Capping air emissions from wastewater

Industrial and municipal wastewater plants alike are confronting new regulations governing air emissions mandated by the 1990 Clean Air Act Amendments (1990 CAAA). The 1970 Clean Air Act (CAA) gave the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) power to set national ambient air quality standards (NAAQS) and establish deadlines for compliance. Although the ACC reduced many pollutant emissions, 20 years later, many cities had not achieved NAAQS for ozone, carbon monoxide and particulate matter. Also, due to controversy and legal challenges to risk-based standards, EPA had regulated only seven hazardous air pollutants (HAPs). The 1990 CAAA specifically list HAPs and require EPA to set standards for all major sources of those pollutants. The new regulations will involve extensive site monitoring to quantify emissions at wastewater facilities. Monitoring for volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and HAPs requires knowledge of testing protocols.