Proposed Rule 1420.1 - Emissions Standard for Lead from Large Lead-Acid Battery Recycling Facilities

Proposed Rule 1420.1 - Emissions Standard for Lead from Large Lead-Acid Battery Recycling Facilities

The U.S. EPA revised the lead National Ambient Air Quality Standard (NAAQS) on October 15, 2008 (73 FR 66964; November 12, 2008) by lowering the standard from 1.5 micrograms per cubic meter (ug/m3) to 0.15 ug/m3. On December 31, 2010, the U.S. EPA designed Sothern Los Angeles County as nonattainment for the 2008 Lead NAAQS. The purposed of the 2012 Lead State Implementation Plan for Los Angeles County (2012 Lead SIP) is to outline the control strategies for lead emission sources, describe lead air quality and inventory in the Southern Los Angeles County, and describe planning and pollution control activities to demonstrate attainment of the Lead NAAQS, as expeditiously as practicable, but no later than December 31, 2015. The only proposed control measure in the 2012 Lead SIP that may have adverse environmental impacts would be the amendment to Rule 1420 - Emissions Standards for Lead. The amendment would lower the ambient lead concentration limit in Rule 1420 from 1.5 to 0.15 ug/m3, which is consistent with the lead NAAQS and Rule 1420.1, show that average lead concentrations are less than 0.15 ug/m3, the proposed control measure is not to expect to result in any changes at existing affected facilities. However, if monitoring near or at a lead facility exceeds 0.15 ug/m3, the proposed control measure may require implementation of lead control requirements similar to those in Rule 1420.1, e.g., lead monitoring, housekeeping activities and/or enclosures, etc, resulting in environmental impacts that are essentially the same as or less than those identified in the October 2010 Final Environmental Assessment (EA) for Rule 1420.1 (SCAQMD No. 10033IJK, SCH No. 2010041086).