On December 22, 2021, the EPA Administrator signed a notice adding 1-bromopropane (1-BP) to the Clean Air Act’s list of hazardous air pollutants (also known as air toxics). The chemical 1-BP is largely used in solvent vapor degreasing, adhesives, dry cleaning, furniture foam fabrication, spot cleaners, stain removers, adhesives, sealants, automobile care products, and other applications including the aerospace industry. EPA is modifying the list of hazardous air pollutants because the Agency has determined that 1-BP is a hazardous air pollutant and its emissions, ambient concentrations, bioaccumulation, or deposition are known to cause or may reasonably be anticipated to cause adverse effects to human health or the environment.

Effective February 2022, facilities will need to include 1-BP in their assessment (i.e. Potential-to-Emit) of their source size classification (i.e., area source or major source).

EPA will be working to revise current NESHAP regulations and identify whether additional NESHAP are warranted. Under a separate action, EPA is developing a regulatory infrastructure that will address compliance and implementation issues that may arise from the addition of a chemical to the list of hazardous air pollutants. This regulatory infrastructure will be proposed for public notice and comment in 2022 and is expected to be finalized in early 2023.

This is the first time that EPA has added a pollutant to the list of hazardous air pollutants since Congress created the list through the 1990 Clean Air Act amendments. For more information, including a fact sheet and pre-publication version of the action, click here!