are inconsistent with the plan may require more immediate reporting. The owner/operator is required to keep the plan up-to-date and to revise it to reflect changes in equipment, procedures, or to accommodate a nonconforming event. Finally, the SSM plan must be maintained on-site and must be provided to the regulating agency upon request.
SSM plans have recently received increased public scrutiny since the Sierra Club made the provisions part of the negotiations in the MACT hammer date settlement. The Sierra Club wanted to require that all SSM plans and revisions be submitted to regulatory agencies, rather than a facility just keeping them on-site. The May 30, 2003 final rule (68 Fed. Reg. 32585), which is currently the law, requires only that the plans be kept updated and on-site. Click here for additional information and guidance.
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Risk Management Program
On June 20, 1996, the EPA promulgated a rule to implement Section 112(r)(7) of the Clean Air Act. This regulation is often referred to as the risk management program (RMP) rule because its intention is to prevent and mitigate releases of extremely hazardous substances by requiring regulated facilities to establish risk management programs. The primary goal of the RMP rule is to protect communities surrounding regulated chemical facilities from accidental releases. The rules promulgating the list of regulated substances (published January 31, 1994) and the Risk Management Program provisions (published June 20, 1996) are found in 40 CFR Part 68. Amendments to the rule published on April 9, 2004 remove the requirement for facilities to describe their offsite consequence analysis in the executive summary of RMPs, add several new data elements to RMPs, and require more timely reporting of significant accidents and changes in emergency contact information.
Because of the recent regulatory focus on chemical site security, RMPs have re-emerged as a SOCMA focus. SOCMA has remained actively engaged, but primarily now through the Safety and Security Committee, which handles security issues. For additional information and relevant guidance tools, visit EPA's Chemical Emergency Preparedness and Prevention Office homepage.
Members: Click here for the checklist used to guide EPA inspections of RMP facilities.
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effect
How can air pollution hurt my health?
Air pollution can affect our health in many ways with both short-term and long-term effects. Different groups of individuals are affected by air pollution in different ways. Some individuals are much more sensitive to pollutants than are others. Young children and elderly people often suffer more from the effects of air pollution. People with health problems such as asthma, heart and lung disease may also suffer more when the air is polluted. The extent to which an individual is harmed by air pollution usually depends on the total exposure to the damaging chemicals, i.e., the duration of exposure and the concentration of the chemicals must be taken into account.
Examples of short-term effects include irritation to the eyes, nose and throat, and upper respiratory infections such as bronchitis and pneumonia. Other symptoms can include headaches, nausea, and allergic reactions. Short-term air pollution can aggravate the medical conditions of individuals with asthma and emphysema. In the great "Smog Disaster" in London in 1952, four thousand people died in a few days due to the high concentrations of pollution.
Long-term health effects can include chronic respiratory disease, lung cancer, heart disease, and even damage to the brain, nerves, liver, or kidneys. Continual exposure to air pollution affects the lungs of growing children and may aggravate or complicate medical conditions in the elderly. It is estimated that half a million people die prematurely every year in the United States as a result of smoking cigarettes.
Research into the health effects of air pollution is ongoing. Medical conditions arising from air pollution can be very expensive. Healthcare costs, lost productivity in the workplace, and human welfare impacts cost billions of dollars each year.
Additional information on the health effects of air pollution is available from the Natural Resources Defense Council. A short article on the health effects of ozone (a major component of smog) is available from the B.A.A.Q.M.D.
Air pollution can affect our health in many ways with both short-term and long-term effects. Different groups of individuals are affected by air pollution in different ways. Some individuals are much more sensitive to pollutants than are others. Young children and elderly people often suffer more from the effects of air pollution. People with health problems such as asthma, heart and lung disease may also suffer more when the air is polluted. The extent to which an individual is harmed by air pollution usually depends on the total exposure to the damaging chemicals, i.e., the duration of exposure and the concentration of the chemicals must be taken into account.
Examples of short-term effects include irritation to the eyes, nose and throat, and upper respiratory infections such as bronchitis and pneumonia. Other symptoms can include headaches, nausea, and allergic reactions. Short-term air pollution can aggravate the medical conditions of individuals with asthma and emphysema. In the great "Smog Disaster" in London in 1952, four thousand people died in a few days due to the high concentrations of pollution.
Long-term health effects can include chronic respiratory disease, lung cancer, heart disease, and even damage to the brain, nerves, liver, or kidneys. Continual exposure to air pollution affects the lungs of growing children and may aggravate or complicate medical conditions in the elderly. It is estimated that half a million people die prematurely every year in the United States as a result of smoking cigarettes.
Research into the health effects of air pollution is ongoing. Medical conditions arising from air pollution can be very expensive. Healthcare costs, lost productivity in the workplace, and human welfare impacts cost billions of dollars each year.
Additional information on the health effects of air pollution is available from the Natural Resources Defense Council. A short article on the health effects of ozone (a major component of smog) is available from the B.A.A.Q.M.D.
outdoor pollution
Outdoor Air Pollution
Smog is a type of large-scale outdoor pollution. It is caused by chemical reactions between pollutants derived from different sources, primarily automobile exhaust and industrial emissions. Cities are often centers of these types of activities, and many suffer from the effects of smog, especially during the warm months of the year. Additional information about smog and its effects are available from Environment Canada and the Air Quality Management District (AQMD) in southern California.
For each city, the exact causes of pollution may be different. Depending on the geographical location, temperature, wind and weather factors, pollution is dispersed differently. However, sometimes this does not happen and the pollution can build up to dangerous levels. A temperature inversion occurs when air close to the earth is cooler than the air above it. Under these conditions the pollution cannot rise and be dispersed. Cities surrounded by mountains also experience trapping of pollution. Inversion can happen in any season. Winter inversions are likely to cause particulate and cabon monoxide pollution. Summer inversions are more likely to create smog.
Another consequence of outdoor air pollution is acid rain. When a pollutant, such as sulfuric acid combines with droplets of water in the air, the water (or snow) can become acidified . The effects of acid rain on the environment can be very serious. It damages plants by destroying their leaves, it poisons the soil, and it changes the chemistry of lakes and streams. Damage due to acid rain kills trees and harms animals, fish, and other wildlife. The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and Environment Canada are among the organizations that are actively studying the acid rain problem.
The Greenhouse Effect, also referred to as global warming, is generally believed to come from the build up of carbon dioxide gas in the atmosphere. Carbon dioxide is produced when fuels are burned. Plants convert carbon dioxide back to oxygen, but the release of carbon dioxide from human activities is higher than the world's plants can process. The situation is made worse since many of the earth's forests are being removed, and plant life is being damaged by acid rain. Thus, the amount of carbon dioxide in the air is continuing to increase. This buildup acts like a blanket and traps heat close to the surface of our earth. Changes of even a few degrees will affect us all through changes in the climate and even the possibility that the polar ice caps may melt. (One of the consequences of polar ice cap melting would be a rise in global sea level, resulting in widespread coastal flooding.) Additional resources and information about the Greenhouse Effect and global warming are available from the Environmental Defense Fund (EDF), the Science Education Academy of the Bay Area (SEABA) and the Society of Environmental Journalists (SEJ).
Ozone depletion is another result of pollution. Chemicals released by our activities affect the stratosphere , one of the atmospheric layers surrounding earth. The ozone layer in the stratosphere protects the earth from harmful ultraviolet radiation from the sun. Release of chlorofluorocarbons (CFC's) from aerosol cans, cooling systems and refrigerator equipment removes some of the ozone, causing "holes"; to open up in this layer and allowing the radiation to reach the earth. Ultraviolet radiation is known to cause skin cancer and has damaging effects on plants and wildlife. Additional resources and information about the ozone depletion problem are available from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and Ozone ACTION
Smog is a type of large-scale outdoor pollution. It is caused by chemical reactions between pollutants derived from different sources, primarily automobile exhaust and industrial emissions. Cities are often centers of these types of activities, and many suffer from the effects of smog, especially during the warm months of the year. Additional information about smog and its effects are available from Environment Canada and the Air Quality Management District (AQMD) in southern California.
For each city, the exact causes of pollution may be different. Depending on the geographical location, temperature, wind and weather factors, pollution is dispersed differently. However, sometimes this does not happen and the pollution can build up to dangerous levels. A temperature inversion occurs when air close to the earth is cooler than the air above it. Under these conditions the pollution cannot rise and be dispersed. Cities surrounded by mountains also experience trapping of pollution. Inversion can happen in any season. Winter inversions are likely to cause particulate and cabon monoxide pollution. Summer inversions are more likely to create smog.
Another consequence of outdoor air pollution is acid rain. When a pollutant, such as sulfuric acid combines with droplets of water in the air, the water (or snow) can become acidified . The effects of acid rain on the environment can be very serious. It damages plants by destroying their leaves, it poisons the soil, and it changes the chemistry of lakes and streams. Damage due to acid rain kills trees and harms animals, fish, and other wildlife. The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and Environment Canada are among the organizations that are actively studying the acid rain problem.
The Greenhouse Effect, also referred to as global warming, is generally believed to come from the build up of carbon dioxide gas in the atmosphere. Carbon dioxide is produced when fuels are burned. Plants convert carbon dioxide back to oxygen, but the release of carbon dioxide from human activities is higher than the world's plants can process. The situation is made worse since many of the earth's forests are being removed, and plant life is being damaged by acid rain. Thus, the amount of carbon dioxide in the air is continuing to increase. This buildup acts like a blanket and traps heat close to the surface of our earth. Changes of even a few degrees will affect us all through changes in the climate and even the possibility that the polar ice caps may melt. (One of the consequences of polar ice cap melting would be a rise in global sea level, resulting in widespread coastal flooding.) Additional resources and information about the Greenhouse Effect and global warming are available from the Environmental Defense Fund (EDF), the Science Education Academy of the Bay Area (SEABA) and the Society of Environmental Journalists (SEJ).
Ozone depletion is another result of pollution. Chemicals released by our activities affect the stratosphere , one of the atmospheric layers surrounding earth. The ozone layer in the stratosphere protects the earth from harmful ultraviolet radiation from the sun. Release of chlorofluorocarbons (CFC's) from aerosol cans, cooling systems and refrigerator equipment removes some of the ozone, causing "holes"; to open up in this layer and allowing the radiation to reach the earth. Ultraviolet radiation is known to cause skin cancer and has damaging effects on plants and wildlife. Additional resources and information about the ozone depletion problem are available from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and Ozone ACTION
Rabu, 25 Julai 2007
kesan-kesan perindustrian terhadap alam sekitar
KESAN-KESAN PERINDUSTRIAN TERHADAP ALAM SEKITAR
Hasil dari perkembangan industri yang pesat telah memberi kesan terhadap alam sekitar. Antara kesan sampingan itu ialah :
1. Pencemaran Udara Dan JerebuKesan daripada aktiviti-aktiviti perkilangan, telah menggalakkan pembebasan bahan-bahan seperti karbon monoksida, karbon dioksida, sulfur oksida, hidrokarbon dan lain-lain. Ini telah menyebabkan komposisi ruang udara di persekitaran Gemas tercemar dan teroksida. Pembebasan habuk terampai telah menyebabkan fenomena jerebu terutama ketika udara kering (dry air). Ini telah meningkatkan nilai IPU (Indeks Pencemar Udara) di persekitaran Gemas.
2. Fenomena Hujan AsidFenomena hujan asid ini terjadi apabila komposisi udara yang tercemar bertindakbalas dengan air hujan dan menyebabkan air hujan berasid. Bahan-bahan pencemar (pollutions) bertindak sebagai nukleus kondesas untuk menyerap wap-wap air di atmosfera dan menghasilkan sebatian-sebatian asid. Hujan asid boleh merosakkan ekosistem akuatik, membantutkan tumbesaran tumbuhan atau tanaman, meningkatkan nilai keasidan tanah dan melunturkan warna bangunan.
3. Pencemaran BauSesetengah industri khususnya industri primer atau industri pemprosesan seperti industri memproses getah, kelapa sawit, kayu balak dan sebagainya berupaya mengeluarkan sisa-sisa toksid yang berbau busuk. Sisa-sisa ini sukar dilupuskan dan tertinggal sebagai “enap cemar” di persekitaran kilang. Oleh itu, pencemaran bau sentiasa berpanjangan dan menimbulkan ketidakselesaan hidup bagi penduduk- penduduk di persekitarannya.
Hasil dari perkembangan industri yang pesat telah memberi kesan terhadap alam sekitar. Antara kesan sampingan itu ialah :
1. Pencemaran Udara Dan JerebuKesan daripada aktiviti-aktiviti perkilangan, telah menggalakkan pembebasan bahan-bahan seperti karbon monoksida, karbon dioksida, sulfur oksida, hidrokarbon dan lain-lain. Ini telah menyebabkan komposisi ruang udara di persekitaran Gemas tercemar dan teroksida. Pembebasan habuk terampai telah menyebabkan fenomena jerebu terutama ketika udara kering (dry air). Ini telah meningkatkan nilai IPU (Indeks Pencemar Udara) di persekitaran Gemas.
2. Fenomena Hujan AsidFenomena hujan asid ini terjadi apabila komposisi udara yang tercemar bertindakbalas dengan air hujan dan menyebabkan air hujan berasid. Bahan-bahan pencemar (pollutions) bertindak sebagai nukleus kondesas untuk menyerap wap-wap air di atmosfera dan menghasilkan sebatian-sebatian asid. Hujan asid boleh merosakkan ekosistem akuatik, membantutkan tumbesaran tumbuhan atau tanaman, meningkatkan nilai keasidan tanah dan melunturkan warna bangunan.
3. Pencemaran BauSesetengah industri khususnya industri primer atau industri pemprosesan seperti industri memproses getah, kelapa sawit, kayu balak dan sebagainya berupaya mengeluarkan sisa-sisa toksid yang berbau busuk. Sisa-sisa ini sukar dilupuskan dan tertinggal sebagai “enap cemar” di persekitaran kilang. Oleh itu, pencemaran bau sentiasa berpanjangan dan menimbulkan ketidakselesaan hidup bagi penduduk- penduduk di persekitarannya.
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