EPA is making a belated start toward updating air toxics regulations for some chemical companies, but the incoming administration of President-elect Donald Trump is set to have the final word.
On Thursday, EPA sent a draft version of the updated regulations for what are technically known as chemical manufacturing area sources to the White House regulations office for a routine review, according to a government tracking website.
Under the revised terms of an earlier lawsuit settlement, the agency must sign off on the proposal by Jan. 15, or five days before Trump is scheduled take the oath of office. The final version must then follow exactly a year later in January 2026.
The update, required by the Clean Air Act, is supposed to explore whether technological advances offer an opportunity to tighten standards on emissions of ethylene oxide, which EPA classifies as a carcinogen, or dozens of other hazardous air pollutants.
