Environmental Management Systems

Key Concepts of Clean Air Act

Hazardous Air Pollutants (HAPs)
Section 112 of Clean Air Act is EPAs mandate to
control hazardous pollutants discharged into the
nations air
EPA is required under the amendments to promulgate
technology-based limitations for industrial source
categories and issue standards for each category
In addition to a new HAPs program,
a comprehensive program for accidental hazardous
substance release prevention, reporting, and investigation
has been established

Environmental Management Systems

Key Concepts of Clean Air Act

Hazardous Air Pollutants (HAPs)
The owners/operators of stationary sources have a
general duty to identify the hazards of accidental
releases
take steps necessary to prevent releases, and
minimize the consequence of accidental release

Environmental Management Systems

Key Concepts of Clean Air Act

National Emission Standards for Air Pollutants
Under the auspices of the CAA and its amendments, EPA
measures, evaluates and reports emissions data with the goal of
improving air quality
EPA also plays an important role in researching new methods of
assessing the impact of air pollution emissions on the
environment
Developing new ways to curb these emissions from specific
criteria pollutants
Management of air issues requires a working knowledge of the
technology-based national emission standards for both criteria
and hazardous air pollutants

Environmental Management Systems

Key Concepts of Clean Air Act

National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air
Pollutants (NESHAP)
The 1990 Clean Air Act (CAA) Amendments established a new
and fairly complex program

to regulate emissions of 188 hazardous air

pollutants (HAPs) from particular industrial sources
to regulate emissions of these HAPs by developing
and promulgating technology-based standards
based on the best-performing similar facilities in
operation
NESHAPs established by USEPA are commonly called
maximum achievable control technology (MACT) standards

Environmental Management Systems

Key Concepts of Clean Air Act

MACT Determinations
The purpose of the MACT is to protect the public health by
reducing discharges of HAPs from air emission sources
When developing a MACT standard for a particular source
category,

USEPA looks at the current level of emissions

achieved by best-performing similar sources
through clean processes, control devices, work
practices, or other methods
These emissions levels set a baseline, often
referred to as the "MACT floor" for the new
standard

Environmental Management Systems

Key Concepts of Clean Air Act

At a minimum, a MACT standard must achieve,
throughout the industry, a level of emissions
control that is at least equivalent to the MACT floor

Environmental Management Systems

Key Concepts of Clean Air Act

MACT floor differs for existing sources and new sources
Major sources are sources that emit
10 tons per year of any of the listed HAPs,
or 25 tons per year of a mixture of HAPS

These sources may release HAPs from equipment

leaks, when materials are transferred from one
location to another, or during discharge through
emission stacks or vents
Area sources are sources that emit

less than 10 tons per year of a single HAP, or less

than 25 tons per year of a combination of HAPs

Environmental Management Systems

Key Concepts of Clean Air Act

MACT standards are designed to reduce HAP emissions to a
maximum achievable degree, taking into consideration the cost
of reductions and other factors
The MACT category of controls establishes emissions standards
based on technology achievement

Environmental Management Systems

Key Concepts of Clean Air Act

For existing sources, MACT floor must equal that if there are
30 or more existing sources

average current emissions limitations achieved by

the best-performing 12% of sources in the source
category,
If there are fewer than 30 existing sources

the MACT floor must equal the average current

emissions limitation achieved by the bestperforming five sources in the category
For new sources, the MACT floor must equal the current level
of emissions control achieved by the best-controlled similar
source

Environmental Management Systems

Key Concepts of Clean Air Act

Wherever feasible, USEPA writes the final MACT standard as
an emissions limit-a percent reduction in emissions or a
concentration limit that regulated sources must achieve
Emissions limits provide flexibility for industries to determine the
most effective ways to comply with the standards
This limitation will become more stringent over time as control
technology improves

Environmental Management Systems

Key Concepts of Clean Air Act

MACT Implementation
The Clean Air Act required USEPA to develop MACT standards
for all major source categories of HAPs according to a schedule
listed in the Act
The schedule is divided into four groups: 2-year, 4-year, 7-year,
and 10-year standards
The2-year group must include at least 40 source categories
(1992promulgation)
the 4-year group must include source categories to bring the
total to 25 percent of the list (1994 promulgation)
the 7-year group must include an additional 25 percent (1997
promulgation)
the 10-year group must include the remaining 50 percent
2000promulgation)
All of the 2-year and 4 year standards have been promulgated
on schedule

Environmental Management Systems

Summary of Clean Water Regulations

Water quality standards especially those for drinking
water are set by the
Indian Council of Medical Research

The discharge of industrial effluent is regulated by the

Indian Standard Codes and water quality standards

Environmental Management Systems

Summary of Clean Water Regulations

Legislations to control water pollution are listed below
The Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Cess Act, 1977,
amended 1992 : (http://www.envfor.nic.in/legis/water/water7.html
)
The Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Cess
(Amendment) Act, 2003.
http://www.envfor.nic.in/legis/water/wc_act_03.doc
The Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1974,
amended 1988
http://www.envfor.nic.in/legis/water/wat1.html
The Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Cess Rules,
1978
http://www.envfor.nic.in/legis/water/water8.html

Environmental Management Systems

Summary of Clean Water Regulations

The Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Rules, 1975
http://www.envfor.nic.in/legis/water/water2.html
Central Board for the Prevention and Control of Water Pollution
(Procedure for Transaction of Business) Rules, 1975 amended
1976
http://www.envfor.nic.in/legis/water/water3.html

Full Information about Acts, Rules, and notification for

water pollution is given in following website
http://www.envfor.nic.in/legis/legis.html#A