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Compliance and Enforcement Annual Results FY2008:
Air Compliance Highlights
Outreach to Collision Repair Sector for New Clean Air Act Requirements
On January 9, 2008, EPA published the “auto body” rule in the Federal Register. The rule, referred to as the Paint Stripping and Miscellaneous Surface Coating Operations NESHAP, becomes effective for new shops immediately; initial notifications for existing shops are due by January 2010. The rule calls for auto body shops, which often are in residential or mixed residential/industrial areas, to use a series of best practices to reduce emissions of hazardous air pollutants to the environment. Implementation of these practices would reduce exposure to many people who live or work nearby.
Compliance Assistance is being offered around the country through a partnership effort between the Office of Air Quality Planning and Standards, EPA’s Design for the Environment (DfE) program in the Office of Pollution Prevention and Toxics (OPPT), the EPA Regional Offices, the Air Toxics and Small Business programs and multiple states and local agencies. This past year, assistance providers offered training to auto body shops on the best practices required by the rule, and on other practices that reduce risks to the shop workers themselves. Implementation of the best practices is predicted by EPA to result in a direct operating cost saving for the business, as well as indirect savings resulting from decreased worker exposure to hazardous air pollutants. In addition, facility visits were conducted to help provide assistance to shop owners and operators about what changes they need to make to their operations to come into compliance with the new requirements.
In just one year, the Collision Repair Campaign Team has trained over 1000 people, representing over 500 repair shops and has leveraged $1.9 million. Of the shops that participated in the trainings, an estimated 50 percent are implementing best practices. This has saved an estimated 59 tons of material, which translates to a cost savings of $1.1 million; reduced an estimated 40 tons of particulate matter, and 31 tons of volatile organic compounds emissions.
Through these approaches, the Collision Repair Campaign Partnership is reaching out to shop owners to make them aware of the impact of their shop emissions, encourage early compliance with this new rule, and not only reduce emissions beyond those required by the rule but also reduce operating costs by encouraging adoption of best practices in advance of the rule compliance date.
To learn more about CAA compliance, please visit Clean Air Act Compliance Assistance.
Annual Results by Fiscal Year:
FY2008 | FY2007 | FY2006 | FY2005 | FY2004 | FY2003 | FY2002 | FY2001 | FY2000 | FY1999