Consolidated Federal Air Rule (CAR): Synthetic Organic Chemical Manufacturing Industry

This action promulgates a consolidated Federal air rule for the Synthetic Organic Chemical Manufacturing Industry (SOCMI). In this final rule, we (EPA) consolidate major portions of several new source performance standards (NSPS) and national emission standards for hazardous air pollutants (NESHAP) applicable to storage vessels, process vents, transfer operations, and equipment leaks within the SOCMI. The final rule pulls together applicable Federal SOCMI rules into one integrated set of rules in order to simplify, clarify, and improve implementation of the existing rules with which source owners or operators must comply. The consolidated rule is an optional compliance alternative for SOCMI sources; sources may simply continue to comply with existing applicable rules or choose to comply with the final consolidated rule. The effects of this consolidation are to improve understandability, reduce burden, clarify requirements, and improve implementation and compliance. This document also announces the effective date of information collection requirements in a subpart in the Code of Federal Regulations relating to standards of performance for volatile organic compound emissions from the synthetic organic chemical manufacturing industry reactor processes which was originally published in the Federal Register on August 31, 1993.