Technology Transfer Network - Air Toxics Web Site
Risk and Technology Review
What is the RTR Program?
The Risk and Technology Review (RTR) is a combined effort to evaluate both risk and technology as required by the Clean Air Act (CAA) after the application of maximum achievable control technology (MACT) standards. Section 112(f) of the CAA requires EPA to complete a Report to Congress that includes a discussion of methods the EPA would use to evaluate the risks remaining after the application of MACT standards. These are known as residual risks. EPA published the Residual Risk Report to Congress (PDF) in March 1999. Section 112(f)(2) directs EPA to conduct risk assessments on each source category subject to MACT standards, and to determine if additional standards are needed to reduce residual risks. Section 112(d)(6) of the CAA requires EPA to review and revise the MACT standards, as necessary, taking into account developments in practices, processes and control technologies. The methodology for conducting these reviews is described in: Risk and Technology Review (RTR) Risk Assessment Methodologies: For Review by the EPA’s Science Advisory Board with Case Studies – MACT I Petroleum Refining Sources and Portland Cement Manufacturing (EPA-452/R-09-006). The Science Advisory Board (SAB) RTR Methods Review Panel held a meeting on July 28-29, 2009 to review this document, and a final report of their review is available at the SAB website .
Recent Actions
- The final rule for Aerospace was published in the Federal Register on December 7, 2015.
- The final rule for Petroleum Refineries was published in the Federal Register on December 1, 2015.
- The final rule for Primary Aluminum was published in the Federal Register on October 15, 2015.
- The final rule for Secondary Aluminum Production was published in the Federal Register on September 18, 2015.
RTR Review Files
RTR review files that contain the risk modeling data will be posted here during the public comment periods for all RTR proposals. To use the emission data files, you must download them to your computer and unzip them to view the data and provide comments.
The links provided here contain the detailed instructions for downloading and updating the emission data files.
RTR | Project Lead | Phone Number | ||
---|---|---|---|---|
Nutritional Yeast Manufacturing | Allison Costa | 919-541-1322 | ||
Pulp and Paper Combustion Sources | Kelley Spence | 919-541-3158 | ||
Publicly Owned Treatment Works |
Karen Marsh | 919-541-1065 |
Current Schedules
The EPA is under a consent decree to complete RTRs for 3 additional source categories. The schedules for these categories are shown in the following table:
Source Category
(Link to Technical Information) |
Consent Decree or Court Ordered Date for Signature of Proposed Rule | Consent Decree or Court Ordered Date for Signature of Final Rule |
---|---|---|
Nutritional Yeast Manufacturing | -- | 10/1/2017 |
Pulp and Paper Combustion Sources | -- | 10/1/2017 |
Publicly-Owned Treatment Works | 12/8/2016 | 10/16/2017 |
Portland Cement | 6/15/2017 | 6/15/2018 |
Other RTR Actions
The EPA has completed the RTRs for the following source categories:
RTR Source Categories and Project Lead Contact Information
Key Excerpts from the Clean Air Act Regarding Residual Risk and Technology Review
Section 112(f(2) (2) EMISSION STANDARDS.-- (A) If Congress does not act on any recommendation submit- ted under paragraph (1), the Administrator shall, within 8 years after promulgation of standards for each category or subcate-gory of sources pursuant to subsection (d), promul- gate stand-ards for such category or subcategory if promulgation of such standards is required in order to provide an ample margin of safety to protect public health in accordance with this sec-tion (as in effect before the date of enactment of the Clean Air Act Amendments of 1990) or to prevent, taking into consid-eration costs, energy, safety, and other relevant factors, an adverse environmental effect. Emission standards promulgated under this subsection shall provide an ample margin of safety to protect public health in accordance with this section (as in effect before the date of enactment of the Clean Air Act Amendments of 1990), unless the Administrator determines that a more stringent standard is necessary to prevent, taking into consideration costs, energy, safety, and other relevant factors, an adverse environmental effect. If standards promulgated pursuant to subsection (d) and applicable to a category or subcategory of sources emitting a pollutant (or pollutants) classified as a known, probable or possible human carcinogen do not reduce lifetime excess cancer risks to the individual most exposed to emissions from a source in the category or subcategory to less than one in one million, the Administrator shall promulgate standards under this subsection for such source category. (B) Nothing in subparagraph (A) or in any other provision of this section shall be construed as affecting, or applying to the Administrator's interpretation of this section, as in effect before the date of enactment of the Clean Air Act Amendments of 1990 and set forth in the Federal Register of September 14, 1989 (54 Federal Register 38044). (C) The Administrator shall determine whether or not to promulgate such standards and, if the Administrator decides to promulgate such standards, shall promulgate the standards 8 years after promulgation of the standards under subsection (d) for each source category or subcategory concerned. In the case of categories or subcategories for which standards under subsection (d) are required to be promulgated within 2 years after the date of enactment of the Clean Air Act Amendments of 1990, the Administrator shall have 9 years after promulgation of the standards under subsection (d) to make the determination under the preceding sentence and, if required, to promulgate the standards under this paragraph....
112(d)(6) (6) Review and revision.- The Administrator shall review, and revise as necessary (taking into account developments in practic- es, processes, and control technologies), emission standards promulgated under this section no less often than every 8 years.