• Rule Summary
• Rule History
• Additional Resources
• Compliance

Rule Summary

​In December 2015 final rule will further control toxic air emissions from petroleum refineries and provide important information about refinery emissions to the public and neighboring communities. This rule will virtually eliminate smoking flare emissions and upset emission events, and will require refineries to monitor emissions at key emission sources within their facilities and around their fencelines. When fully implemented in 2018, this rule will result in a reduction of 5,200 tons per year of toxic air pollutants, and 50,000 tons per year of volatile organic compounds (VOC).

July 1, 2016 - EPA is finalized a rule to give petroleum refineries an additional 18 months to comply with a small subset of the December 2015 standards that apply during startup, shutdown and maintenance events. 

Rule History

11/3/2016 - Notice of Public Hearing and Comment Extension for the Proposed Reconsideration

10/18/2016 - Proposed Reconsideration (PDF) 

07/13/2016 - Final Amendments (PDF)

02/09/2016 - Proposed Amendments (PDF)

12/01/2015 - Final Rule (PDF)

06/30/2014 - Proposed Rule (PDF)

Additional Resources

Fact Sheets

Fact Sheet - Petroleum Refinery Sector Reconsideration October 2016

Fact Sheet - Petroleum Refinery Sector Amendments July 2016

Final Petroleum Refinery Sector Risk and Technology Review and New Source Performance Standards (NSPS) Fact Sheets

Hoja informativa: Normas finales de desempeño para fuentes nuevas y revisión de tecnología y riesgos del sector de refinería de petróleo-descripción general

Revisión de tecnología y riesgos: refinerías de petróleo - Hoja informativa para las comunidades

Normas finales de desempeño para fuentes nuevas y revisión de tecnología y riesgos del sector de refinería de petróleo-resumen de cambios

Webinar Slides

Slides for Petroleum Refinery Fenceline Monitoring Data (June 2016)

Webinar Slides for Community Groups - Final Petroleum Refinery Sector Risk and Technology Review and New Source Performance Standards

Webinar Slides for State/Local and Tribal Air Agencies - Final Petroleum Refinery Sector Risk and Technology Review and New Source Performance Standards

Additional Documents

Final Residual Risk Assessment Report (PDF) (814pp, 15 MB)

Economic Impact Analysis (PDF) (103pp, 861k)

Analysis of Socio-Economic Factors for Populations Living Near Petroleum Refineries – Actual Emissions (PDF) (20pp, 118k)

Analysis of Socio-Economic Factors for Populations Living Near Petroleum Refineries – Post Control Scenario (PDF) (20pp, 118k)

Refinery Information Collection Request Data

Technical Information

Review & Peer Review of “Parameters for Properly Designed and Operated Flares” Documents

Flare Database(4 MB, 2012)  (Excel) Free Microsoft Office Viewers

Emission Estimation – Document and spreadsheet with emission estimation protocols for petroleum refineries

Emission Factor Consent Decree

Related Rules

Petroleum Refineries:  National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants (Subpart CC)

Petroleum Refineries (Catlytic Cracking, Catalytic Reforming and Sulfur Recovery Units):  National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants (Subpart UUU)

Petroleum Refineries:  New Source Performance Standards (Subparts J & Ja)

Compliance

Applicability Determination Index (ADI).  The ADI is maintained by EPA's Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance (OECA) and provides a data base of memoranda dealing with applicability issues.  The database is searchable by Subpart.