According to a Dec. 3 update, the American Bakers Association continues urging the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to treat naturally occurring or “biogenic” emission differently for regulatory purposes. If EPA moves in this direction, it may help bakers with their emission profile for future air permitting.
ABA, as part of a broader industry coalition, is pressing EPA to exempt biogenic emissions from its definition of CO2 for regulatory purposes and confirm that biogenic CO2 is not “a pollutant subject to regulation.”
Further, EPA is proposing to lower the primary ozone National Ambient Air Quality Standard (NAAQS) from 75 parts per billion (ppb) to a range of 65 to 70 ppb.
While there are many hurdles to be crossed prior to a final rule being issued and compliance obligations not beginning until 2020, bakers should be aware of the potential implications of a revised ozone standard on future air permits, expansions or new construction, according to ABA. Once the ozone proposal appears in the Federal Register, there will be a 90-day comment period.
