EPA Updates Lead Smelting Rules to Curb Pollution Sans Big Costs
Published Date: 10/1/2025
Proposed Rule
Summary
The EPA is updating rules for secondary lead smelting plants to better control some harmful air pollutants that weren’t regulated before. They’re not changing the main pollution limits since current tech works well, but they’re adding new reporting and monitoring steps to keep things safe. These updates affect lead smelters and aim to protect public health without adding big costs, with a chance for public feedback before final decisions.
Analyzed Economic Effects
5 provisions identified: 2 benefits, 3 costs, 0 mixed.
No change to main emission limits
The EPA is not proposing changes to the main Secondary Lead Smelting NESHAP emission limits because the agency did not identify any cost‑effective developments in practices, processes, or control technologies during its technology review.
New coverage for unregulated hazardous pollutants
The EPA proposes to address hazardous air pollutants (HAP) from secondary lead smelting that were previously unregulated, which would add regulatory obligations for those source-category facilities.
Revisions for startup/shutdown/malfunction emissions
EPA proposes revisions related to emissions during periods of startup, shutdown, and malfunction (SSM) for secondary lead smelters, along with revisions to monitoring requirements and other minor technical changes.
New electronic reporting requirement
The EPA is proposing to add requirements for electronic reporting for the Secondary Lead Smelting NESHAP, meaning affected facilities would need to submit required reports electronically under the amended rule.
Public comment on 2012 RTR safety conclusion
The EPA is taking public comment on its 2012 Risk and Technology Review (2012 RTR) conclusion that the Secondary Lead Smelting NESHAP provides an ample margin of safety to protect public health, and is seeking comment on two additional provisions.
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