EPA has issued a final update to air toxics standards for rubber tire manufacturers that will yield a small fraction of the pollution cuts predicted under an earlier draft.
The update, which agency chief Michael Regan signed Wednesday in keeping with a court-ordered deadline, adds first-time emission limits for rubber processing operations at about a dozen tire plants, including some run by well-known companies like Michelin and Goodyear.
But while the draft unveiled last year forecast annual emissions reductions of 1,072 tons, the final version will yield a total projected cut of 171 tons, according to a summary.
In the final version, EPA staff note that emission limits were increased in response to additional information but do not directly address the reasons for the plunge in expected pollution reduction. An agency spokesperson had no immediate comment Friday.
