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Join us for an informative webinar regarding the new streamlined air pollution control regulations for printing operations that have an offset lithographic printing press. If you are in Kenosha, Kewaunee, Manitowoc, Milwaukee, Ozaukee, Racine, Sheboygan, Washington, or Waukesha County you need to attend!
The rule revisions, effective July 1, clarify and simplify the Reasonably Available Control Technology (RACT) rules for lithographic printing. Prior to the changes, lithographic printers were required to meet two different RACT rules that were put in place in 1995 and in 2009 and the rules had different requirements.
DNR Small Business Environmental Assistance Program and printing association representatives will go through the changes to the RACT rule as well as a review of air permit requirements. Determining what regulations and reporting requirements apply to your facility could be quite the challenge. This program will provide Wisconsin printing companies with important information about these recent rule changes, new compliance certification requirements and resources available for compliance assistance.
Register for the webinar with the host, Great Lakes Graphics Association (GLGA): https://glga.info/registration/new-air-pollution-rules-for-lithographic-printing-presses-in-wisconsin/
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (U.S. EPA) finalized a reclassification for a portion of Kenosha County from “moderate” to “serious” nonattainment for the 2008 ozone standard.
The affected portion of Kenosha County, shown shaded on the map, is the area inclusive of and east of Interstate 94. This area is the Wisconsin portion of the three-state (Illinois, Indiana, and Wisconsin) Chicago ozone nonattainment area for the 2008 standard.
The reclassification does not mean ozone pollution is worsening in Kenosha County. In fact, the long-term, three-year ozone design values in the county have been improving, from 84 ppb in 2010-2012 to 79 ppb in 2016-2018. This reclassification is required by the Clean Air Act because the area’s ozone levels did not meet the 2008 standard of 75 ppb by the required federal deadline (July 20, 2018).
The reclassification will take effect September 23, 2019 and will affect how air permitting is conducted in the eastern portion of the county. DNR is working with impacted facilities to explain any changes to the permitting process and to adjust existing permits as needed.
It is important to note that much of the ozone measured in Wisconsin is due to emissions originating from outside the state. Wisconsin’s lakeshore counties experience the highest ozone concentrations on warm days with southerly winds, which transport the compounds that cause ozone, especially volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and nitrogen oxides (NOx), into the state. VOCs and NOx react over Lake Michigan to form high concentrations of ozone, which is transported onshore by the lake breeze.
Overall, ozone levels statewide have decreased over the past 15 years and emissions of ozone precursors like VOCs and NOx have decreased by 50 percent since 2002.
For more information on ozone, EPA’s federal ozone standards and how ozone is measured in Wisconsin, visit the Air Program’s ozone webpage at - https://dnr.wi.gov/topic/AirQuality/Ozone.html.
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EPA released new guidance to help methylene chloride processors and distributors comply with the March 2019 rule under section 6(a) of the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) prohibiting the manufacture (including import), processing, or distribution in commerce of methylene chloride for consumer paint and coating removal. The final rule became effective on May 28, 2019. Requirements for downstream notification and recordkeeping for all manufacturers, processors, and distributors of methylene chloride (excluding retailers) went into effect on August 27, 2019.
The guide describes the requirements EPA has established to address unreasonable risks from the use of methylene chloride in consumer paint and coating removal. The guide also:
- defines key terms,
- identifies the regulated entities,
- describes the required or prohibited activities, and
- summarizes the downstream notification and recordkeeping requirements.
The small entities directly regulated by this rule include:
- processors (since they formulate paint and coating removers containing methylene chloride),
- distributors of methylene chloride
- distributors of paint and coating removers containing methylene chloride, and
- retailers.
The rule is fully effective on November 22, 2019, when prohibitions on manufacturing (including importing), processing, or distributing methylene chloride for consumer paint and coating removal go into effect. This includes a prohibition on distributing any methylene chloride for paint and coating removal to or by retailers, including e-commerce retailers.
For more details, the full compliance guide is now available at: www.epa.gov/assessing-and-managing-chemicals-under-tsca/risk-management-methylene-chloride
Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation (WEDC) will offer no-interest loans to businesses affected by severe storms in July. WEDC announced Wednesday that it has allocated $1 million for its Disaster Recovery Microloan Program.
Thunderstorms, tornadoes and flooding caused millions of dollars in damage and knocked out power for hundreds of thousands of people in parts of northern and central Wisconsin.
Under the program, WEDC awards grants to regional planning commissions and other local designees, which can issue loans of up to $20,000 for businesses that have measurable physical damage and intend to resume normal operations in their communities as soon as possible.
A typical loan under the program would be repaid over two years, with the first payment deferred for six months or more.
Gov. Tony Evers has requested a federal disaster declaration over the storms, which would cover the costs of repairing or cleaning debris from roads and other public infrastructure. Businesses and residents would not be eligible for that aid. For details on how to apply, review the WEDC webpage.
The Hazardous Waste Electronic Manifest Establishment Act authorized U.S. EPA to implement a national electronic manifest system and required that the costs of developing and operating e-Manifest be recovered from user fees. In its 2018 User Fee final rule, EPA established a methodology by which the agency would set user fees every two fiscal years. For fiscal year 2020-2021, the user fees are changing due to various factors, including changes in projected manifest usage rates as well as program costs during this period. These new user fees will be in effect from Oct. 1, 2019, through Sept. 30, 2021.
For more information, including the new user fees, visit EPA’s e-Manifest website: e-Manifest User Fees and Payment Information.
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