Federal Register #2026-13550

EPA Finalizes Emission Standards for Plywood and Composite Wood Products Facilities

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has finalized amendments to emission standards for hazardous air pollutants (HAP) from plywood and composite wood product (PCWP) manufacturing facilities. - Government Buyer: - U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) - Scope and Applicability: - Applies to 219 major source facilities manufacturing PCWP and kiln-dried lumber - Regulates process units such as lumber kilns, dryers, refiners, presses, and material handling units - Products/Processes Regulated: - Emission limits set for specific process units (e.g., fiberboard mat dryers, press predryers, atmospheric refiners, wood product presses using MDI resin, dryers, kilns) - Work practice standards for kilns, resinated material handling, digesters, fiber washers, and log vats - Regulated Pollutants: - Acetaldehyde, formaldehyde, methanol, methylene diphenyl diisocyanate (MDI), mercury, hydrogen chloride, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH), dioxin/furan, and others - Compliance Requirements: - Numeric emission limits for each process unit (e.g., lb HAP/MSF, ppmvd, mg/dscm) - Work practice standards (e.g., O&M plans, burner tune-ups, temperature/moisture monitoring) - Performance testing every five years, continuous monitoring, and recordkeeping - Notable Details: - No specific OEMs or vendors are named; the rule sets standards for industry compliance, not procurement - Requirements are technology-agnostic, allowing facilities to choose compliant control technologies - Responds to prior court remands and petitions for reconsideration

Description

This final rule by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) finalizes amendments to the National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants (NESHAP) for the Plywood and Composite Wood Products (PCWP) source category. It establishes maximum achievable control technology (MACT) standards including emission limitations and work practices for various hazardous air pollutants such as acetaldehyde, acrolein, formaldehyde, methanol, phenol, propionaldehyde, non-mercury HAP metals, mercury, hydrogen chloride, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, dioxin/furan, and methylene diphenyl diisocyanate. The rule addresses sources including PCWP process units and lumber kilns at major HAP emission facilities and responds to prior remands and petitions for reconsideration. The final rule is effective July 6, 2026.

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