NEWS FROM THE DELAWARE DEPARTMENT OF NATURAL RESOURCES AND ENVIRONMENTAL CONTROL
Jan. 8, 2009
Vol. 39, No. 5
For more information, contact Ron Amirikian, Air Quality Management Section, Division of Air and Waste Management, 302-739-9402, or Melanie Rapp, Public Affairs, 302-739-9902.
Hearing Set for Jan. 28 on Amendment to the Regulation to Reduce Volatile Organic Compounds
from Some Consumer and Commercial Products
DNREC’s Air Quality Management Section will hold a public hearing 6 p.m., Wednesday, Jan. 28 in the DNREC Pricilla Building conference room, 156 S. State Street, Dover on an amendment to Regulation 1141 that will reduce volatile organic compounds (VOCs) from some commercial and consumer products sold, distributed, manufactured or used in Delaware.
VOCs and other compounds can react in the lower atmosphere during hot, sunny days to form ground-level ozone. High levels of ground-level ozone can damage lung tissue, aggravate respiratory conditions and make people more susceptible to respiratory infections. Children are especially vulnerable to ozone’s harmful effects.
Currently, Delaware does not meet federal ground-level ozone air quality standards. Delaware is one of 12 Northeast states and the District of Columbia that are part of the Ozone Transport Commission created under the federal Clean Air Act that works to develop and implement solutions to the ground-level ozone problem in the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic regions.
This amendment to the regulation is based on the recently developed Ozone Transport Commission model rule, which in turn, was based on similar California rules that have been in existence since 1998. The amendment will reduce VOC emissions in Delaware and are part of DNREC’s plan to attain the 8-hour ground-level ozone National Ambient Air Standard by 2009.
The amendment to Regulation 1141, “Limiting Emissions to Volatile Organic Compounds from Consumer and Commercial Products,” revises Section 2.0 by adding the sale, distribution and manufacture of 23 consumer products and product types to the 89 products in the original rule, which was effective in 2005. These products include personal hygiene and grooming, home cleaning and cleaning of electrical and electronic equipment. The amendment would reduce VOC emissions in Delaware by up to 220 tons per year.
In addition, a new Section, 4.0, “Adhesives and Sealants,” is proposed and establishes VOC limits for commercially-used adhesive and sealant products, including 25 adhesives, 4 adhesive primers, 5 sealants and 3 sealant primers. The products are primarily used in home construction, carpet and roof installation, auto repair and tire retreading operations. If adopted, this section is projected to reduce VOC emissions by about 365 tons per year.
The proposed regulations can be viewed on the Department’s website at http://www.dnrec.delaware.gov/whs/awm/Info/Regs/Pages/AQMPlansRegs.aspx
Interested parties can present statements and/or testimony at the hearing or submit comments by mail before Jan. 30 to: Ron Amirikian, DNREC, Air Quality Management Section, 156 S. State Street, Dover, DE 19901; or by e-mail: Ronald.Amirikian@state.de.us
For additional information, please call Ron Amirikian in Dover at (302) 739-9402.
