{"abstract":"This action finalizes the residual risk and technology review (RTR) conducted for the Mercury Cell Chlor-Alkali Plants source category regulated under national emission standards for hazardous air pollutants (NESHAP). In addition, this action finalizes the beyond-the- floor determination that EPA performed in response to a petition for reconsideration of the 2003 NESHAP. These final amendments prohibit mercury emissions from existing mercury cell chlor-alkali plants based on the results of our technology review and our beyond-the-floor maximum achievable control technology (MACT) determination. The compliance date for this requirement is three years. Since mercury emissions will be eliminated as a result of the final rule standards, any adverse health or environmental effects from mercury emissions from the source category will also be eliminated in that three-year time frame. Furthermore, the EPA is finalizing work practice standards and instrumental monitoring of mercury to minimize fugitive mercury emissions from the cell rooms during the period of time before emissions are eventually eliminated. In addition, the EPA is finalizing work practice standards to minimize fugitive chlorine emissions from mercury cell chlor-alkali plants, which were not previously regulated under the NESHAP. The EPA is also finalizing revisions related to emissions during periods of startup, shutdown, and malfunction (SSM) and amendments to correct a few minor errors in compliance provisions in the 2003 rule.","action":"Final rule.","agencies":[{"raw_name":"ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY","name":"Environmental Protection Agency","id":145,"url":"https://www.federalregister.gov/agencies/environmental-protection-agency","json_url":"https://www.federalregister.gov/api/v1/agencies/145","parent_id":null,"slug":"environmental-protection-agency"}],"body_html_url":"https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/full_text/html/2022/05/06/2022-09658.html","cfr_references":[{"chapter":null,"citation_url":null,"part":"63","title":40}],"citation":"87 FR 27002","comment_url":null,"comments_close_on":null,"correction_of":null,"corrections":[],"dates":"This final rule is effective on May 6, 2022.","disposition_notes":null,"docket_ids":["EPA-HQ-OAR-2020-0560","FRL-7546-02-OAR"],"dockets":[],"document_number":"2022-09658","effective_on":"2022-05-06","end_page":27024,"executive_order_notes":null,"executive_order_number":null,"full_text_xml_url":"https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/full_text/xml/2022/05/06/2022-09658.xml","html_url":"https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2022/05/06/2022-09658/national-emission-standards-for-hazardous-air-pollutants-mercury-cell-chlor-alkali-plants-residual","images":{},"images_metadata":{},"json_url":"https://www.federalregister.gov/api/v1/documents/2022-09658?publication_date=2022-05-06","mods_url":"https://www.govinfo.gov/metadata/granule/FR-2022-05-06/2022-09658/mods.xml","not_received_for_publication":null,"page_length":23,"page_views":{"count":1373,"last_updated":"2026-07-26 08:15:03 -0400"},"pdf_url":"https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR-2022-05-06/pdf/2022-09658.pdf","presidential_document_number":null,"proclamation_number":null,"public_inspection_pdf_url":"https://public-inspection.federalregister.gov/2022-09658.pdf?1651754723","publication_date":"2022-05-06","raw_text_url":"https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/full_text/text/2022/05/06/2022-09658.txt","regulation_id_number_info":{"2060-AU59":{"issue":"202110","html_url":"https://www.federalregister.gov/regulations/2060-AU59/national-emission-standards-for-hazardous-air-pollutants-mercury-cell-chlor-alkali-plants-residual-r","title":"National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants: Mercury Cell Chlor-Alkali Plants Residual Risk and Technology Review","xml_url":"http://www.reginfo.gov/public/do/eAgendaViewRule?pubId=202110&RIN=2060-AU59&operation=OPERATION_EXPORT_XML","priority_category":"Other Significant"}},"regulation_id_numbers":["2060-AU59"],"regulations_dot_gov_info":{"supporting_documents":[{"title":"Mercury Cell Final RTR ICR Spreadsheet","document_id":"EPA-HQ-OAR-2020-0560-0061"},{"title":"EPA Response to 03-10-2022 OMB EIA Comments","document_id":"EPA-HQ-OAR-2020-0560-0060"},{"title":"EPA response to 03-10-2022 OMB final rule comments","document_id":"EPA-HQ-OAR-2020-0560-0058"},{"title":"OMB comments on EIA and final rule 03-10-2022","document_id":"EPA-HQ-OAR-2020-0560-0057"},{"title":"Mercury Cell Final RTR ICR Supporting Statement","document_id":"EPA-HQ-OAR-2020-0560-0056"},{"title":"Mercury Cell final rule redline/strikeout","document_id":"EPA-HQ-OAR-2020-0560-0055"},{"title":"Final Rule Sent for OMB and Interagency Review 01262022","document_id":"EPA-HQ-OAR-2020-0560-0054"},{"title":"EIA Sent for OMB and Interagency Review 01192022","document_id":"EPA-HQ-OAR-2020-0560-0052"},{"title":"ASHTA to eliminate use of mercury - Star Beacon, Astabula, Ohio newspaper article","document_id":"EPA-HQ-OAR-2020-0560-0051"},{"title":"Investment Under Uncertainty - Chapter 1, A New View of Investment, Princeton University Press, 1994","document_id":"EPA-HQ-OAR-2020-0560-0048"}],"regulatory_plan":{"html_url":"https://www.federalregister.gov/regulations/2060-AU59/national-emission-standards-for-hazardous-air-pollutants-mercury-cell-chlor-alkali-plants-residual-r","title":"National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants: Mercury Cell Chlor-Alkali Plants Residual Risk and Technology Review"},"comments_count":0,"agency_id":"EPA","comments_url":"https://www.regulations.gov/docketBrowser?rpp=50&so=DESC&sb=postedDate&po=0&dct=PS&D=EPA-HQ-OAR-2020-0560","supporting_documents_count":58,"docket_id":"EPA-HQ-OAR-2020-0560","document_id":"EPA-HQ-OAR-2020-0560-0043","regulation_id_number":"2060-AU59","title":"National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants: Mercury Cell Chlor-Alkali Plants Residual Risk and Technology Review","checked_regulationsdotgov_at":"2022-05-07T03:30:05Z"},"regulations_dot_gov_url":null,"significant":true,"signing_date":null,"start_page":27002,"subtype":null,"title":"National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants: Mercury Cell Chlor-Alkali Plants Residual Risk and Technology Review","toc_doc":"Mercury Cell Chlor-Alkali Plants Residual Risk and Technology Review","toc_subject":"National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants:\n","topics":["Administrative practice and procedure","Air pollution control","Environmental protection","Hazardous substances","Intergovernmental relations","Reporting and recordkeeping requirements"],"type":"Rule","volume":87}