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Risk and Technology Review
What is the RTR Program?
The Risk and Technology Review (RTR) is a combined effort to evaluate both risk and technology as required by the Clean Air Act (CAA) after the application of maximum achievable control technology (MACT) standards. Section 112(f) of the CAA requires EPA to complete a Report to Congress that includes a discussion of methods the EPA would use to evaluate the risks remaining after the application of MACT standards. These are known as residual risks. EPA published the Residual Risk Report to Congress (PDF) in March 1999. Section 112(f)(2) directs EPA to conduct risk assessments on each source category subject to MACT standards, and to determine if additional standards are needed to reduce residual risks. Section 112(d)(6) of the CAA requires EPA to review and revise the MACT standards, as necessary, taking into account developments in practices, processes and control technologies. The methodology for conducting these reviews is described in: Risk and Technology Review (RTR) Risk Assessment Methodologies: For Review by the EPA’s Science Advisory Board with Case Studies – MACT I Petroleum Refining Sources and Portland Cement Manufacturing (EPA-452/R-09-006). The Science Advisory Board (SAB) RTR Methods Review Panel held a meeting on July 28-29, 2009 to review this document, and a final report of their review is available at the SAB website .
Recent Actions
The supplemental proposal for Mineral Wool and Wool Fiberglass Manufacturing was published in the Federal Register on April 15, 2013. The notice also added area source wool fiberglass manufacturing facilities to the source category list and proposed standards for those facilities. The publlic comment period for the proposal will close on May 30, 2013.
- Proposed Rule (PDF) (38pp, 526k) - Federal Register - April 15, 2013
The final rules for the Hard and Decorative Chromium Electroplating, Chromium Anodizing, and Steel Pickling source categories were published in the Federal Register on September 19, 2012. All comments and supporting documents for these source categories are contained in Docket No. EPA-HQ-OAR-2010-0600.
The final rule for the Pulp and Paper Industry (40 CFR 63, subpart S) was published in the Federal Register on September 11, 2012. All comments and supporting technical documents for this source category are contained in Docket No. EPA-HQ-OAR-2007-0544.
The final rules for Oil and Natural Gas Production and Natural Gas Transmission and Storage were published in the Federal Register on August 16, 2012. All comments and supporting technical documents for these source categories are contained in Docket No. EPA-HQ-OAR-2010-0505.
RTR Review Files
RTR review files that contain the risk modeling data will be posted here during the public comment periods for all RTR proposals. To use the emission data files, you must download them to your computer and unzip them to view the data and provide comments.
The files provided here include detailed instructions for downloading and updating the emission data files.
| RTR | Project Lead | Phone Number | Emission Files |
|---|---|---|---|
| Note: No review files are currently posted because there are no open comment periodsthat require data review. | |||
Current Schedules
The EPA is under a consent decree to complete RTRs for 24 additional source categories. Many of the consent decree dates were recently extended, and the schedules for all of the categories are shown in the following table:
| Source Category
(Link to Technical Information) |
Consent Decree Date for Signature of Proposed Rule | Consent Decree Date for Signature of Final Rule |
|---|---|---|
| Ferroalloys Production | 11/4/2011 | 12/10/13 |
| Mineral Wool | 11/4/2011 | 1/30/14 |
| Wool Fiberglass | 11/4/2011 | 1/30/14 |
| Pesticide Active Ingredient Production | 11/30/2011 | 1/31/2014 |
| Polyether Polyols Production | 11/30/2011 | 1/31/2014 |
| Polymers and Resins IV (7 categories) | 11/30/2011 | 1/31/2014 |
| Primary Aluminum | 11/4/2011 | 3/14/2014 |
| Secondary Aluminum | 1/30/2012 | 3/14/2014 |
| Flexible Polyurethane Foam Production | 10/30/2013 | 7/30/2014 |
| Phosphoric Acid Production | 11/14/2013 | 8/15/2014 |
| Phosphate Fertilizer Manufacturing | 11/14/2013 | 8/15/2014 |
| Off-Site Waste Recovery Operations | 12/11/2013 | 9/16/2014 |
| Acrylic/ Modacrylic Fibers | 12/11/2013 | 9/16/2014 |
| Polycarbonates Production | 12/11/2013 | 9/16/2014 |
| Polymers and Resins III | 12/11/2013 | 9/16/2014 |
| Aerospace | 3/15/2014 | 1/15/2015 |
| Portland Cement | 6/15/2017 | 6/15/2018 |
Information about the RTR effort for Petroleum Refineries can be found at www.epa.gov/ttn/atw/petref.html
Other RTR Actions
The EPA has completed the RTRs for the following source categories:
RTR Source Categories and Project Lead Contact Information
Key Excerpts from the Clean Air Act Regarding Residual Risk and Technology Review
Section 112(f(2)
(2) EMISSION STANDARDS.--
(A) If Congress does not act on any recommendation submit-
ted under paragraph (1), the Administrator shall, within 8
years after promulgation of standards for each category or
subcate-gory of sources pursuant to subsection (d), promul-
gate stand-ards for such category or subcategory if
promulgation of such standards is required in order to
provide an ample margin of safety to protect public health
in accordance with this sec-tion (as in effect before the
date of enactment of the Clean Air Act Amendments of 1990)
or to prevent, taking into consid-eration costs, energy,
safety, and other relevant factors, an adverse environmental
effect. Emission standards promulgated under this subsection
shall provide an ample margin of safety to protect public
health in accordance
with this section (as in effect before the date of enactment
of the Clean Air Act Amendments of 1990), unless the
Administrator determines that a more stringent standard is
necessary to prevent, taking into consideration costs,
energy, safety, and other relevant factors, an adverse
environmental effect. If standards promulgated pursuant to
subsection (d) and applicable to a category or subcategory
of sources emitting a pollutant (or pollutants) classified
as a known, probable or possible human carcinogen do not
reduce lifetime excess cancer risks to the individual most
exposed to emissions from a source in the category or
subcategory to less than one in one million, the
Administrator shall promulgate standards under this
subsection for such source category.
(B) Nothing in subparagraph (A) or in any other provision
of this section shall be construed as affecting, or applying
to the Administrator's interpretation of this section, as in
effect before the date of enactment of the Clean Air Act
Amendments of 1990 and set forth in the Federal Register of
September 14, 1989 (54 Federal Register 38044).
(C) The Administrator shall determine whether or not to
promulgate such standards and, if the Administrator decides
to promulgate such standards, shall promulgate the standards
8 years after promulgation of the standards under subsection
(d) for each source category or subcategory concerned. In
the case of categories or subcategories for which standards
under subsection (d) are required to be promulgated within 2
years after the date of enactment of the Clean Air Act
Amendments of 1990, the Administrator shall have 9 years
after promulgation of the standards under subsection (d) to
make the determination under the preceding sentence and, if
required, to promulgate the standards under this paragraph....
112(d)(6)
(6) Review and revision.- The Administrator shall review, and
revise as necessary (taking into account developments in practic-
es, processes, and control technologies), emission standards
promulgated under this section no less often than every 8 years.