On 25 August 2014 the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) released the Second Integrated Urban Air Toxics Report to Congress – the final of two reports required under the Clean Air Act (CAA) to inform Congress of progress in reducing public health risks from urban air toxics pollutants – also known as hazardous air pollutants (HAPS).
HAPS are those pollutants that are known or suspected to cause cancer or other serious health effects, such as reproductive effects or birth defects, or adverse environmental effects. EPA lists 187 air toxic pollutants that harm the environment. HAPS common to rich and lean burn reciprocating stationary engine exhaust include formaldehyde and acrolein.
Using national emissions and air quality data, the EPA’s Urban Air Toxics Report shows the substantial progress that has been made to reduce air toxics across the country since the Clean Air Act Amendments of 1990. Progress categories include the following:
- A 66 percent reduction in benzene
- A nearly 60 percent reduction in mercury from man-made sources like coal-fired power plants
- An 84 percent decrease of lead in outdoor air, which slows brain development in children
- The removal of an estimated 1.5 million tons per year of air toxics like arsenic, benzene, lead and nickel from stationary sources and another 1.5 million tons per year (about 50 percent) of air toxics from mobile sources.
- And, approximately 3 million tons per year of criteria pollutants, like particulate matter and sulfur dioxide, have been reduced as co-benefits of air toxics reductions.
What this means to you
EPA is serious about controlling Urban Toxic HAPS from stationary sources. Lean and rich burn reciprocating engine emissions include a variety of both HAPS and Criteria Air Pollutants targeted by EPA.
MIRATECH can help
Contact MIRATECH to learn about an NSCR HAPS catalyst (or download our HAPS brochure) if you operate a rich or lean-burn reciprocating stationary industrial engine that is subject to Title III of the Clean Air Act for hazardous pollutants.
