What is being done to reduce air toxics in North Carolina and nationally?
The EPA is developing technology-based emissions standards (e.g., MACT standards) that regulate more than 170 categories of industrial sources of air toxic emissions. As of January 1998, the EPA has issued 23 air toxics standards affecting 48 industrial sources. Standards for the remaining sources are expected by November of 2000. When fully implemented, these standards are aimed at reducing air toxic emissions by about 1 million tons per year. Most of the MACT standards have focused on the larger emitters of HAPs. The EPA is just beginning to address the problem of toxic air pollutants in urban areas. In its recently released Urban Air Toxics Strategy (UATS), the EPA lists 29 area sources targeted for a 90% emissions reduction of 33 priority HAPs in urban areas. The UATS was finalized on July 19, 1999. Promulgation of the standards for the area sources is to be completed by the year 2009. In addition to the federal air toxics regulations, North Carolina has a health-based toxic air po
