EPA renews lead smelter paperwork: Snore-fest through 2028
Published Date: 2/28/2025
Notice
Summary
The EPA is asking to keep collecting info from secondary lead smelters to make sure they follow pollution rules. This renewal won’t add new costs but keeps the paperwork going through February 2028. If you’re involved in lead smelting, you’ve got until March 31, 2025, to share your thoughts on this plan.
Analyzed Economic Effects
4 provisions identified: 1 benefits, 3 costs, 0 mixed.
Renewal keeps industry reporting requirements
If you operate a secondary lead smelter, EPA submitted a proposed extension to continue collecting required information under the NESHAP for the Secondary Lead Smelter Industry. The collection is mandatory under 40 CFR part 63, subpart X and EPA estimates the industry-wide burden at 19,900 hours per year and total annual costs of $2,750,000 (including $238,000 annualized capital/operation & maintenance costs).
Estimated respondent pool reduced to 11 facilities
EPA reports the number of affected secondary lead smelter sources decreased from 12 to 11, which reduces the total respondent burden by 1,800 hours compared with the previously approved ICR and reduced Capital and O&M costs.
Which smelters must comply
The rule and information collection apply to existing and new secondary lead smelters that operate blast, reverberatory, rotary, or electric smelting furnaces to recover lead (primarily from used lead-acid automotive-type batteries); new facilities include those that commenced construction or reconstruction after the proposal date.
Specific reporting and recordkeeping duties remain
Owners/operators of affected facilities must continue to provide initial notifications, conduct performance tests, submit periodic reports, and maintain records of the occurrence and duration of any startup, shutdown, malfunction, or periods when monitoring systems are inoperative to determine compliance with 40 CFR part 63, subpart X.
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