EPA Approves New York's Plan to Curb Emissions at Diagnostics Plant
Published Date: 1/9/2026
Rule
Summary
The EPA is giving a thumbs-up to New York’s updated air plan for Ortho Clinical Diagnostics in Rochester. This update means the facility will use better technology to cut down on smelly and harmful chemicals from one of its machines, helping keep the air cleaner. The new rules kick in on February 9, 2026, with no extra costs expected for the company or the public.
Analyzed Economic Effects
2 provisions identified: 1 benefits, 0 costs, 1 mixed.
Rochester plant must cap VOCs
If you live near Rochester, New York, the Ortho Clinical Diagnostics facility must limit volatile organic compound (VOC) emissions from its solvent-based film coating machine ("72 Machine") to no more than 21,600 pounds per year on a 12-month rolling basis. This limit is federally approved and becomes effective February 9, 2026 to reduce smelly and harmful chemicals in the air.
Permit condition federally enforceable; no new costs
The facility's State Facility Permit Condition 13 (issued October 31, 2022; expires October 30, 2032), which includes the 21,600 lb/yr VOC limit plus monitoring, reporting, and recordkeeping, is incorporated into the federally enforceable SIP as of February 9, 2026. EPA reviewed control options and found thermal oxidation, catalytic oxidation, and ducting to be not cost-effective for the 72 Machine, and certified that this approval does not have a significant economic impact on a substantial number of small entities.
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