Protection of Stratospheric Ozone: Standards Related to the Manufacture of Class II Ozone-Depleting Substances for Feedstock; Notice of Proposed Rulemaking, 53916-53923 [2021-20746]
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Federal Register / Vol. 86, No. 186 / Wednesday, September 29, 2021 / Proposed Rules
Submit your comments,
identified by Docket ID No. EPA–R05–
OAR–2017–0583 (for PM2.5), EPA–R05–
OAR–2019–0311 (for ozone), or EPA–
R05–OAR–2020–0501 (for PSD) at
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submissions, and general guidance on
making effective comments, please visit
https://www2.epa.gov/dockets/
commenting-epa-dockets.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Olivia Davidson, Environmental
Scientist, Attainment Planning and
Maintenance Section, Air Programs
Branch (AR–18J), Environmental
Protection Agency, Region 5, 77 West
Jackson Boulevard, Chicago, Illinois
60604, (312) 886–0266,
davidson.olivia@epa.gov. The EPA
Region 5 office is open from 8:30 a.m.
to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday,
excluding Federal holidays and facility
closures due to COVID–19.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: In the
Rules and Regulations section of this
Federal Register, EPA is approving the
State’s SIP submittal as a direct final
rule without prior proposal because the
Agency views this as a noncontroversial
submittal and anticipates no adverse
comments. A detailed rationale for the
approval is set forth in the direct final
rule. If no relevant adverse comments
are received in response to this rule, no
further activity is contemplated. If EPA
receives such comments, the direct final
rule will be withdrawn and all public
comments received will be addressed in
a subsequent final rule based on this
proposed rule. EPA will not institute a
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ADDRESSES:
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second comment period. Any parties
interested in commenting on this action
should do so at this time. Please note
that if EPA receives adverse comment
on an amendment, paragraph, or section
of this rule and if that provision may be
severed from the remainder of the rule,
EPA may adopt as final those provisions
of the rule that are not the subject of an
adverse comment. For additional
information, see the direct final rule
which is located in the Rules section of
this Federal Register.
Dated: September 22, 2021.
Cheryl Newton,
Acting Regional Administrator, Region 5.
[FR Doc. 2021–21026 Filed 9–28–21; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6560–50–P
ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION
AGENCY
40 CFR Part 82
[EPA–HQ–OAR–2021–0253; FRL–8506–01–
OAR]
RIN 2060–AV29
Protection of Stratospheric Ozone:
Standards Related to the Manufacture
of Class II Ozone-Depleting
Substances for Feedstock; Notice of
Proposed Rulemaking
Environmental Protection
Agency (EPA).
ACTION: Proposed rule.
AGENCY:
The Environmental Protection
Agency is proposing to require the
control, capture, and/or destruction of a
hydrofluorocarbon that would otherwise
be emitted from manufacture of
hydrochlorofluorocarbons. In this
proposed rule, EPA is proposing to
require companies to control, capture,
and destroy HFC-23 byproduct
generated at plants that manufacture
class II ozone-depleting substances
regulated under current Clean Air Act
regulations, such as HCFC-22. HFC-23 is
a very potent greenhouse gas that is
generated as a byproduct during the
manufacture of certain class II ozonedepleting substances, including HCFC22. Under the Clean Air Act and the
implementing regulations, the
production and consumption of class II
ozone-depleting substances, including
HCFC-22, are restricted with limited
exceptions. One such exception is
production for use in transformation, or
as a feedstock, which is allowed
indefinitely. The Agency is proposing to
limit emissions of HFC-23 from plants
manufacturing HCFCs. The HFC-23
must be captured and employed for a
commercial use or destroyed using a
SUMMARY:
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technology approved by the
Environmental Protection Agency,
thereby ensuring it is not directly
emitted.
DATES: Comments on this notice of
proposed rulemaking must be received
on or before November 15, 2021. Any
party requesting a public hearing must
notify the contact listed below under
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT by 5
p.m. Eastern Daylight Time on October
4, 2021. If requested, the Environmental
Protection Agency (EPA) will hold a
virtual public hearing on or before
October 14, 2021. The date, time, and
other relevant information for the
virtual public hearing will be available
at https://www.epa.gov/ozone-layerprotection.
ADDRESSES: You may send comments,
identified by Docket ID No. EPA–HQ–
OAR–2021–0253, by any of the
following methods:
• Federal eRulemaking Portal:
https://www.regulations.gov (our
preferred method). Follow the online
instructions for submitting comments.
• Mail: U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency, EPA Docket Center,
Air and Radiation Docket, Mail Code
28221T, 1200 Pennsylvania Avenue
NW, Washington, DC 20460.
• Hand Delivery or Courier (by
scheduled appointment only): EPA
Docket Center, WJC West Building,
Room 3334, 1301 Constitution Avenue
NW, Washington, DC 20004. The Docket
Center’s hours of operations are 8:30
a.m.–4:30 p.m., Monday–Friday (except
Federal Holidays).
Instructions: All submissions received
must include the Docket ID No. for this
rulemaking. Comments received may be
posted without change to https://
www.regulations.gov, including any
personal information provided. Out of
an abundance of caution for members of
the public and our staff, the EPA Docket
Center and Reading Room are closed to
the public, with limited exceptions, to
reduce the risk of transmitting COVID–
19. Our Docket Center staff will
continue to provide remote customer
service via email, phone, and webform.
We encourage the public to submit
comments via https://
www.regulations.gov or email, as there
may be a delay in processing mail and
faxes. Hand deliveries and couriers may
be received by scheduled appointment
only. For further information on EPA
Docket Center services and the current
status, please visit us online at https://
www.epa.gov/dockets.
You may find the following
suggestions helpful for preparing your
comments: direct your comments to
specific sections of this proposed
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rulemaking and note where your
comments may apply to future separate
actions where possible; explain your
views as clearly as possible; describe
any assumptions that you used; provide
any technical information or data you
used that support your views; provide
specific examples to illustrate your
concerns; offer alternatives; and, make
sure to submit your comments by the
comment period deadline. Please
provide any published studies or raw
data supporting your position.
Multimedia submissions (audio, video,
etc.) must be accompanied by a written
comment. The written comment is
considered the official comment and
should include discussion of all points
you wish to make. EPA will generally
not consider comments or comment
contents located outside of the primary
submission (e.g., on the web, cloud, or
other file sharing system).
EPA recognizes that given the nature
of this proposed rulemaking, potentially
affected entities may wish to submit
Confidential Business Information (CBI).
CBI should not be submitted through
https://www.regulations.gov. For
submission of confidential comments or
data, please work with the person listed
in the FOR FURTHER INFORMATION
CONTACT section if submitting a
comment containing CBI. For additional
submission methods, the full EPA
public comment policy, information
about CBI or multimedia submissions,
and general guidance on making
effective comments, please visit https://
www.epa.gov/dockets/commenting-epadockets.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Kirsten Cappel, U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency, Stratospheric
Protection Division, telephone number:
202–343–9556; or email address:
cappel.kirsten@epa.gov. You may also
visit our website at https://
www.epa.gov/ozone-layer-protection for
further information.
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SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Throughout this document, whenever
‘‘we,’’ ‘‘us,’’ or ‘‘our’’ is used, we mean
EPA. Acronyms that are used in this
rulemaking that may be helpful include:
AIM Act—American Innovation and
Manufacturing Act
CAA—Clean Air Act
CBI—Confidential Business Information
CO2—Carbon Dioxide
DRE—Destruction and Removal Efficiency
EPA—Environmental Protection Agency
FR—Federal Register
GHG—Greenhouse Gas
GHGRP—Greenhouse Gas Reporting Program
GWP—Global Warming Potential
HCFC—Hydrochlorofluorocarbon
HFC—Hydrofluorocarbon
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IPCC—Intergovernmental Panel on Climate
Change
MMTCO2 eq—Million metric tons carbon
dioxide equivalent
Montreal Protocol—Montreal Protocol on
Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer
ODS—Ozone-depleting substance
Parties to the Montreal Protocol or Party—
Nations and regional economic integration
organizations that have consented to be
bound by the Montreal Protocol on
Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer
I. General Information
A. Does this proposed action apply to
me?
You may be potentially affected by
this action if you manufacture class II
ozone-depleting substances (ODS) listed
at 40 CFR part 82, subpart A, Appendix
B, and hydrofluorocarbon-23 (HFC-23)
is also generated as a byproduct at your
plant. If you have any questions
regarding the applicability of this action
to a particular entity, consult the person
listed under FOR FURTHER INFORMATION
CONTACT.
B. What action is the Agency proposing?
The Environmental Protection Agency
(EPA) is proposing to require the
control, capture, and/or destruction of
byproduct HFC-23 that would otherwise
be emitted from plants that manufacture
class II ODS (i.e.,
hydrochlorofluorocarbons (HCFCs)),
including HCFC-22. Under the Clean
Air Act (CAA) and EPA’s regulations at
40 CFR part 82, controls are in place
that restrict the production and
consumption of HCFCs to implement
the phaseout of these chemicals. There
are limited exceptions to these
restrictions for the manufacture of
HCFCs that are not considered to be
production under the CAA. One of the
exceptions allows manufacture of
HCFCs for use in a process in which the
HCFC is used and entirely consumed,
except for trace quantities, in the
manufacture of other chemicals. The
process is known as transformation and
the controlled substances used and
consumed are called feedstocks. Under
this proposed action, any plant that
manufactures HCFCs for transformation
would need to control, capture, and/or
destroy HFC-23 byproduct generated.
More specifically, EPA is proposing that
no later than October 1, 2022, as
compared to the amount of HCFCs
intentionally manufactured on a facility
line, no more than 0.1 percent of HFC23 generated on the line may be emitted.
Rather, such HFC-23 byproduct must be
captured and employed for a
commercial purpose or destroyed using
a technology approved by EPA.
This proposed rule is narrow in scope
and is expected only to affect those
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plants that continue to manufacture
HCFCs under an exception to the HCFC
phaseout under the CAA and its
implementing regulations. Based on
data from EPA’s Greenhouse Gas
Reporting Program (GHGRP), we are
aware of two plants that would fall
under the proposed requirements. These
two plants report their emissions under
subpart O of the GHGRP (HCFC-22
Production and HFC-23 Destruction),
which requires owners or operators of
facilities that contain HCFC-22
production or HFC-23 destruction
processes to report their emissions from
those processes. Plant-specific
emissions from these processes are then
published in EPA’s Facility Level
Information on GreenHouse gases Tool
(FLIGHT). Interested readers can review
the data concerning HFC-23 reported to
EPA for over a decade. Other than the
two plants included in the GHGRP data,
EPA is not aware of any other class II
ODS production plants in the United
States that generate emissions of HFC23.1 EPA is soliciting comment on
whether there are any other plants
manufacturing class II ODS that have
emissions of HFC-23. EPA is also aware
that there are plants that generate HFC23 emissions during production of HFCs
and directs interested readers to
‘‘Phasedown of Hydrofluorocarbons:
Establishing the Allowance Allocation
and Trading Program under the
American Innovation and
Manufacturing Act’’ (86 FR 27150, May
19, 2021), the ‘‘Proposed HFC
Allocation Rule,’’ to learn more about
EPA’s proposal to implement a similar
standard for emissions of HFC-23 at
those plants.
EPA is proposing a compliance date
of October 1, 2022. EPA recognizes that
individual circumstances could arise
that make it impossible for an
individual plant to install necessary
controls by October 1, 2022, and
therefore is proposing a process under
which companies could seek an
extension of the compliance date.
C. What is the Agency’s authority for
this proposed action?
Several sections of the CAA provide
authority for this proposed action.2
Section 603 provides authority to
establish monitoring and reporting
requirements for ODS, and section 605
1 See, e.g., ‘‘Fluorinated Greenhouse Gas
Emissions and Supplies Reported to the GHGRP.’’
Epa.gov, Environmental Protection Agency, 24 Feb.
2021, https://www.epa.gov/ghgreporting/
fluorinated-greenhouse-gas-emissions-and-suppliesreported-ghgrp#production.
2 The Clean Air Act provisions addressing
stratospheric ozone protection are codified at 42
U.S.C. 7671–7671q.
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provides authority to phase out the
production and consumption of class II
substances, to restrict the use of class II
ODS, and to promulgate regulations
associated with the production of class
II ODS. EPA’s regulations implementing
the production and consumption
controls for class II substances,
including provisions implementing
exceptions to those controls, can be
found at 40 CFR part 82, subpart A.
To the extent that this rulemaking
involves recordkeeping and reporting
requirements, EPA also relies on its
authority under section 114 of the CAA,
which authorizes the EPA
Administrator to require recordkeeping
and reporting in carrying out any
provision of the CAA (with certain
exceptions that do not apply here).
Additional authority for electronic
reporting comes from the Government
Paperwork Elimination Act (44 U.S.C.
3504), which provides ‘‘(1) for the
option of the electronic maintenance,
submission, or disclosure of
information, when practicable as a
substitute for paper; and (2) for the use
and acceptance of electronic signatures,
when practicable.’’
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II. Background on This Action
A. Class I and Class II ODS Phaseout
To comply with the United States’
obligations under the Montreal Protocol
on Substances that Deplete the Ozone
Layer (Montreal Protocol) and
requirements under Title VI of the CAA,
EPA has been implementing a system of
production and consumption controls
for decades to facilitate the orderly
phaseout of class I and class II ODS.3
Under this system, EPA allocates
allowances for the production and
consumption of these substances,
gradually reducing the number of
allowances allocated over time.
Allocation of production and
consumption allowances for most class
I substances (e.g., chlorofluorocarbons,
methyl chloroform, carbon
tetrachloride, and halons) ended by
1996, and in 2005 for methyl bromide.
EPA is implementing the phaseout of
class II ODS on a chemical-by-chemical
basis and had stopped allocating
production and consumption
allowances for most HCFCs by 2020.
EPA allocated the few remaining
production and consumption
allowances for HCFC-123 and HCFC-124
in a 2020 rulemaking (85 FR 15258).
Under that rule, production and
3 The current list of substances that are
categorized as class I substances can be found at 40
CFR part 82, subpart A, Appendix A, and as class
II substances at 40 CFR part 82, subpart A,
Appendix B. The class II substances are all HCFCs.
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consumption allowances for class II
substances are reduced to zero by 2030
(§ 82.16). Production and import of
HCFCs that are categorized as class II
ODS without the appropriate
allowances is generally prohibited
unless an exception applies (§ 82.15(a)
and (b)). The Montreal Protocol, the
CAA, and EPA’s implementing
regulations also limit the permissible
uses of HCFCs, with certain exceptions.
Additional information on the class II
phaseout can be found in EPA’s prior
rulemakings in this area (see, e.g., 68 FR
2819, 79 FR 64254, and 85 FR 15258).
As noted previously, there are limited
exceptions to these production controls
under the CAA and EPA’s implementing
regulations (§ 82.15(a)). One exception
allowed indefinitely under the CAA is
manufacture for use in a process
resulting in the HCFC being
transformed. Consistent with section
601(11) of the CAA, the definition of
‘‘production’’ in 40 CFR 82.3 excludes
the ‘‘manufacture of a controlled
substance that is subsequently
transformed.’’ As defined in 40 CFR
82.3, ‘‘transform’’ means to ‘‘use and
entirely consume (except for trace
quantities) a controlled substance in the
manufacture of other chemicals for
commercial purposes.’’
B. The American Innovation and
Manufacturing Act
HFC-23 is a very potent GHG with a
100-year global warming potential
(GWP) of 14,800 4 that is generated as a
byproduct during the manufacture of
certain chemicals, including HCFC-22.
In a Technical Support Document for
EPA’s GHGRP, EPA detailed the process
by which HFC-23 is generated as a
byproduct during the manufacture of
HCFC-22:
HCFC-22 is produced by the reaction of
chloroform (CHCl3) and hydrogen fluoride
(HF) in the presence of a catalyst, SbCl5. The
reaction of the catalyst and HF produces
SbClxFy, (where x + y = 5), which reacts with
chlorinated hydrocarbons to replace chlorine
atoms with fluorine. The HF and chloroform
are introduced by submerged piping into a
continuous-flow reactor that contains the
catalyst in a hydrocarbon mixture of
chloroform and partially fluorinated
intermediates. The vapors leaving the reactor
contain HCFC-21 (CHCl2F), HCFC-22
(CHClF2), HFC-23 (CHF3), HCl, chloroform,
and HF. The under-fluorinated intermediates
(HCFC-21) and chloroform are then
condensed and returned to the reactor, along
with residual catalyst, to undergo further
fluorination. The final vapors leaving the
condenser are primarily HCFC-22, HFC-23,
HCl and residual HF. The HCl is recovered
4 Errata to Table 2.14 of the Intergovernmental
Panel on Climate Change’s (IPCC) Fourth
Assessment Report.
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as a useful byproduct, and the HF is
removed. Once separated from the HCFC-22,
the HFC-23 may be vented to the atmosphere
as an unwanted by-product, captured for use
in a limited number of applications, or
destroyed.5
Historically, HFC-23 that has not been
controlled or captured has been vented
to the atmosphere. EPA is also aware of
limited instances where HFC-23 is
captured, purified, and used for
commercial purposes, such as fire
suppression, very low temperature
refrigeration, and semiconductor
manufacturing.
HFC-23 is a regulated substance under
the American Innovation and
Manufacturing Act of 2020 (AIM Act)
enacted December 27, 2020, as section
103 in Division S, Innovation for the
Environment, of the Consolidated
Appropriations Act, 2021 (Pub. L. 116–
260). EPA has recently published a
proposed rule under AIM Act authority,
the Proposed HFC Allocation Rule (86
FR 27150, May 19, 2021), that has
several interrelated proposed
approaches linked to HFC-23 emissions.
Under the primary proposed approach,
all creation of HFC-23, whether
intentional or unintentional, beyond
insignificant quantities under certain
conditions, would be ‘‘production’’
covered by AIM Act regulations. That
proposal would require that HFC-23 be
captured and controlled to a specific
standard and then the HFC-23 could be
refined for sale, which would require
expenditure of AIM Act allowances, or
the HFC-23 would need to be
destroyed.6 In the alternative, EPA is
proposing to require that, in order to be
eligible for a production allowance
under the AIM Act rules, companies
must control, capture, and destroy HFC23 emissions from plants producing
HFCs listed as regulated substances in
the AIM Act. Under both proposals,
EPA is proposing that, no later than
October 1, 2022, as compared to the
amount of chemical intentionally
produced on a facility line, no more
than 0.1 percent of HFC-23 generated as
a byproduct on the line may be emitted.
EPA also proposed a process under
which companies could seek an
5 Technical Support Document for Emissions of
HFC-23 from Production of HCFC-22: Proposed
Rule for Mandatory Reporting of Greenhouse Gases,
February 6, 2009, available at: https://www.epa.gov/
sites/production/files/2015-02/documents/
subparto-tsd.pdf.
6 If that proposed approach under the AIM Act
were to be finalized, all generation of HFC-23
would be regulated, including HFC-23 generated as
a byproduct during production of HCFCs for
feedstock use. Under such a scenario, EPA
anticipates that it would not finalize this proposal,
but is soliciting comments on whether this CAAspecific rulemaking would still be beneficial.
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extension of the compliance date in
certain circumstances. Accordingly, the
timeline proposed in the Proposed HFC
Allocation Rule matches the timeline
proposed in this rulemaking, such that
facilities would have no compliance
obligations until October 1, 2022, or
later if a compliance date extension was
granted, to allow facilities necessary
time to install and calibrate equipment.
The HFC-23 must be destroyed using a
technology approved in the context of
the AIM Act regulations (which are also
proposed in the same notice).
C. Emission Reduction Commitments
Studies indicate that HFC-23 emission
trends from HCFC-22 manufacturing
largely depend on the magnitude of
HCFC-22 manufacturing and the
effectiveness of HFC-23 destruction
associated with that manufacture of
HCFC-22.7 8 9 HFC-23 has a substantially
longer atmospheric lifetime and higher
GWP than all other HFCs at 14,800. In
2015, EPA estimated that global controls
on byproduct HFC-23 emissions from
HCFC-22 manufacture would result in
cumulative HFC-23 byproduct emission
reductions of 12,600 MMTCO2 eq
through 2050.10
On September 16, 2014, and October
15, 2015, entities in the private sector
announced commitments to reduce
emissions of HFCs.11 Several of those
commitments included reducing HFC23 byproduct emissions. For example,
one commitment from 2015 states, in
part:
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‘‘Chemours today agreed to control and, to
the extent feasible, eliminate by-product
emissions of HFC-23 at all its fluorochemical
production facilities worldwide.
Furthermore, Chemours today agreed to use
in the U.S. only feedstock HCFC-22 from
7 Montzka, S.A., L. Kuijpers, M.O. Battle, M.
Aydin, K.R. Verhulst, E.S. Saltzman, and D.W.
Fahey. et al.: Recent increases in global HFC-23
emissions, Geophysical Research Letters, 37,
L02808, doi:10.1029/2009GL041195, 2010.
8 B.R. Miller, M. Rigby, L.J.M. Kuijpers, P.B.
Krummel, et al.: HFC-23 (CHF3) emission trend
response to HCFC-22 (CHClF2) production and
recent HFC-23 emission abatement measures,
Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics, 10, 7875–
7890, 2010.
9 World Meteorological Organization (WMO),
Executive Summary: Scientific Assessment of
Ozone Depletion: 2018, World Meteorological
Organization, Global Ozone Research and
Monitoring Project—Report No. 58, 67 pp., Geneva,
Switzerland, 2018.
10 Proposed amendment to the Montreal Protocol
submitted by Canada, Mexico and the United States
of America. https://ozone.unep.org/system/files/
documents/OEWG-36-3E.pdf.
11 https://obamawhitehouse.archives.gov/thepress-office/2014/09/16/fact-sheet-obamaadministration-partners-private-sector-newcommitments- and https://obamawhitehouse.
archives.gov/the-press-office/2015/10/15/fact-sheetobama-administration-and-private-sector-leadersannounce.
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producers that control and, to the extent
feasible, eliminate by-product emissions of
HFC-23 at their production facilities in North
America.’’
And a second 2015 pledge states, in
part:
‘‘Daikin Industries Ltd. today announced
its commitment to strictly control and, to the
extent feasible, eliminate by-product
emissions of HFC-23 at its fluorochemical
production facilities worldwide. Daikin’s
plant in Decatur, Alabama, was the first plant
in the U.S. that committed to the destruction
of HFC-23 when it started operations in
1994.’’
These commitments demonstrate
longstanding concerns over and efforts
to limit HFC-23 byproduct emissions.
Further, in a 2021 news release,
Chemours announced a project to
significantly reduce emissions at their
Louisville, Kentucky, manufacturing
site. As stated in the news release, the
project includes the design, custombuild, and installation of proprietary
technology to capture at least 99 percent
of HFC-23 process emissions from the
site. The news release is available in the
docket to this rule (EPA–HQ–OAR–
2021–0253).
III. What is EPA proposing in this
action?
A. What is EPA proposing to require for
manufacturers of class II ODS?
In this action, EPA is proposing plants
that manufacture HCFCs must control,
capture, and destroy HFC-23 byproduct
emissions. More specifically, EPA is
proposing that, no later than October 1,
2022, as compared to the amount of
chemical intentionally manufactured on
a facility line over a certain time period,
no more than 0.1 percent of HFC-23
generated on the line may be emitted
during that same time period. After such
point, emissions of HFC-23 byproduct
that exceed the 0.1 percent would be
treated as violations of an applicable
emissions limitation in violation of
federal law and subject to appropriate
enforcement action. The proposed 0.1
percent allowable emissions standard is
mass based, with the mass of the
intentionally produced substance as the
comparison point. In other words, if a
line is intentionally producing 1,000
pounds of HCFC-22 over a certain time
period, only one pound of HFC-23 could
be emitted over that same time period.
EPA proposes that any captured HFC-23
must either be refined and employed for
commercial purposes, in accordance
with any other governing regulatory
requirements, or destroyed.
Given that the focus of this
rulemaking is to minimize HFC-23
byproduct emissions, it is reasonable to
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require that if the HFC-23 is not being
captured and employed for a
commercial purpose, in which case it is
not directly emitted from the HCFC
manufacturing facility, HFC-23 must be
destroyed using a technology that has
been demonstrated to be highly effective
in destroying HFC-23. EPA is proposing
that HFC-23 must be destroyed using a
technology approved by EPA. HFC-23 is
a regulated substance under the newly
enacted AIM Act. EPA has recently
published the Proposed HFC Allocation
Rule (86 FR 27150, May 19, 2021),
which includes a proposal to approve
specific technologies as permissible for
the destruction of HFC-23. Because
HFC-23 is a regulated substance under
the AIM Act, it seems most appropriate
to list approved technologies for the
destruction of HFC-23 through the
Proposed HFC Allocation Rule.
Therefore, EPA is not separately
proposing a list of technologies through
this rulemaking. The list of technologies
proposed for approval through the
Proposed HFC Allocation Rule is as
follows: (1) Gaseous/fume oxidation; (2)
Liquid injection incineration; (3)
Reactor cracking; (4) Rotary kiln
incineration; (5) Argon plasma arc; (6)
Nitrogen plasma arc; (7) Chemical
reaction with hydrogen and carbon
dioxide; and (8) Superheated steam
reactor. As stated in the preamble of the
Proposed HFC Allocation Rule (86 FR
27183), these technologies are capable
of destroying HFC-23 to a destruction
and removal efficiency (DRE) of 99.99
percent.12
For additional information on these
technologies, EPA’s basis for approving
them for destruction of HFC-23, and to
participate in the public process
concerning that Proposed HFC
Allocation Rule, please see the earliercited proposed rule. EPA is soliciting
comment on its proposed approach to
require use of a technology listed as
approved through the Proposed HFC
Allocation Rule, and it is also soliciting
comment in this rulemaking on whether
the same set of destruction technologies
should be separately listed and
approved for HFC-23 destruction under
12 The preamble to the Proposed HFC Allocation
Rule also states that many of the destruction
technologies previously approved by EPA to
destroy ODS have also been found capable of
destroying HFCs to a minimum DRE of 99.99
percent, citing the 2018 TEAP Report, Volume 2:
Decision XXIX/4 TEAP Task Force Report on
Destruction Technologies for Controlled
Substances. March 15, 2021. https://ozone.unep.
org/sites/default/files/2019-04/TEAP-DecXXIX4-TFReport-April2018.pdf. In addition, we note that
these eight technologies are currently included in
the list of destruction processes approved by EPA
for class I and class II ODS, which can be found
in the definition of ‘‘destruction’’ in 40 CFR 82.3.
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this rulemaking for inclusion in the part
82 regulations.
As noted previously, the known
plants affected by this rulemaking have
made public commitments to control
and, to the extent feasible, eliminate
byproduct emissions of HFC-23. In
recent discussions with EPA, affected
companies described ongoing efforts to
control, capture, and destroy HFC-23,
including planned facility upgrades.13
EPA is proposing regulations to
establish permanent and federally
enforceable requirements in addition to
these voluntary commitments. EPA
acknowledges that some plants may
need to install and calibrate new
equipment to meet the standard and
therefore is proposing a compliance date
of October 1, 2022, to allow these plants
to complete these activities. Based on
the actions EPA understands need to be
undertaken, including building and
installing customized equipment,
October 1, 2022, is a reasonable date by
which plants should be expected to
comply with the requirements proposed
in this rule, if finalized.
Moreover, EPA recognizes that
individual circumstances could arise
that make it impossible for an
individual plant to install necessary
controls by October 1, 2022. Therefore,
EPA proposes that the Agency may
grant a six-month deferral of this
compliance deadline (with the
possibility of an additional, one-time six
month extension) for companies that
can demonstrate to EPA that they have
taken concrete steps to start to improve
their HFC-23 control, capture, and
destruction (such as purchase and
installation of necessary equipment) at
the relevant plants, are reporting under
applicable sections of 40 CFR parts 82,
84,14 and 98, and have clear plans to
come into full compliance with the 0.1
percent HFC-23 limit by the deferred
date. Alternatively, EPA proposes that
the Agency may grant a one-time, oneyear deferral of the October 1, 2022
deadline, with no possible extension.
EPA is soliciting comment on whether
a phased approach of two six-month
deferrals would provide helpful
13 ‘‘Facilities with HFC-23 Emissions’’ is available
in the docket (EPA–HQ–OAR–2021–0253).
14 EPA has proposed initial implementing
regulations for the recently enacted AIM Act, which
would be codified at 40 CFR part 84. This includes
proposed recordkeeping and reporting
requirements. More details can be found in
‘‘Phasedown of Hydrofluorocarbons: Establishing
the Allowance Allocation and Trading Program
under the American Innovation and Manufacturing
Act’’ (86 FR 27150, May 19, 2021). If the referenced
recordkeeping and reporting requirements are
finalized, EPA is proposing through this document
that such recordkeeping and reporting requirements
would need to be followed in order for a facility to
be eligible for an extension.
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oversight by EPA on the company’s
progress to ensure regulatory
requirements take effect as soon as
feasible, or whether a single one-time
deferral is more appropriate in this
instance. Under this proposal,
companies would need to request such
a deferral by August 1, 2022. EPA
proposes to make a determination on an
application within 30 days. EPA intends
to publicly announce any compliance
deferrals granted under this process.
EPA proposes that the destruction of
captured HFC-23 is not required to
occur at the same plant where the HFC23 is generated. Destruction of HFC-23
may occur either at the plant where it
is generated (on-site) or off-site at
another plant. In instances where
captured HFC-23 is destroyed off-site,
EPA proposes that the transportation to
and destruction at the off-site plant
would be considered in calculating
compliance with the 0.1 percent
emissions standard.
Destruction of HFC-23 on-site at the
plant where it is generated occurs very
soon after it is generated. Accordingly,
EPA proposes that if a company utilizes
onsite destruction capability, HFC-23
must be destroyed within 30 days of its
generation. Alternatively, where
destruction occurs off-site, more time
may be needed to allow for
transportation. To ensure HFC-23 is
destroyed in a reasonable amount of
time and is not inadvertently emitted,
EPA is proposing to require that off-site
HFC-23 destruction occur within 90
days after it is generated. These
timelines are achievable as a practical
matter while being short enough to
avoid potential malfeasance that could
occur over an elongated time horizon
and to minimize the potential of
accidental releases. EPA welcomes
comment on these timeframes and
would consider longer time windows if
necessary to destroy HFC-23.
The CAA in section 605(c) provides
EPA with the authority to promulgate
regulations relating to the phase out of
production of class II substances. Given
plants are allowed to continue to
manufacture HCFCs indefinitely under
certain exceptions to the general
prohibition on their production, such as
manufacture as a feedstock for
transformation, it is reasonable to
require them to control, capture, and/or
destroy HFC-23 emissions associated
with such manufacture. As noted
previously, HFC-23 has a GWP of
14,800, meaning that emitting a single
kilogram of HFC-23 has about the same
effect on the global climate over 100
years as emitting 14,800 kilograms of
CO2. Elevated concentrations of
greenhouse gases (GHGs), including
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HFC-23, have been warming the planet,
leading to changes in the Earth’s climate
including changes in the frequency and
intensity of heat waves, precipitation,
and extreme weather events, rising seas,
and retreating snow and ice. The
changes taking place in the atmosphere
as a result of the well-documented
buildup of GHGs due to human
activities are changing the climate at a
pace and in a way that threatens human
health, society, and the natural
environment. Extensive additional
information on climate change is
available in numerous scientific
assessments 15 and EPA documents, as
well as in the technical and scientific
information supporting them. Two of
these documents are EPA’s 2009 final
rule document ‘‘Endangerment and
Cause or Contribute Findings for
Greenhouse Gases Under Section 202(a)
of the Clean Air Act’’ (74 FR 66496,
December 15, 2009) and EPA’s 2016
Endangerment and Cause or Contribute
Findings for greenhouse gas emissions
from aircraft under section 231(a)(2)(A)
of the Clean Air Act (81 FR 54422,
September 14, 2016).16
As noted, EPA is aware of two plants
that intentionally manufacture HCFCs
that generate HFC-23 as a byproduct.
Both of these plants manufacture HCFC22 for transformation. The definition in
40 CFR 82.3 of transformation notes that
chemicals used in transformation
processes are used and entirely
consumed, except for trace quantities.
As noted previously, this is consistent
with the exclusion of substances that are
‘‘used and entirely consumed (except
for trace quantities) in the manufacture
of other chemicals’’ from the definition
of produce, produced, and production
in section 601(11) of the CAA. It is
reasonable to assume that, in excepting
transformation processes from the
definitions related to production and
15 For example, the 2018 National Climate
Assessment or the 2018 IPCC Special Report on
1.5 °C: USGCRP, 2018: Impacts, Risks, and
Adaptation in the United States: Fourth National
Climate Assessment, Volume II [Reidmiller, D.R.,
C.W. Avery, D.R. Easterling, K.E. Kunkel, K.L.M.
Lewis, T.K. Maycock, and B.C. Stewart (eds.)]. U.S.
Global Change Research Program, Washington, DC,
USA, 1515 pp. doi: 10.7930/NCA4.2018 and IPCC,
2018: Global Warming of 1.5 °C. An IPCC Special
Report on the impacts of global warming of 1.5 °C
above pre-industrial levels and related global
greenhouse gas emission pathways, in the context
of strengthening the global response to the threat of
climate change, sustainable development, and
efforts to eradicate poverty [Masson-Delmotte, V., P.
Zhai, H.-O. Po¨rtner, D. Roberts, J. Skea, P.R. Shukla,
A. Pirani, W. Moufouma-Okia, C. Pe´an, R. Pidcock,
S. Connors, J.B.R. Matthews, Y. Chen, X. Zhou, M.I.
Gomis, E. Lonnoy, T. Maycock, M. Tignor, and T.
Waterfield (eds.)].
16 In describing these 2009 and 2016 Findings in
this proposal, EPA is neither reopening nor
revisiting them.
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accordingly from the production
controls under the ODS phaseout,
including for HCFCs, Congress’s
expectation was that HCFCs
manufactured under this exception
would be used and entirely consumed
in the subsequent transformation
processes, thereby resulting in minimal
environmental effects from the
manufactured HCFCs. Accordingly, it is
reasonable for EPA to place additional
controls around the process used to
manufacture HCFCs intended for
transformation in order to minimize its
environmental effects.
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B. What is EPA proposing for
recordkeeping and reporting
requirements?
EPA is proposing reporting
requirements and corresponding
recordkeeping requirements for plants
that manufacture class II ODS with
HFC-23 byproduct generation. EPA is
proposing a one-time report, to be
submitted within 45 days after the
effective date of the rule, containing the
following: (i) Information on the
capacity to manufacture the intended
chemical(s) on the line(s) where HFC-23
byproduct is generated; (ii) a description
of actions taken at the plant to control
the generation and emissions of HFC-23;
(iii) identification of approved
destruction technology and its location
intended for use for HFC-23 destruction;
and (iv) a copy of the DRE report
associated with the destruction
technology. EPA is further proposing
that any changes to the information
provided in the one-time report be
reflected in a revision submitted to EPA
within 60 days of the change(s).
EPA is also proposing quarterly
reporting, to be submitted 45 days after
the end of the applicable reporting
period,17 for production line data on
HFC-23: (i) Emissions; (ii) generated,
whether captured or not; (iii) generated
and captured for all uses; (iv) generated
and captured for feedstock use in the
United States; (v) generated and
captured for destruction; (vi) used for
feedstock without prior capture; and
(vii) destroyed without prior capture.
Quantities should be reported in
kilograms consistent with the existing
reporting requirements in 40 CFR 82.24
for class II controlled substances.
If captured HFC-23 byproduct is
destroyed in a subsequent calendar year
(e.g., it is generated and captured
December 15 and destroyed January 15
in the following year), EPA is further
17 There are four quarters or reporting periods in
the control period. As defined in 40 CFR 82.3, the
control period is each twelve-month period from
January 1 through December 31.
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proposing to require the entity that
generated the HFC-23 to report that the
HFC-23 has been destroyed. The
information must be submitted within
45 days after destruction occurs. In
addition, where destruction of HFC-23
occurs at a different plant than where it
is generated, EPA is proposing to
require the entity that generated the
HFC-23 to report that the HFC-23 has
been destroyed within 90 days of being
generated. The information must be
submitted within 45 days after
destruction occurs.
To ensure that reported values for
HFC-23 generation, capture,
transformation, and destruction are
reliable, EPA is proposing to require
entities to comply with certain
monitoring and calculation provisions.
Specifically, EPA is proposing to require
entities to meet the same requirements
in 40 CFR part 98, subpart L or subpart
OO, depending on the quantity being
reported. These provisions include
validated methods for measuring
concentrations of HFC-23 in process
streams and the mass flow rates of those
streams; accuracy, precision, and
calibration requirements for
instrumentation; and specific
calculation methods for uncontrolled
emissions and for quantities
transformed and destroyed. EPA
proposes to include these reporting
requirements to ensure that reported
data are accurate, precise, and
comparable over time and across plants
and companies.
Regarding annual plant-level
information on HFC-23 generated and
destroyed, these data are inputs into
emission equations that are used under
GHGRP subpart O to calculate and
report emissions of HFC-23, and inputs
into emission equations are considered
‘‘emission data.’’ Section 114(c) of the
CAA provides that ‘‘emission data’’
shall be available to the public. EPA
generally anticipates that these elements
related to HFC-23 are emission data and
thus will not be treated as confidential
following their collection.
EPA is proposing to require records of
reports submitted to EPA to be kept for
five years.
III. Statutory and Executive Order
Review
A. Executive Order 12866: Regulatory
Planning and Review and Executive
Order 13563: Improving Regulation and
Regulatory Review
This action is an economically
significant regulatory action that was
submitted to the Office of Management
and Budget (OMB) for review. Any
changes made in response to OMB
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53921
recommendations have been
documented in the docket. EPA
prepared an analysis of the potential
costs and benefits associated with this
action. This analysis, ‘‘Draft Regulatory
Impact Analysis for Protection of
Stratospheric Ozone: Standards Related
to the Manufacture of Class II OzoneDepleting Substances for Feedstock’’ is
available in the docket.
B. Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA)
The information collection activities
in this proposed rule have been
submitted for approval to OMB under
the PRA. The Information Collection
Request (ICR) document that EPA
prepared has been assigned EPA ICR
number 1432.37. You can find a copy of
the ICR in the docket for this rule, and
it is briefly summarized here.
EPA is proposing both a one-time
report and quarterly reporting to ensure
compliance with the proposed limits
related to HFC-23 byproduct emissions
from the manufacture of class II
controlled substances or HCFCs.
Quarterly reporting is consistent with
the existing reporting requirements in
40 CFR 82.24 for class II controlled
substances. The ICR addresses the
incremental changes to the existing
reporting and recordkeeping programs
that are approved under OMB control
number 2060–0170.
Respondents/affected entities:
Respondents and affected entities will
be plants that manufacture HCFCs and
generate HFC-23 as a byproduct.
Respondent’s obligation to respond:
Mandatory—sections 603(b) and 114 of
the CAA.
Estimated number of respondents: 2.
Frequency of response: Quarterly,
annually, and as needed.
Total estimated burden: 164 hours
(per year). Burden is defined at 5 CFR
1320.3(b).
Total estimated cost: $20,157 (per
year), includes $0 annualized capital or
operation and maintenance costs.
An agency may not conduct or
sponsor, and a person is not required to
respond to, a collection of information
unless it displays a currently valid OMB
control number. The OMB control
numbers for EPA’s regulations in 40
CFR are listed in 40 CFR part 9.
Submit your comments on the
Agency’s need for this information, the
accuracy of the provided burden
estimates and any suggested methods
for minimizing respondent burden to
EPA using the docket identified at the
beginning of this rule. You may also
send your ICR-related comments to
OMB’s Office of Information and
Regulatory Affairs via email to OIRA_
submission@omb.eop.gov, Attention:
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Desk Officer for EPA. Since OMB is
required to make a decision concerning
the ICR between 30 and 60 days after
receipt, OMB must receive comments no
later than October 29, 2021. EPA will
respond to any ICR-related comments in
the final rule.
the National Tribal Air Association and
will share information on this
rulemaking through this and other fora.
C. Regulatory Flexibility Act (RFA)
I certify that this action will not have
a significant economic impact on a
substantial number of small entities
(SISNOSE) under the RFA. This action
will not impose any requirements on
small entities. If a rule may have a
SISNOSE, the Agency would be
required to take certain steps to ensure
that the interests of small entities were
represented in the rulemaking process.
To determine whether the proposed
changes would likely have a SISNOSE,
EPA identified producers with HFC-23
emissions under EPA’s GHGRP. The
small business threshold is defined by
the SBA as the number of employees in
the company and varied between 100
and 1,500 employees. Because only two
plants were identified as potentially
affected by this action, and neither of
those plants are owned by small
businesses, it can be presumed that this
action will have no SISNOSE.
This action is subject to Executive
Order 13045 (62 FR 19885, April 23,
1997) because it is an economically
significant regulatory action as defined
by Executive Order 12866, and EPA
believes that the environmental health
or safety risk addressed by this action
has a disproportionate effect on
children. Accordingly, EPA has
evaluated the environmental health and
welfare effects of climate change on
children.
GHGs, including HFCs, contribute to
climate change. The GHG emissions
reductions from HFC-23 resulting from
implementation of this rule will further
improve children’s health. The
assessment literature cited in EPA’s
2009 and 2016 Endangerment Findings
concluded that certain populations and
life stages, including children, the
elderly, and the poor, are most
vulnerable to climate-related health
effects. The assessment literature since
2016 strengthens these conclusions by
providing more detailed findings
regarding these groups’ vulnerabilities
and the projected impacts they may
experience. These assessments describe
how children’s unique physiological
and developmental factors contribute to
making them particularly vulnerable to
climate change. Impacts to children are
expected from heat waves, air pollution,
infectious and waterborne illnesses, and
mental health effects resulting from
extreme weather events. In addition,
children are among those especially
susceptible to most allergic diseases, as
well as health effects associated with
heat waves, storms, and floods.
Additional health concerns may arise in
low-income households, especially
those with children, if climate change
reduces food availability and increases
prices, leading to food insecurity within
households.
D. Unfunded Mandates Reform Act
(UMRA)
This action does not contain any
unfunded mandate as described in
UMRA, 2 U.S.C. 1531–1538 and does
not significantly or uniquely affect small
governments. The action imposes no
enforceable duty on any state, local, or
tribal governments.
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E. Executive Order 13132: Federalism
This action does not have federalism
implications. It will not have substantial
direct effects on the states, on the
relationship between the national
government and the states, or on the
distribution of power and
responsibilities among the various
levels of government.
F. Executive Order 13175: Consultation
and Coordination With Indian Tribal
Governments
This action does not have tribal
implications as specified in Executive
Order 13175. It will not have substantial
direct effects on tribal governments, on
the relationship between the Federal
Government and Indian tribes, or on the
distribution of power and
responsibilities between the Federal
Government and Indian tribes, as
specified in Executive Order 13175.
Thus, Executive Order 13175 does not
apply to this action. EPA periodically
provides updates on air regulations to
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G. Executive Order 13045: Protection of
Children From Environmental Health
Risks and Safety Risks
H. Executive Order 13211: Actions That
Significantly Affect Energy Supply,
Distribution, or Use
This action is not a ‘‘significant
energy action’’ because it is not likely to
have a significant adverse effect on the
supply, distribution, or use of energy.
This action applies to the manufacture
of certain regulated substances, none of
which are used to supply or distribute
energy.
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I. National Technology Transfer and
Advancement Act (NTTAA)
This rulemaking does not involve
technical standards.
J. Executive Order 12898: Federal
Actions To Address Environmental
Justice in Minority Populations and
Low-Income Populations
EPA believes that this action does not
contribute to disproportionately high
and adverse human health or
environmental effects on minority
populations, low-income populations,
and/or indigenous peoples, as specified
in Executive Order 12898 (59 FR 7629,
February 16, 1994). As discussed in the
Regulatory Impact Analysis, ‘‘Draft
Regulatory Impact Analysis for
Protection of Stratospheric Ozone:
Standards Related to the Manufacture of
Class II Ozone-Depleting Substances for
Feedstock,’’ one of the plants potentially
affected by this proposed rule is
currently controlling their HFC-23
emissions on-site, and the other plant
plans to install equipment that will
capture HFC-23 process emissions.
Based on this information and as
discussed further in the Regulatory
Impact Analysis, we do not anticipate
any effects from the proposed rule on
the manufacture of HCFC-22.
This rule, if finalized, will reduce
emissions of a potent GHG that is
generated as a byproduct from the
manufacture of certain HCFCs. While
there are no local effects associated with
the release of HFC-23, reducing
emissions of HFC-23 will contribute to
reducing the effects of climate change in
the longer term, including public health
and welfare effects that may be
unevenly distributed and particularly
harmful to minority populations, lowincome populations, and/or indigenous
peoples.
List of Subjects in 40 CFR Part 82
Environmental protection, Air
pollution control, Chemicals, Emissions,
Reporting and recordkeeping
requirements.
Michael S. Regan,
Administrator.
For the reasons set forth in the
preamble, EPA proposes to amend 40
CFR part 82 as follows:
PART 82—PROTECTION OF
STRATOSPHERIC OZONE
1. The authority citation for part 82
continues to read as follows:
■
Authority: 42 U.S.C. 7414, 7601, 7671–
7671q.
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2. Amend § 82.15 by adding paragraph
(a)(3) to read as follows:
■
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§ 82.15 Prohibitions for class II controlled
substances.
(a) * * *
(3) Effective October 1, 2022, no
person may manufacture class II
controlled substances defined in § 82.3
at a plant where HFC-23 byproduct is
generated unless no more than 0.1
percent of HFC-23 generated is emitted
as compared to the amount of class II
controlled substances intentionally
manufactured on the facility line. Any
captured HFC-23 must be employed for
commercial use consistent with the
requirements outlined in 40 CFR part 84
or destroyed using a technology
approved by EPA for that purpose in
§ 84.29. Where destruction occurs onsite at the plant where HFC-23 is
generated, HFC-23 must be destroyed
within 30 days of its generation.
Captured HFC-23 destroyed at a
different plant than where it is
generated must be destroyed within 90
days after its generation. In such
instances, emissions during the
transportation to and destruction at the
different plant are included in the
calculations of whether the
manufacturer meets the 0.1 percent
standard.
(i) Request for extension. A person
may submit to the relevant Agency
official a request for a six-month
extension, with the possibility of one
additional six-month extension of the
October 1, 2022, compliance date. No
entity may have a compliance date later
than October 1, 2023.
(ii) Timing of request. The extension
request must be submitted to EPA no
later than August 1, 2022, for a first-time
extension, or February 1, 2023, for a
second extension.
(iii) Content of request. The extension
request must contain the following
information:
(A) Name of the plant submitting the
request; contact information for a person
at the plant; and the address of the
plant.
(B) A description of the specific
actions taken at the plant to improve
HFC-23 control, capture, and
destruction; the plans to meet the 0.1
percent HFC-23 limit including the
expected date by which the equipment
will be installed and operating; and
verification that the plant has met all
applicable reporting requirements under
40 CFR parts 82, 84, and 98.
(iv) Review of request. Starting on the
first working day following receipt by
the relevant Agency official of a
complete request for extension, the
official will initiate review of the
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information submitted and take action
within 30 working days.
*
*
*
*
*
■ 3. Amend § 82.24 by adding paragraph
(g) to read as follows:
§ 82.24 Recordkeeping and reporting
requirements for class II controlled
substances.
*
*
*
*
*
(g) Manufacturers of class II
controlled substances under
§ 82.15(a)(3). Any person who
manufactures class II controlled
substances under § 82.15(a)(3) during a
control period must comply with the
following recordkeeping and reporting
requirements:
(1) Reporting. Each manufacturer of a
class II controlled substance under
§ 82.15(a)(3) must provide the
Administrator with the following two
reports as required in § 82.24(g)(1)(i)
and (ii).
(i) Within 45 days of the effective date
of the final rule, each manufacturer
must provide the Administrator with a
one-time report containing the
information required in this paragraph
(g)(1)(i). Any changes to information
required in this paragraph (g)(1)(i) must
be reflected in a revision to the report
to be submitted to EPA within 60 days
of the change(s).
(A) Information on the capacity to
manufacture the intended chemical on
the line(s) on which HFC-23 is
generated.
(B) Description of actions taken at the
plant to control the generation and
emissions of HFC-23.
(C) Identification of approved
destruction technology and its location
intended for use for HFC-23 destruction.
(D) A copy of the destruction and
removal efficiency report associated
with the destruction technology.
(ii) For each quarter, each
manufacturer must provide the
Administrator with a report containing
the information required in this
paragraph (g)(1)(ii).
(A) Production line data for the
quarter on HFC-23 (in kilograms) on:
Emissions; generated; generated and
captured; generated and captured for
feedstock use in the United States;
generated and captured for destruction;
used for feedstock without prior
capture; and destroyed without prior
capture.
(iii) If captured HFC-23 is destroyed
in a subsequent control period, within
45 days after destruction occurs,
manufacturers must submit information
to EPA indicating the HFC-23 has been
destroyed.
(iv) If captured HFC-23 is destroyed at
a different plant than where it is
PO 00000
Frm 00038
Fmt 4702
Sfmt 4702
53923
generated, within 45 days after
destruction occurs, manufacturers must
submit information to EPA indicating
the HFC-23 has been destroyed. Such
report must include the date on which
the HFC-23 was generated and the date
on which the HFC-23 was destroyed.
(v) In developing any required report,
the owner/operator of a plant that
manufacturers class II controlled
substances that generates HFC-23 must
abide by the following monitoring and
quality assurance and control
provisions:
(A) To calculate the quantities of
HFC-23 generated and captured for any
use, generated and captured for
destruction, used for feedstock without
prior capture, and destroyed without
prior capture, plants shall comply with
the monitoring methods and quality
assurance and control requirements set
forth at 40 CFR 98.414 of this title and
the calculation methods set forth at
§ 98.413 of this title, except § 98.414(p)
of this title shall not apply.
(B) To calculate the quantity of HFC23 emitted, plants shall comply with the
monitoring methods and quality
assurance and control requirements set
forth at § 98.124 of this title and the
calculation methods set forth at § 98.123
of this title.
(2) Recordkeeping. Each manufacturer
during a control period must maintain
records of reports provided to the
Administrator for five years.
[FR Doc. 2021–20746 Filed 9–28–21; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6560–50–P
DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
GENERAL SERVICES
ADMINISTRATION
NATIONAL AERONAUTICS AND
SPACE ADMINISTRATION
48 CFR Parts 12, 32, and 52
[FAR Case 2020–007; Docket No. FAR–
2020–0007; Sequence No. 1]
RIN 9000–AO10
Federal Acquisition Regulation:
Accelerated Payments Applicable to
Contracts With Certain Small Business
Concerns
Department of Defense (DoD),
General Services Administration (GSA),
and National Aeronautics and Space
Administration (NASA).
ACTION: Proposed rule.
AGENCY:
DoD, GSA, and NASA are
proposing to amend the Federal
Acquisition Regulation (FAR) to
SUMMARY:
E:\FR\FM\29SEP1.SGM
29SEP1
Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 86, Number 186 (Wednesday, September 29, 2021)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 53916-53923]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2021-20746]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
40 CFR Part 82
[EPA-HQ-OAR-2021-0253; FRL-8506-01-OAR]
RIN 2060-AV29
Protection of Stratospheric Ozone: Standards Related to the
Manufacture of Class II Ozone-Depleting Substances for Feedstock;
Notice of Proposed Rulemaking
AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
ACTION: Proposed rule.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: The Environmental Protection Agency is proposing to require
the control, capture, and/or destruction of a hydrofluorocarbon that
would otherwise be emitted from manufacture of
hydrochlorofluorocarbons. In this proposed rule, EPA is proposing to
require companies to control, capture, and destroy HFC-23 byproduct
generated at plants that manufacture class II ozone-depleting
substances regulated under current Clean Air Act regulations, such as
HCFC-22. HFC-23 is a very potent greenhouse gas that is generated as a
byproduct during the manufacture of certain class II ozone-depleting
substances, including HCFC-22. Under the Clean Air Act and the
implementing regulations, the production and consumption of class II
ozone-depleting substances, including HCFC-22, are restricted with
limited exceptions. One such exception is production for use in
transformation, or as a feedstock, which is allowed indefinitely. The
Agency is proposing to limit emissions of HFC-23 from plants
manufacturing HCFCs. The HFC-23 must be captured and employed for a
commercial use or destroyed using a technology approved by the
Environmental Protection Agency, thereby ensuring it is not directly
emitted.
DATES: Comments on this notice of proposed rulemaking must be received
on or before November 15, 2021. Any party requesting a public hearing
must notify the contact listed below under FOR FURTHER INFORMATION
CONTACT by 5 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time on October 4, 2021. If
requested, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) will hold a
virtual public hearing on or before October 14, 2021. The date, time,
and other relevant information for the virtual public hearing will be
available at https://www.epa.gov/ozone-layer-protection.
ADDRESSES: You may send comments, identified by Docket ID No. EPA-HQ-
OAR-2021-0253, by any of the following methods:
Federal eRulemaking Portal: https://www.regulations.gov
(our preferred method). Follow the online instructions for submitting
comments.
Mail: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, EPA Docket
Center, Air and Radiation Docket, Mail Code 28221T, 1200 Pennsylvania
Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20460.
Hand Delivery or Courier (by scheduled appointment only):
EPA Docket Center, WJC West Building, Room 3334, 1301 Constitution
Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20004. The Docket Center's hours of
operations are 8:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m., Monday-Friday (except Federal
Holidays).
Instructions: All submissions received must include the Docket ID
No. for this rulemaking. Comments received may be posted without change
to https://www.regulations.gov, including any personal information
provided. Out of an abundance of caution for members of the public and
our staff, the EPA Docket Center and Reading Room are closed to the
public, with limited exceptions, to reduce the risk of transmitting
COVID-19. Our Docket Center staff will continue to provide remote
customer service via email, phone, and webform. We encourage the public
to submit comments via https://www.regulations.gov or email, as there
may be a delay in processing mail and faxes. Hand deliveries and
couriers may be received by scheduled appointment only. For further
information on EPA Docket Center services and the current status,
please visit us online at https://www.epa.gov/dockets.
You may find the following suggestions helpful for preparing your
comments: direct your comments to specific sections of this proposed
[[Page 53917]]
rulemaking and note where your comments may apply to future separate
actions where possible; explain your views as clearly as possible;
describe any assumptions that you used; provide any technical
information or data you used that support your views; provide specific
examples to illustrate your concerns; offer alternatives; and, make
sure to submit your comments by the comment period deadline. Please
provide any published studies or raw data supporting your position.
Multimedia submissions (audio, video, etc.) must be accompanied by a
written comment. The written comment is considered the official comment
and should include discussion of all points you wish to make. EPA will
generally not consider comments or comment contents located outside of
the primary submission (e.g., on the web, cloud, or other file sharing
system).
EPA recognizes that given the nature of this proposed rulemaking,
potentially affected entities may wish to submit Confidential Business
Information (CBI). CBI should not be submitted through https://www.regulations.gov. For submission of confidential comments or data,
please work with the person listed in the FOR FURTHER INFORMATION
CONTACT section if submitting a comment containing CBI. For additional
submission methods, the full EPA public comment policy, information
about CBI or multimedia submissions, and general guidance on making
effective comments, please visit https://www.epa.gov/dockets/commenting-epa-dockets.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Kirsten Cappel, U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency, Stratospheric Protection Division, telephone number:
202-343-9556; or email address: [email protected]. You may also
visit our website at https://www.epa.gov/ozone-layer-protection for
further information.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Throughout this document, whenever ``we,''
``us,'' or ``our'' is used, we mean EPA. Acronyms that are used in this
rulemaking that may be helpful include:
AIM Act--American Innovation and Manufacturing Act
CAA--Clean Air Act
CBI--Confidential Business Information
CO2--Carbon Dioxide
DRE--Destruction and Removal Efficiency
EPA--Environmental Protection Agency
FR--Federal Register
GHG--Greenhouse Gas
GHGRP--Greenhouse Gas Reporting Program
GWP--Global Warming Potential
HCFC--Hydrochlorofluorocarbon
HFC--Hydrofluorocarbon
IPCC--Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change
MMTCO2 eq--Million metric tons carbon dioxide equivalent
Montreal Protocol--Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the
Ozone Layer
ODS--Ozone-depleting substance
Parties to the Montreal Protocol or Party--Nations and regional
economic integration organizations that have consented to be bound
by the Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer
I. General Information
A. Does this proposed action apply to me?
You may be potentially affected by this action if you manufacture
class II ozone-depleting substances (ODS) listed at 40 CFR part 82,
subpart A, Appendix B, and hydrofluorocarbon-23 (HFC-23) is also
generated as a byproduct at your plant. If you have any questions
regarding the applicability of this action to a particular entity,
consult the person listed under FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT.
B. What action is the Agency proposing?
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is proposing to require
the control, capture, and/or destruction of byproduct HFC-23 that would
otherwise be emitted from plants that manufacture class II ODS (i.e.,
hydrochlorofluorocarbons (HCFCs)), including HCFC-22. Under the Clean
Air Act (CAA) and EPA's regulations at 40 CFR part 82, controls are in
place that restrict the production and consumption of HCFCs to
implement the phaseout of these chemicals. There are limited exceptions
to these restrictions for the manufacture of HCFCs that are not
considered to be production under the CAA. One of the exceptions allows
manufacture of HCFCs for use in a process in which the HCFC is used and
entirely consumed, except for trace quantities, in the manufacture of
other chemicals. The process is known as transformation and the
controlled substances used and consumed are called feedstocks. Under
this proposed action, any plant that manufactures HCFCs for
transformation would need to control, capture, and/or destroy HFC-23
byproduct generated. More specifically, EPA is proposing that no later
than October 1, 2022, as compared to the amount of HCFCs intentionally
manufactured on a facility line, no more than 0.1 percent of HFC-23
generated on the line may be emitted. Rather, such HFC-23 byproduct
must be captured and employed for a commercial purpose or destroyed
using a technology approved by EPA.
This proposed rule is narrow in scope and is expected only to
affect those plants that continue to manufacture HCFCs under an
exception to the HCFC phaseout under the CAA and its implementing
regulations. Based on data from EPA's Greenhouse Gas Reporting Program
(GHGRP), we are aware of two plants that would fall under the proposed
requirements. These two plants report their emissions under subpart O
of the GHGRP (HCFC-22 Production and HFC-23 Destruction), which
requires owners or operators of facilities that contain HCFC-22
production or HFC-23 destruction processes to report their emissions
from those processes. Plant-specific emissions from these processes are
then published in EPA's Facility Level Information on GreenHouse gases
Tool (FLIGHT). Interested readers can review the data concerning HFC-23
reported to EPA for over a decade. Other than the two plants included
in the GHGRP data, EPA is not aware of any other class II ODS
production plants in the United States that generate emissions of HFC-
23.\1\ EPA is soliciting comment on whether there are any other plants
manufacturing class II ODS that have emissions of HFC-23. EPA is also
aware that there are plants that generate HFC-23 emissions during
production of HFCs and directs interested readers to ``Phasedown of
Hydrofluorocarbons: Establishing the Allowance Allocation and Trading
Program under the American Innovation and Manufacturing Act'' (86 FR
27150, May 19, 2021), the ``Proposed HFC Allocation Rule,'' to learn
more about EPA's proposal to implement a similar standard for emissions
of HFC-23 at those plants.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\1\ See, e.g., ``Fluorinated Greenhouse Gas Emissions and
Supplies Reported to the GHGRP.'' Epa.gov, Environmental Protection
Agency, 24 Feb. 2021, https://www.epa.gov/ghgreporting/fluorinated-greenhouse-gas-emissions-and-supplies-reported-ghgrp#production.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
EPA is proposing a compliance date of October 1, 2022. EPA
recognizes that individual circumstances could arise that make it
impossible for an individual plant to install necessary controls by
October 1, 2022, and therefore is proposing a process under which
companies could seek an extension of the compliance date.
C. What is the Agency's authority for this proposed action?
Several sections of the CAA provide authority for this proposed
action.\2\ Section 603 provides authority to establish monitoring and
reporting requirements for ODS, and section 605
[[Page 53918]]
provides authority to phase out the production and consumption of class
II substances, to restrict the use of class II ODS, and to promulgate
regulations associated with the production of class II ODS. EPA's
regulations implementing the production and consumption controls for
class II substances, including provisions implementing exceptions to
those controls, can be found at 40 CFR part 82, subpart A.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\2\ The Clean Air Act provisions addressing stratospheric ozone
protection are codified at 42 U.S.C. 7671-7671q.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
To the extent that this rulemaking involves recordkeeping and
reporting requirements, EPA also relies on its authority under section
114 of the CAA, which authorizes the EPA Administrator to require
recordkeeping and reporting in carrying out any provision of the CAA
(with certain exceptions that do not apply here). Additional authority
for electronic reporting comes from the Government Paperwork
Elimination Act (44 U.S.C. 3504), which provides ``(1) for the option
of the electronic maintenance, submission, or disclosure of
information, when practicable as a substitute for paper; and (2) for
the use and acceptance of electronic signatures, when practicable.''
II. Background on This Action
A. Class I and Class II ODS Phaseout
To comply with the United States' obligations under the Montreal
Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer (Montreal Protocol)
and requirements under Title VI of the CAA, EPA has been implementing a
system of production and consumption controls for decades to facilitate
the orderly phaseout of class I and class II ODS.\3\ Under this system,
EPA allocates allowances for the production and consumption of these
substances, gradually reducing the number of allowances allocated over
time. Allocation of production and consumption allowances for most
class I substances (e.g., chlorofluorocarbons, methyl chloroform,
carbon tetrachloride, and halons) ended by 1996, and in 2005 for methyl
bromide. EPA is implementing the phaseout of class II ODS on a
chemical-by-chemical basis and had stopped allocating production and
consumption allowances for most HCFCs by 2020. EPA allocated the few
remaining production and consumption allowances for HCFC-123 and HCFC-
124 in a 2020 rulemaking (85 FR 15258). Under that rule, production and
consumption allowances for class II substances are reduced to zero by
2030 (Sec. 82.16). Production and import of HCFCs that are categorized
as class II ODS without the appropriate allowances is generally
prohibited unless an exception applies (Sec. 82.15(a) and (b)). The
Montreal Protocol, the CAA, and EPA's implementing regulations also
limit the permissible uses of HCFCs, with certain exceptions.
Additional information on the class II phaseout can be found in EPA's
prior rulemakings in this area (see, e.g., 68 FR 2819, 79 FR 64254, and
85 FR 15258).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\3\ The current list of substances that are categorized as class
I substances can be found at 40 CFR part 82, subpart A, Appendix A,
and as class II substances at 40 CFR part 82, subpart A, Appendix B.
The class II substances are all HCFCs.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
As noted previously, there are limited exceptions to these
production controls under the CAA and EPA's implementing regulations
(Sec. 82.15(a)). One exception allowed indefinitely under the CAA is
manufacture for use in a process resulting in the HCFC being
transformed. Consistent with section 601(11) of the CAA, the definition
of ``production'' in 40 CFR 82.3 excludes the ``manufacture of a
controlled substance that is subsequently transformed.'' As defined in
40 CFR 82.3, ``transform'' means to ``use and entirely consume (except
for trace quantities) a controlled substance in the manufacture of
other chemicals for commercial purposes.''
B. The American Innovation and Manufacturing Act
HFC-23 is a very potent GHG with a 100-year global warming
potential (GWP) of 14,800 \4\ that is generated as a byproduct during
the manufacture of certain chemicals, including HCFC-22. In a Technical
Support Document for EPA's GHGRP, EPA detailed the process by which
HFC-23 is generated as a byproduct during the manufacture of HCFC-22:
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\4\ Errata to Table 2.14 of the Intergovernmental Panel on
Climate Change's (IPCC) Fourth Assessment Report.
HCFC-22 is produced by the reaction of chloroform
(CHCl3) and hydrogen fluoride (HF) in the presence of a
catalyst, SbCl5. The reaction of the catalyst and HF
produces SbClxFy, (where x + y = 5), which
reacts with chlorinated hydrocarbons to replace chlorine atoms with
fluorine. The HF and chloroform are introduced by submerged piping
into a continuous-flow reactor that contains the catalyst in a
hydrocarbon mixture of chloroform and partially fluorinated
intermediates. The vapors leaving the reactor contain HCFC-21
(CHCl2F), HCFC-22 (CHClF2), HFC-23
(CHF3), HCl, chloroform, and HF. The under-fluorinated
intermediates (HCFC-21) and chloroform are then condensed and
returned to the reactor, along with residual catalyst, to undergo
further fluorination. The final vapors leaving the condenser are
primarily HCFC-22, HFC-23, HCl and residual HF. The HCl is recovered
as a useful byproduct, and the HF is removed. Once separated from
the HCFC-22, the HFC-23 may be vented to the atmosphere as an
unwanted by-product, captured for use in a limited number of
applications, or destroyed.\5\
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\5\ Technical Support Document for Emissions of HFC-23 from
Production of HCFC-22: Proposed Rule for Mandatory Reporting of
Greenhouse Gases, February 6, 2009, available at: https://www.epa.gov/sites/production/files/2015-02/documents/subparto-tsd.pdf.
Historically, HFC-23 that has not been controlled or captured has
been vented to the atmosphere. EPA is also aware of limited instances
where HFC-23 is captured, purified, and used for commercial purposes,
such as fire suppression, very low temperature refrigeration, and
semiconductor manufacturing.
HFC-23 is a regulated substance under the American Innovation and
Manufacturing Act of 2020 (AIM Act) enacted December 27, 2020, as
section 103 in Division S, Innovation for the Environment, of the
Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021 (Pub. L. 116-260). EPA has
recently published a proposed rule under AIM Act authority, the
Proposed HFC Allocation Rule (86 FR 27150, May 19, 2021), that has
several interrelated proposed approaches linked to HFC-23 emissions.
Under the primary proposed approach, all creation of HFC-23, whether
intentional or unintentional, beyond insignificant quantities under
certain conditions, would be ``production'' covered by AIM Act
regulations. That proposal would require that HFC-23 be captured and
controlled to a specific standard and then the HFC-23 could be refined
for sale, which would require expenditure of AIM Act allowances, or the
HFC-23 would need to be destroyed.\6\ In the alternative, EPA is
proposing to require that, in order to be eligible for a production
allowance under the AIM Act rules, companies must control, capture, and
destroy HFC-23 emissions from plants producing HFCs listed as regulated
substances in the AIM Act. Under both proposals, EPA is proposing that,
no later than October 1, 2022, as compared to the amount of chemical
intentionally produced on a facility line, no more than 0.1 percent of
HFC-23 generated as a byproduct on the line may be emitted. EPA also
proposed a process under which companies could seek an
[[Page 53919]]
extension of the compliance date in certain circumstances. Accordingly,
the timeline proposed in the Proposed HFC Allocation Rule matches the
timeline proposed in this rulemaking, such that facilities would have
no compliance obligations until October 1, 2022, or later if a
compliance date extension was granted, to allow facilities necessary
time to install and calibrate equipment. The HFC-23 must be destroyed
using a technology approved in the context of the AIM Act regulations
(which are also proposed in the same notice).
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\6\ If that proposed approach under the AIM Act were to be
finalized, all generation of HFC-23 would be regulated, including
HFC-23 generated as a byproduct during production of HCFCs for
feedstock use. Under such a scenario, EPA anticipates that it would
not finalize this proposal, but is soliciting comments on whether
this CAA-specific rulemaking would still be beneficial.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
C. Emission Reduction Commitments
Studies indicate that HFC-23 emission trends from HCFC-22
manufacturing largely depend on the magnitude of HCFC-22 manufacturing
and the effectiveness of HFC-23 destruction associated with that
manufacture of HCFC-22.\7\ \8\ \9\ HFC-23 has a substantially longer
atmospheric lifetime and higher GWP than all other HFCs at 14,800. In
2015, EPA estimated that global controls on byproduct HFC-23 emissions
from HCFC-22 manufacture would result in cumulative HFC-23 byproduct
emission reductions of 12,600 MMTCO2 eq through 2050.\10\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\7\ Montzka, S.A., L. Kuijpers, M.O. Battle, M. Aydin, K.R.
Verhulst, E.S. Saltzman, and D.W. Fahey. et al.: Recent increases in
global HFC-23 emissions, Geophysical Research Letters, 37, L02808,
doi:10.1029/2009GL041195, 2010.
\8\ B.R. Miller, M. Rigby, L.J.M. Kuijpers, P.B. Krummel, et
al.: HFC-23 (CHF3) emission trend response to HCFC-22
(CHClF2) production and recent HFC-23 emission abatement
measures, Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics, 10, 7875-7890, 2010.
\9\ World Meteorological Organization (WMO), Executive Summary:
Scientific Assessment of Ozone Depletion: 2018, World Meteorological
Organization, Global Ozone Research and Monitoring Project--Report
No. 58, 67 pp., Geneva, Switzerland, 2018.
\10\ Proposed amendment to the Montreal Protocol submitted by
Canada, Mexico and the United States of America. https://ozone.unep.org/system/files/documents/OEWG-36-3E.pdf.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
On September 16, 2014, and October 15, 2015, entities in the
private sector announced commitments to reduce emissions of HFCs.\11\
Several of those commitments included reducing HFC-23 byproduct
emissions. For example, one commitment from 2015 states, in part:
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\11\ https://obamawhitehouse.archives.gov/the-press-office/2014/09/16/fact-sheet-obama-administration-partners-private-sector-new-commitments- and https://obamawhitehouse.archives.gov/the-press-office/2015/10/15/fact-sheet-obama-administration-and-private-sector-leaders-announce.
``Chemours today agreed to control and, to the extent feasible,
eliminate by-product emissions of HFC-23 at all its fluorochemical
production facilities worldwide. Furthermore, Chemours today agreed
to use in the U.S. only feedstock HCFC-22 from producers that
control and, to the extent feasible, eliminate by-product emissions
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
of HFC-23 at their production facilities in North America.''
And a second 2015 pledge states, in part:
``Daikin Industries Ltd. today announced its commitment to
strictly control and, to the extent feasible, eliminate by-product
emissions of HFC-23 at its fluorochemical production facilities
worldwide. Daikin's plant in Decatur, Alabama, was the first plant
in the U.S. that committed to the destruction of HFC-23 when it
started operations in 1994.''
These commitments demonstrate longstanding concerns over and
efforts to limit HFC-23 byproduct emissions. Further, in a 2021 news
release, Chemours announced a project to significantly reduce emissions
at their Louisville, Kentucky, manufacturing site. As stated in the
news release, the project includes the design, custom-build, and
installation of proprietary technology to capture at least 99 percent
of HFC-23 process emissions from the site. The news release is
available in the docket to this rule (EPA-HQ-OAR-2021-0253).
III. What is EPA proposing in this action?
A. What is EPA proposing to require for manufacturers of class II ODS?
In this action, EPA is proposing plants that manufacture HCFCs must
control, capture, and destroy HFC-23 byproduct emissions. More
specifically, EPA is proposing that, no later than October 1, 2022, as
compared to the amount of chemical intentionally manufactured on a
facility line over a certain time period, no more than 0.1 percent of
HFC-23 generated on the line may be emitted during that same time
period. After such point, emissions of HFC-23 byproduct that exceed the
0.1 percent would be treated as violations of an applicable emissions
limitation in violation of federal law and subject to appropriate
enforcement action. The proposed 0.1 percent allowable emissions
standard is mass based, with the mass of the intentionally produced
substance as the comparison point. In other words, if a line is
intentionally producing 1,000 pounds of HCFC-22 over a certain time
period, only one pound of HFC-23 could be emitted over that same time
period. EPA proposes that any captured HFC-23 must either be refined
and employed for commercial purposes, in accordance with any other
governing regulatory requirements, or destroyed.
Given that the focus of this rulemaking is to minimize HFC-23
byproduct emissions, it is reasonable to require that if the HFC-23 is
not being captured and employed for a commercial purpose, in which case
it is not directly emitted from the HCFC manufacturing facility, HFC-23
must be destroyed using a technology that has been demonstrated to be
highly effective in destroying HFC-23. EPA is proposing that HFC-23
must be destroyed using a technology approved by EPA. HFC-23 is a
regulated substance under the newly enacted AIM Act. EPA has recently
published the Proposed HFC Allocation Rule (86 FR 27150, May 19, 2021),
which includes a proposal to approve specific technologies as
permissible for the destruction of HFC-23. Because HFC-23 is a
regulated substance under the AIM Act, it seems most appropriate to
list approved technologies for the destruction of HFC-23 through the
Proposed HFC Allocation Rule. Therefore, EPA is not separately
proposing a list of technologies through this rulemaking. The list of
technologies proposed for approval through the Proposed HFC Allocation
Rule is as follows: (1) Gaseous/fume oxidation; (2) Liquid injection
incineration; (3) Reactor cracking; (4) Rotary kiln incineration; (5)
Argon plasma arc; (6) Nitrogen plasma arc; (7) Chemical reaction with
hydrogen and carbon dioxide; and (8) Superheated steam reactor. As
stated in the preamble of the Proposed HFC Allocation Rule (86 FR
27183), these technologies are capable of destroying HFC-23 to a
destruction and removal efficiency (DRE) of 99.99 percent.\12\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\12\ The preamble to the Proposed HFC Allocation Rule also
states that many of the destruction technologies previously approved
by EPA to destroy ODS have also been found capable of destroying
HFCs to a minimum DRE of 99.99 percent, citing the 2018 TEAP Report,
Volume 2: Decision XXIX/4 TEAP Task Force Report on Destruction
Technologies for Controlled Substances. March 15, 2021. https://ozone.unep.org/sites/default/files/2019-04/TEAP-DecXXIX4-TF-Report-April2018.pdf. In addition, we note that these eight technologies
are currently included in the list of destruction processes approved
by EPA for class I and class II ODS, which can be found in the
definition of ``destruction'' in 40 CFR 82.3.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
For additional information on these technologies, EPA's basis for
approving them for destruction of HFC-23, and to participate in the
public process concerning that Proposed HFC Allocation Rule, please see
the earlier-cited proposed rule. EPA is soliciting comment on its
proposed approach to require use of a technology listed as approved
through the Proposed HFC Allocation Rule, and it is also soliciting
comment in this rulemaking on whether the same set of destruction
technologies should be separately listed and approved for HFC-23
destruction under
[[Page 53920]]
this rulemaking for inclusion in the part 82 regulations.
As noted previously, the known plants affected by this rulemaking
have made public commitments to control and, to the extent feasible,
eliminate byproduct emissions of HFC-23. In recent discussions with
EPA, affected companies described ongoing efforts to control, capture,
and destroy HFC-23, including planned facility upgrades.\13\ EPA is
proposing regulations to establish permanent and federally enforceable
requirements in addition to these voluntary commitments. EPA
acknowledges that some plants may need to install and calibrate new
equipment to meet the standard and therefore is proposing a compliance
date of October 1, 2022, to allow these plants to complete these
activities. Based on the actions EPA understands need to be undertaken,
including building and installing customized equipment, October 1,
2022, is a reasonable date by which plants should be expected to comply
with the requirements proposed in this rule, if finalized.
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\13\ ``Facilities with HFC-23 Emissions'' is available in the
docket (EPA-HQ-OAR-2021-0253).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Moreover, EPA recognizes that individual circumstances could arise
that make it impossible for an individual plant to install necessary
controls by October 1, 2022. Therefore, EPA proposes that the Agency
may grant a six-month deferral of this compliance deadline (with the
possibility of an additional, one-time six month extension) for
companies that can demonstrate to EPA that they have taken concrete
steps to start to improve their HFC-23 control, capture, and
destruction (such as purchase and installation of necessary equipment)
at the relevant plants, are reporting under applicable sections of 40
CFR parts 82, 84,\14\ and 98, and have clear plans to come into full
compliance with the 0.1 percent HFC-23 limit by the deferred date.
Alternatively, EPA proposes that the Agency may grant a one-time, one-
year deferral of the October 1, 2022 deadline, with no possible
extension. EPA is soliciting comment on whether a phased approach of
two six-month deferrals would provide helpful oversight by EPA on the
company's progress to ensure regulatory requirements take effect as
soon as feasible, or whether a single one-time deferral is more
appropriate in this instance. Under this proposal, companies would need
to request such a deferral by August 1, 2022. EPA proposes to make a
determination on an application within 30 days. EPA intends to publicly
announce any compliance deferrals granted under this process.
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\14\ EPA has proposed initial implementing regulations for the
recently enacted AIM Act, which would be codified at 40 CFR part 84.
This includes proposed recordkeeping and reporting requirements.
More details can be found in ``Phasedown of Hydrofluorocarbons:
Establishing the Allowance Allocation and Trading Program under the
American Innovation and Manufacturing Act'' (86 FR 27150, May 19,
2021). If the referenced recordkeeping and reporting requirements
are finalized, EPA is proposing through this document that such
recordkeeping and reporting requirements would need to be followed
in order for a facility to be eligible for an extension.
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EPA proposes that the destruction of captured HFC-23 is not
required to occur at the same plant where the HFC-23 is generated.
Destruction of HFC-23 may occur either at the plant where it is
generated (on-site) or off-site at another plant. In instances where
captured HFC-23 is destroyed off-site, EPA proposes that the
transportation to and destruction at the off-site plant would be
considered in calculating compliance with the 0.1 percent emissions
standard.
Destruction of HFC-23 on-site at the plant where it is generated
occurs very soon after it is generated. Accordingly, EPA proposes that
if a company utilizes onsite destruction capability, HFC-23 must be
destroyed within 30 days of its generation. Alternatively, where
destruction occurs off-site, more time may be needed to allow for
transportation. To ensure HFC-23 is destroyed in a reasonable amount of
time and is not inadvertently emitted, EPA is proposing to require that
off-site HFC-23 destruction occur within 90 days after it is generated.
These timelines are achievable as a practical matter while being short
enough to avoid potential malfeasance that could occur over an
elongated time horizon and to minimize the potential of accidental
releases. EPA welcomes comment on these timeframes and would consider
longer time windows if necessary to destroy HFC-23.
The CAA in section 605(c) provides EPA with the authority to
promulgate regulations relating to the phase out of production of class
II substances. Given plants are allowed to continue to manufacture
HCFCs indefinitely under certain exceptions to the general prohibition
on their production, such as manufacture as a feedstock for
transformation, it is reasonable to require them to control, capture,
and/or destroy HFC-23 emissions associated with such manufacture. As
noted previously, HFC-23 has a GWP of 14,800, meaning that emitting a
single kilogram of HFC-23 has about the same effect on the global
climate over 100 years as emitting 14,800 kilograms of CO2.
Elevated concentrations of greenhouse gases (GHGs), including HFC-23,
have been warming the planet, leading to changes in the Earth's climate
including changes in the frequency and intensity of heat waves,
precipitation, and extreme weather events, rising seas, and retreating
snow and ice. The changes taking place in the atmosphere as a result of
the well-documented buildup of GHGs due to human activities are
changing the climate at a pace and in a way that threatens human
health, society, and the natural environment. Extensive additional
information on climate change is available in numerous scientific
assessments \15\ and EPA documents, as well as in the technical and
scientific information supporting them. Two of these documents are
EPA's 2009 final rule document ``Endangerment and Cause or Contribute
Findings for Greenhouse Gases Under Section 202(a) of the Clean Air
Act'' (74 FR 66496, December 15, 2009) and EPA's 2016 Endangerment and
Cause or Contribute Findings for greenhouse gas emissions from aircraft
under section 231(a)(2)(A) of the Clean Air Act (81 FR 54422, September
14, 2016).\16\
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\15\ For example, the 2018 National Climate Assessment or the
2018 IPCC Special Report on 1.5 [deg]C: USGCRP, 2018: Impacts,
Risks, and Adaptation in the United States: Fourth National Climate
Assessment, Volume II [Reidmiller, D.R., C.W. Avery, D.R.
Easterling, K.E. Kunkel, K.L.M. Lewis, T.K. Maycock, and B.C.
Stewart (eds.)]. U.S. Global Change Research Program, Washington,
DC, USA, 1515 pp. doi: 10.7930/NCA4.2018 and IPCC, 2018: Global
Warming of 1.5 [deg]C. An IPCC Special Report on the impacts of
global warming of 1.5 [deg]C above pre-industrial levels and related
global greenhouse gas emission pathways, in the context of
strengthening the global response to the threat of climate change,
sustainable development, and efforts to eradicate poverty [Masson-
Delmotte, V., P. Zhai, H.-O. P[ouml]rtner, D. Roberts, J. Skea, P.R.
Shukla, A. Pirani, W. Moufouma-Okia, C. P[eacute]an, R. Pidcock, S.
Connors, J.B.R. Matthews, Y. Chen, X. Zhou, M.I. Gomis, E. Lonnoy,
T. Maycock, M. Tignor, and T. Waterfield (eds.)].
\16\ In describing these 2009 and 2016 Findings in this
proposal, EPA is neither reopening nor revisiting them.
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As noted, EPA is aware of two plants that intentionally manufacture
HCFCs that generate HFC-23 as a byproduct. Both of these plants
manufacture HCFC-22 for transformation. The definition in 40 CFR 82.3
of transformation notes that chemicals used in transformation processes
are used and entirely consumed, except for trace quantities. As noted
previously, this is consistent with the exclusion of substances that
are ``used and entirely consumed (except for trace quantities) in the
manufacture of other chemicals'' from the definition of produce,
produced, and production in section 601(11) of the CAA. It is
reasonable to assume that, in excepting transformation processes from
the definitions related to production and
[[Page 53921]]
accordingly from the production controls under the ODS phaseout,
including for HCFCs, Congress's expectation was that HCFCs manufactured
under this exception would be used and entirely consumed in the
subsequent transformation processes, thereby resulting in minimal
environmental effects from the manufactured HCFCs. Accordingly, it is
reasonable for EPA to place additional controls around the process used
to manufacture HCFCs intended for transformation in order to minimize
its environmental effects.
B. What is EPA proposing for recordkeeping and reporting requirements?
EPA is proposing reporting requirements and corresponding
recordkeeping requirements for plants that manufacture class II ODS
with HFC-23 byproduct generation. EPA is proposing a one-time report,
to be submitted within 45 days after the effective date of the rule,
containing the following: (i) Information on the capacity to
manufacture the intended chemical(s) on the line(s) where HFC-23
byproduct is generated; (ii) a description of actions taken at the
plant to control the generation and emissions of HFC-23; (iii)
identification of approved destruction technology and its location
intended for use for HFC-23 destruction; and (iv) a copy of the DRE
report associated with the destruction technology. EPA is further
proposing that any changes to the information provided in the one-time
report be reflected in a revision submitted to EPA within 60 days of
the change(s).
EPA is also proposing quarterly reporting, to be submitted 45 days
after the end of the applicable reporting period,\17\ for production
line data on HFC-23: (i) Emissions; (ii) generated, whether captured or
not; (iii) generated and captured for all uses; (iv) generated and
captured for feedstock use in the United States; (v) generated and
captured for destruction; (vi) used for feedstock without prior
capture; and (vii) destroyed without prior capture. Quantities should
be reported in kilograms consistent with the existing reporting
requirements in 40 CFR 82.24 for class II controlled substances.
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\17\ There are four quarters or reporting periods in the control
period. As defined in 40 CFR 82.3, the control period is each
twelve-month period from January 1 through December 31.
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If captured HFC-23 byproduct is destroyed in a subsequent calendar
year (e.g., it is generated and captured December 15 and destroyed
January 15 in the following year), EPA is further proposing to require
the entity that generated the HFC-23 to report that the HFC-23 has been
destroyed. The information must be submitted within 45 days after
destruction occurs. In addition, where destruction of HFC-23 occurs at
a different plant than where it is generated, EPA is proposing to
require the entity that generated the HFC-23 to report that the HFC-23
has been destroyed within 90 days of being generated. The information
must be submitted within 45 days after destruction occurs.
To ensure that reported values for HFC-23 generation, capture,
transformation, and destruction are reliable, EPA is proposing to
require entities to comply with certain monitoring and calculation
provisions. Specifically, EPA is proposing to require entities to meet
the same requirements in 40 CFR part 98, subpart L or subpart OO,
depending on the quantity being reported. These provisions include
validated methods for measuring concentrations of HFC-23 in process
streams and the mass flow rates of those streams; accuracy, precision,
and calibration requirements for instrumentation; and specific
calculation methods for uncontrolled emissions and for quantities
transformed and destroyed. EPA proposes to include these reporting
requirements to ensure that reported data are accurate, precise, and
comparable over time and across plants and companies.
Regarding annual plant-level information on HFC-23 generated and
destroyed, these data are inputs into emission equations that are used
under GHGRP subpart O to calculate and report emissions of HFC-23, and
inputs into emission equations are considered ``emission data.''
Section 114(c) of the CAA provides that ``emission data'' shall be
available to the public. EPA generally anticipates that these elements
related to HFC-23 are emission data and thus will not be treated as
confidential following their collection.
EPA is proposing to require records of reports submitted to EPA to
be kept for five years.
III. Statutory and Executive Order Review
A. Executive Order 12866: Regulatory Planning and Review and Executive
Order 13563: Improving Regulation and Regulatory Review
This action is an economically significant regulatory action that
was submitted to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review.
Any changes made in response to OMB recommendations have been
documented in the docket. EPA prepared an analysis of the potential
costs and benefits associated with this action. This analysis, ``Draft
Regulatory Impact Analysis for Protection of Stratospheric Ozone:
Standards Related to the Manufacture of Class II Ozone-Depleting
Substances for Feedstock'' is available in the docket.
B. Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA)
The information collection activities in this proposed rule have
been submitted for approval to OMB under the PRA. The Information
Collection Request (ICR) document that EPA prepared has been assigned
EPA ICR number 1432.37. You can find a copy of the ICR in the docket
for this rule, and it is briefly summarized here.
EPA is proposing both a one-time report and quarterly reporting to
ensure compliance with the proposed limits related to HFC-23 byproduct
emissions from the manufacture of class II controlled substances or
HCFCs. Quarterly reporting is consistent with the existing reporting
requirements in 40 CFR 82.24 for class II controlled substances. The
ICR addresses the incremental changes to the existing reporting and
recordkeeping programs that are approved under OMB control number 2060-
0170.
Respondents/affected entities: Respondents and affected entities
will be plants that manufacture HCFCs and generate HFC-23 as a
byproduct.
Respondent's obligation to respond: Mandatory--sections 603(b) and
114 of the CAA.
Estimated number of respondents: 2.
Frequency of response: Quarterly, annually, and as needed.
Total estimated burden: 164 hours (per year). Burden is defined at
5 CFR 1320.3(b).
Total estimated cost: $20,157 (per year), includes $0 annualized
capital or operation and maintenance costs.
An agency may not conduct or sponsor, and a person is not required
to respond to, a collection of information unless it displays a
currently valid OMB control number. The OMB control numbers for EPA's
regulations in 40 CFR are listed in 40 CFR part 9.
Submit your comments on the Agency's need for this information, the
accuracy of the provided burden estimates and any suggested methods for
minimizing respondent burden to EPA using the docket identified at the
beginning of this rule. You may also send your ICR-related comments to
OMB's Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs via email to
[email protected], Attention:
[[Page 53922]]
Desk Officer for EPA. Since OMB is required to make a decision
concerning the ICR between 30 and 60 days after receipt, OMB must
receive comments no later than October 29, 2021. EPA will respond to
any ICR-related comments in the final rule.
C. Regulatory Flexibility Act (RFA)
I certify that this action will not have a significant economic
impact on a substantial number of small entities (SISNOSE) under the
RFA. This action will not impose any requirements on small entities. If
a rule may have a SISNOSE, the Agency would be required to take certain
steps to ensure that the interests of small entities were represented
in the rulemaking process. To determine whether the proposed changes
would likely have a SISNOSE, EPA identified producers with HFC-23
emissions under EPA's GHGRP. The small business threshold is defined by
the SBA as the number of employees in the company and varied between
100 and 1,500 employees. Because only two plants were identified as
potentially affected by this action, and neither of those plants are
owned by small businesses, it can be presumed that this action will
have no SISNOSE.
D. Unfunded Mandates Reform Act (UMRA)
This action does not contain any unfunded mandate as described in
UMRA, 2 U.S.C. 1531-1538 and does not significantly or uniquely affect
small governments. The action imposes no enforceable duty on any state,
local, or tribal governments.
E. Executive Order 13132: Federalism
This action does not have federalism implications. It will not have
substantial direct effects on the states, on the relationship between
the national government and the states, or on the distribution of power
and responsibilities among the various levels of government.
F. Executive Order 13175: Consultation and Coordination With Indian
Tribal Governments
This action does not have tribal implications as specified in
Executive Order 13175. It will not have substantial direct effects on
tribal governments, on the relationship between the Federal Government
and Indian tribes, or on the distribution of power and responsibilities
between the Federal Government and Indian tribes, as specified in
Executive Order 13175. Thus, Executive Order 13175 does not apply to
this action. EPA periodically provides updates on air regulations to
the National Tribal Air Association and will share information on this
rulemaking through this and other fora.
G. Executive Order 13045: Protection of Children From Environmental
Health Risks and Safety Risks
This action is subject to Executive Order 13045 (62 FR 19885, April
23, 1997) because it is an economically significant regulatory action
as defined by Executive Order 12866, and EPA believes that the
environmental health or safety risk addressed by this action has a
disproportionate effect on children. Accordingly, EPA has evaluated the
environmental health and welfare effects of climate change on children.
GHGs, including HFCs, contribute to climate change. The GHG
emissions reductions from HFC-23 resulting from implementation of this
rule will further improve children's health. The assessment literature
cited in EPA's 2009 and 2016 Endangerment Findings concluded that
certain populations and life stages, including children, the elderly,
and the poor, are most vulnerable to climate-related health effects.
The assessment literature since 2016 strengthens these conclusions by
providing more detailed findings regarding these groups'
vulnerabilities and the projected impacts they may experience. These
assessments describe how children's unique physiological and
developmental factors contribute to making them particularly vulnerable
to climate change. Impacts to children are expected from heat waves,
air pollution, infectious and waterborne illnesses, and mental health
effects resulting from extreme weather events. In addition, children
are among those especially susceptible to most allergic diseases, as
well as health effects associated with heat waves, storms, and floods.
Additional health concerns may arise in low-income households,
especially those with children, if climate change reduces food
availability and increases prices, leading to food insecurity within
households.
H. Executive Order 13211: Actions That Significantly Affect Energy
Supply, Distribution, or Use
This action is not a ``significant energy action'' because it is
not likely to have a significant adverse effect on the supply,
distribution, or use of energy. This action applies to the manufacture
of certain regulated substances, none of which are used to supply or
distribute energy.
I. National Technology Transfer and Advancement Act (NTTAA)
This rulemaking does not involve technical standards.
J. Executive Order 12898: Federal Actions To Address Environmental
Justice in Minority Populations and Low-Income Populations
EPA believes that this action does not contribute to
disproportionately high and adverse human health or environmental
effects on minority populations, low-income populations, and/or
indigenous peoples, as specified in Executive Order 12898 (59 FR 7629,
February 16, 1994). As discussed in the Regulatory Impact Analysis,
``Draft Regulatory Impact Analysis for Protection of Stratospheric
Ozone: Standards Related to the Manufacture of Class II Ozone-Depleting
Substances for Feedstock,'' one of the plants potentially affected by
this proposed rule is currently controlling their HFC-23 emissions on-
site, and the other plant plans to install equipment that will capture
HFC-23 process emissions. Based on this information and as discussed
further in the Regulatory Impact Analysis, we do not anticipate any
effects from the proposed rule on the manufacture of HCFC-22.
This rule, if finalized, will reduce emissions of a potent GHG that
is generated as a byproduct from the manufacture of certain HCFCs.
While there are no local effects associated with the release of HFC-23,
reducing emissions of HFC-23 will contribute to reducing the effects of
climate change in the longer term, including public health and welfare
effects that may be unevenly distributed and particularly harmful to
minority populations, low-income populations, and/or indigenous
peoples.
List of Subjects in 40 CFR Part 82
Environmental protection, Air pollution control, Chemicals,
Emissions, Reporting and recordkeeping requirements.
Michael S. Regan,
Administrator.
For the reasons set forth in the preamble, EPA proposes to amend 40
CFR part 82 as follows:
PART 82--PROTECTION OF STRATOSPHERIC OZONE
0
1. The authority citation for part 82 continues to read as follows:
Authority: 42 U.S.C. 7414, 7601, 7671-7671q.
[[Page 53923]]
0
2. Amend Sec. 82.15 by adding paragraph (a)(3) to read as follows:
Sec. 82.15 Prohibitions for class II controlled substances.
(a) * * *
(3) Effective October 1, 2022, no person may manufacture class II
controlled substances defined in Sec. 82.3 at a plant where HFC-23
byproduct is generated unless no more than 0.1 percent of HFC-23
generated is emitted as compared to the amount of class II controlled
substances intentionally manufactured on the facility line. Any
captured HFC-23 must be employed for commercial use consistent with the
requirements outlined in 40 CFR part 84 or destroyed using a technology
approved by EPA for that purpose in Sec. 84.29. Where destruction
occurs on-site at the plant where HFC-23 is generated, HFC-23 must be
destroyed within 30 days of its generation. Captured HFC-23 destroyed
at a different plant than where it is generated must be destroyed
within 90 days after its generation. In such instances, emissions
during the transportation to and destruction at the different plant are
included in the calculations of whether the manufacturer meets the 0.1
percent standard.
(i) Request for extension. A person may submit to the relevant
Agency official a request for a six-month extension, with the
possibility of one additional six-month extension of the October 1,
2022, compliance date. No entity may have a compliance date later than
October 1, 2023.
(ii) Timing of request. The extension request must be submitted to
EPA no later than August 1, 2022, for a first-time extension, or
February 1, 2023, for a second extension.
(iii) Content of request. The extension request must contain the
following information:
(A) Name of the plant submitting the request; contact information
for a person at the plant; and the address of the plant.
(B) A description of the specific actions taken at the plant to
improve HFC-23 control, capture, and destruction; the plans to meet the
0.1 percent HFC-23 limit including the expected date by which the
equipment will be installed and operating; and verification that the
plant has met all applicable reporting requirements under 40 CFR parts
82, 84, and 98.
(iv) Review of request. Starting on the first working day following
receipt by the relevant Agency official of a complete request for
extension, the official will initiate review of the information
submitted and take action within 30 working days.
* * * * *
0
3. Amend Sec. 82.24 by adding paragraph (g) to read as follows:
Sec. 82.24 Recordkeeping and reporting requirements for class II
controlled substances.
* * * * *
(g) Manufacturers of class II controlled substances under Sec.
82.15(a)(3). Any person who manufactures class II controlled substances
under Sec. 82.15(a)(3) during a control period must comply with the
following recordkeeping and reporting requirements:
(1) Reporting. Each manufacturer of a class II controlled substance
under Sec. 82.15(a)(3) must provide the Administrator with the
following two reports as required in Sec. 82.24(g)(1)(i) and (ii).
(i) Within 45 days of the effective date of the final rule, each
manufacturer must provide the Administrator with a one-time report
containing the information required in this paragraph (g)(1)(i). Any
changes to information required in this paragraph (g)(1)(i) must be
reflected in a revision to the report to be submitted to EPA within 60
days of the change(s).
(A) Information on the capacity to manufacture the intended
chemical on the line(s) on which HFC-23 is generated.
(B) Description of actions taken at the plant to control the
generation and emissions of HFC-23.
(C) Identification of approved destruction technology and its
location intended for use for HFC-23 destruction.
(D) A copy of the destruction and removal efficiency report
associated with the destruction technology.
(ii) For each quarter, each manufacturer must provide the
Administrator with a report containing the information required in this
paragraph (g)(1)(ii).
(A) Production line data for the quarter on HFC-23 (in kilograms)
on: Emissions; generated; generated and captured; generated and
captured for feedstock use in the United States; generated and captured
for destruction; used for feedstock without prior capture; and
destroyed without prior capture.
(iii) If captured HFC-23 is destroyed in a subsequent control
period, within 45 days after destruction occurs, manufacturers must
submit information to EPA indicating the HFC-23 has been destroyed.
(iv) If captured HFC-23 is destroyed at a different plant than
where it is generated, within 45 days after destruction occurs,
manufacturers must submit information to EPA indicating the HFC-23 has
been destroyed. Such report must include the date on which the HFC-23
was generated and the date on which the HFC-23 was destroyed.
(v) In developing any required report, the owner/operator of a
plant that manufacturers class II controlled substances that generates
HFC-23 must abide by the following monitoring and quality assurance and
control provisions:
(A) To calculate the quantities of HFC-23 generated and captured
for any use, generated and captured for destruction, used for feedstock
without prior capture, and destroyed without prior capture, plants
shall comply with the monitoring methods and quality assurance and
control requirements set forth at 40 CFR 98.414 of this title and the
calculation methods set forth at Sec. 98.413 of this title, except
Sec. 98.414(p) of this title shall not apply.
(B) To calculate the quantity of HFC-23 emitted, plants shall
comply with the monitoring methods and quality assurance and control
requirements set forth at Sec. 98.124 of this title and the
calculation methods set forth at Sec. 98.123 of this title.
(2) Recordkeeping. Each manufacturer during a control period must
maintain records of reports provided to the Administrator for five
years.
[FR Doc. 2021-20746 Filed 9-28-21; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6560-50-P