TUCKER, Ga. – On Dec. 23, the Environmental Protection Agency issued a direct final rule to revise certain provisions of the National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air pollutants for Prepared Feed Manufacturing, relays a joint announcement from the US Poultry & Egg Association, American Feed Industry Association and the National Grain and Feed Association.

Effective starting Feb. 21, the direct final rule revises an earlier rule EPA finalized in 2010 requiring general housekeeping practices plus it sets efficiency standards for cyclones operating on pellet mills. Facilities producing more than 50 tons of feed per day and adding magnesium or chromium to their feed must abide by this rule.

Previously, the 2010 regulation required facilities to formally certify existing pellet-mill cyclones were designed to cut emissions of particulate matter by at least 95 percent. USPOULTRY, AFIA and NGFA said they demonstrated to EPA the three alternatives for complying with the certification mandate for existing cyclones were not only problematic but often times impossible to accomplish. The certification requirement would force replacing a large universe of existing, properly functioning cyclone units.

EPA ultimately confirmed in the direct final rule it was not the agency’s intent for industry to replace existing cyclones. Although the direct final rule maintains the certification requirements for new cyclones, it greatly revises the requirements of existing cyclones. Existing facilities will be required to operate cyclones in accordance with good air pollution control practices under the streamlined measure.

Inspection and documentation requirements are simplified under the direct final rule, plus it clarifies earlier provisions pertaining to bulk load and operating doors.

For more details, visit: http://www.uspoultry.org/environment/.