View Rule

The Clean Air Act (CAA) requires EPA to regulate substances listed as hazardous air pollutants (HAP) under CAA section 112(b). The HAP list includes substances that are air pollutants, and for which emissions, ambient concentrations, bioaccumulation or deposition of the substance are known or reasonably anticipated to cause adverse effects to human health or adverse environmental effects. The CAA requires EPA to consider petitions to add or remove substances from the HAP list. EPA reviews a petition to determine whether it provides adequate data and can be determined complete. If EPA decides that information is not adequate, the Administrator may use any authority available to them to acquire such information. If the petition is determined complete or EPA acquires adequate information through other means of its authority, EPA must, within 18 months, technically review the petition and then either grant or deny the petition. On September 30, 2019, the Dow Chemical Company submitted a petition to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to remove 2-butoxyethyl benzoate (2-BEB) from the category of glycol ethers in the list of hazardous air pollutants (HAP) under section 112(b)(3) of the Clean Air Act (CAA), 42 U.S.C. 7412(b)(3). Dow views 2-BEB as a potential replacement for ethylene glycol monobutyl ether (EGBE) and some other chemicals for specific applications. EGBE was delisted as a HAP by EPA on November 29, 2004. The EPA is currently evaluating the petition and will issue a notice summarizing the results of its evaluation.