National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants: Coal- and Oil-Fired Electric Utility Steam Generating Units Review of the Residual Risk and Technology Review

<RULE> ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY <CFR>40 CFR Part 63</CFR> <DEPDOC>[EPA-HQ-OAR-2018-0794; FRL-6716.3-02-OAR]</DEPDOC> <RIN>RIN 2060-AV53</RIN> <SUBJECT>National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants: Coal- and Oil-Fired Electric Utility Steam Generating Units Review of the Residual Risk and Technology Review</SUBJECT> <HD SOURCE="HED">AGENCY:</HD> Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). <HD SOURCE="HED">ACTION:</HD> Final rule. <SUM> <HD SOURCE="HED">SUMMARY:</HD> This action finalizes amendments to the national emission standards for hazardous air pollutants (NESHAP) for the Coal- and Oil-Fired Electric Utility Steam Generating Units (EGUs) source category. These final amendments are the result of the EPA's review of the 2020 Residual Risk and Technology Review (RTR). The changes, which were proposed under the technology review in April 2023, include amending the filterable particulate matter (fPM) surrogate emission standard for non-mercury metal hazardous air pollutants (HAP) for existing coal-fired EGUs, the fPM emission standard compliance demonstration requirements, and the mercury (Hg) emission standard for lignite-fired EGUs. Additionally, the EPA is finalizing a change to the definition of “startup.” The EPA did not propose, and is not finalizing, any changes to the 2020 Residual Risk Review. </SUM> <EFFDATE> <HD SOURCE="HED">DATES:</HD> This final rule is effective on July 8, 2024. The incorporation by reference of certain material listed in the rule was approved by the Director of the Federal Register as of April 16, 2012. </EFFDATE> <HD SOURCE="HED">ADDRESSES:</HD> The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has established a docket for this action under Docket ID No. EPA-HQ-OAR-2018-0794. All documents in the docket are listed on the <E T="03">https://www.regulations.gov</E> website. Although listed, some information is not publicly available, <E T="03">e.g.,</E> Confidential Business Information or other information whose disclosure is restricted by statute. Certain other material, such as copyrighted material, is not placed on the internet and will be publicly available only in hard copy form. Publicly available docket materials are available either electronically through <E T="03">https://www.regulations.gov,</E> or in hard copy at the EPA Docket Center, WJC West Building, Room Number 3334, 1301 Constitution Ave. NW, Washington, DC. The Public Reading Room hours of operation are 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Eastern Standard Time (EST), Monday through Friday. The telephone number for the Public Reading Room is (202) 566-1744, and the telephone number for the EPA Docket Center is (202) 566-1742. <FURINF> <HD SOURCE="HED">FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:</HD> For questions about this final action contact Sarah Benish, Sector Policies and Programs Division (D243-01), Office of Air Quality Planning and Standards, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, P.O. Box 12055, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina 27711; telephone number: (919) 541-5620; and email address: <E T="03">benish.sarah@epa.gov.</E> </FURINF> <SUPLINF> <HD SOURCE="HED">SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:</HD> <E T="03">Preamble acronyms and abbreviations.</E> We use multiple acronyms and terms in this preamble. While this list may not be exhaustive, to ease the reading of this preamble and for reference purposes, the EPA defines the following terms and acronyms here: <EXTRACT> <FP SOURCE="FP-1">APH air preheater</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-1">Btu British Thermal Units</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-1">CAA Clean Air Act</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-1">CEMS continuous emission monitoring system</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-1">EGU electric utility steam generating unit</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-1">EIA Energy Information Administration</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-1">ESP electrostatic precipitator</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-1">FF fabric filter</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-1">FGD flue gas desulfurization</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-1">fPM filterable particulate matter</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-1">GWh gigawatt-hour</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-1">HAP hazardous air pollutant(s)</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-1">HCl hydrogen chloride</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-1">HF hydrogen fluoride</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-1">Hg mercury</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-1"> Hg <SU>0</SU>  elemental Hg vapor </FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-1"> <FP SOURCE="FP-1">HQ hazard quotient</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-1">ICR Information Collection Request</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-1">IGCC integrated gasification combined cycle</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-1">IPM Integrated Planning Model</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-1">IRA Inflation Reduction Act</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-1">lb pounds</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-1">LEE low emitting EGU</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-1">MACT maximum achievable control technology</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-1">MATS Mercury and Air Toxics Standards</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-1">MMacf million actual cubic feet</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-1">MMBtu million British thermal units of heat input</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-1">MW megawatt</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-1">NAICS North American Industry Classification System</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-1">NESHAP national emission standards for hazardous air pollutants</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-1"> NO <E T="52">X</E>  nitrogen oxides </FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-1">NRECA National Rural Electric Cooperative Association</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-1">OMB Office of Management and Budget</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-1">PM particulate matter</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-1"> PM <E T="52">2.5</E>  fine particulate matter </FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-1">PM CEMS particulate matter continuous emission monitoring systems</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-1">REL reference exposure level</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-1">RFA Regulatory Flexibility Act</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-1">RIA Regulatory Impact Analysis</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-1">RIN Regulatory Information Number</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-1">RTR residual risk and technology review</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-1"> SC-CO <E T="52">2</E>  social cost of carbon </FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-1"> SO <E T="52">2</E> <FP SOURCE="FP-1">TBtu trillion British thermal units of heat input</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-1">tpy tons per year</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-1">UMRA Unfunded Mandates Reform Act</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-1">WebFIRE Web Factor Information Retrieval System</FP> </EXTRACT> <E T="03">Background information.</E> On April 24, 2023, the EPA proposed revisions to the Coal- and Oil-Fired EGU NESHAP based on our review of the 2020 RTR. In this action, we are finalizing revisions to the rule, commonly known as the Mercury and Air Toxics Standards (MATS). We summarize some of the more significant comments regarding the proposed rule that were received during the public comment period and provide our responses in this preamble. A summary of all other public comments on the proposal and the EPA's responses to those comments is available in <E T="03">National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants: Coal- and Oil-Fired Electric Utility Steam Generating Units Review of the Residual Risk and Technology Review Proposed Rule Response to Comments,</E> Docket ID No. EPA-HQ-OAR-2018-0794. A “track changes” version of the regulatory language that incorporates the changes in this action is available in the docket. <E T="03">Organization of this document.</E> The information in this preamble is organized as follows: <EXTRACT> <FP SOURCE="FP-2">I. General Information</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">A. Executive Summary</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">B. Does this action apply to me?</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">C. Where can I get a copy of this document and other related information?</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">D. Judicial Review and Administrative Reconsideration</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-2">II. Background</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">A. What is the authority for this action?</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">B. What is the Coal- and Oil-Fired EGU source category and how does the NESHAP regulate HAP emissions from the source category?</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">C. Summary of the 2020 Residual Risk Review</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">D. Summary of the 2020 Technology Review</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">E. Summary of the EPA's Review of the 2020 RTR and the 2023 Proposed Revisions to the NESHAP</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-2">III. What is included in this final rule?</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">A. What are the final rule amendments based on the technology review for the Coal- and Oil-Fired EGU source category?</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">B. What other changes have been made to the NESHAP?</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2"> C. What are the effective and compliance dates of the standards? </FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-2">IV. What is the rationale for our final decisions and amendments to the filterable PM (as a surrogate for non-Hg HAP metals) standard and compliance options from the 2020 Technology Review?</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">A. What did we propose pursuant to CAA Section 112(d)(6) for the Coal- and Oil-Fired EGU source category?</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">B. How did the technology review change for the Coal- and Oil-Fired EGU source category?</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">C. What key comments did we receive on the filterable PM and compliance options, and what are our responses?</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">D. What is the rationale for our final approach and decisions for the filterable PM (as a surrogate for non-Hg HAP metals) standard and compliance demonstration options?</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-2">V. What is the rationale for our final decisions and amendments to the Hg emission standard for lignite-fired EGUs from review of the 2020 Technology Review?</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">A. What did we propose pursuant to CAA section 112(d)(6) for the lignite-fired EGU subcategory?</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">B. How did the technology review change for the lignite-fired EGU subcategory?</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">C. What key comments did we receive on the Hg emission standard for lignite-fired EGUs, and what are our responses?</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">D. What is the rationale for our final approach and decisions for the lignite-fired EGU Hg standard?</FP> <FP SOURCE ━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━ Preview showing 10k of 478k characters. Full document text is stored and available for version comparison. ━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━