Environmental Justice Tracker

EJ Tracker Update

EPA Finalized National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants: Refractory Products Manufacturing Residual Risk and Technology Review

Last updated:

November 19, 2021

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Final Rule

EPA finalized a risk and technology review (RTR) of its hazardous air pollutant standards (NESHAPs) for the refractory products manufacturing source category, finding that existing standards sufficiently protect human health despite environmental justice concerns expressed by states and environmentalists. The final RTR made small changes to some provisions, including work practice standards, and eliminated exceptions for emissions during startup, shutdown, and malfunctions (SSM) but did not include community monitoring in fenceline communities, did not account for cumulative risks of exposure to multiple pollutants, and did not remove exceptions for disasters as requested by community groups.