Vinyl Chloride: National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants (NESHAP)

Rule Summary

Most of the vinyl chloride produced in the United States is used to make polyvinyl chloride (PVC), a material used to manufacture a variety of plastic and vinyl products including pipes, wire and cable coatings, and packaging materials. Smaller amounts of vinyl chloride are used in furniture and automobile upholstery, wall coverings, housewares, and automotive parts. Vinyl chloride has been used in the past as a refrigerant.

The purpose of the national emission standard for hazardous air pollutants (NESHAP) is to minimize vinyl chloride emissions from process and fugitive emission sources in ethylene dichloride, vinyl chloride and polyvinyl chloride production categories to the level attainable with best available control technology.

These rules were developed to protect public health by minimizing the health risks to the people living in the vicinity of these plants and to any additional people who are exposed as a result of new construction.

EPA decided to regulate vinyl chloride because it has been implicated as the causal agent of angiosarcoma and other serious disorders, both carcinogenic and noncarcinogenic.

See the regulations below for more details.

Rule History

07/10/1990 - Final Rule

09/21/1989 - Proposed Rule

09/30/1986 - Final Rule

01/09/1985 - Proposed Rule and Notice of Public Hearing

09/08/1982 - Vinyl Chloride Test Methods Final Rule

06/07/1977 - Correction and Amendments to the Rule

12/03/1976 - Correction to the Rule

10/21/1976 - Final Rule

12/24/1975 - Proposed Rule

Additional Resources

View the supporting documents in the docket folder to find additional related documents to this rule.

Related Rules

Polyvinyl Chloride and Copolymers Production: National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants (NESHAP) - 40 CFR 63 Subparts J & HHHHHHH

Polyvinyl Chloride and Copolymers Production: National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants (NESHAP) for Area Sources - 40 CFR 63, Subpart DDDDDD

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.