04/16/98
                           FACT SHEET
                                
        POTENTIAL TO EMIT GUIDANCE FOR SPECIFIC SOURCES
                                
Today's Action...

    The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)  is issuing guidance to assist States in
     clarifying the minor source status of  low-emitting sources in eight industries  (also referred
     to as "source categories").   The guidance provides technical information States can use in
     evaluating and limiting the "potential to emit" for sources in these eight source categories.  
     The interpretation of the term "potential to emit" is crucial in determining whether a
     source is subject to requirements of the Act for "major" sources, or whether the source is a
     "minor" source not subject to these requirements.

    The eight source categories EPA addresses in this guidance are: gasoline service stations,
     gasoline bulk plants, boilers, cotton gins, coating sources, printing, degreasers using
     volatile organic solvents, and hot mix asphalt plants.  For each category, the guidance
     contains calculated cutoffs that represent levels of operation that would result in minor
     emission amounts (i.e., classification as a minor source).  For many sources in these
     categories, actual operations fall well below these cutoffs, but "potential" operations (e.g.,
     operation 24 hours a day, 7 days a week) are above the cutoffs, or are uncertain.

    Most State and local air agencies would need a rulemaking process to make use of this
     guidance.  Such a rulemaking at the State or local level would translate the guidance into a
     system where source owners within the eight industries could easily ensure their minor
     source status by agreeing to limit their emissions to amounts below the calculated cutoffs. 

    Many State and local agencies have already addressed the issue of the emission potential of
     small sources.  States and local agencies have the flexibility to adopt this guidance or
     continue with existing programs to address the emission potential of facilities within these
     eight industries.

    The guidance begins the process of phasing out a January 25, 1995 "transition policy" in
     which sources are treated by EPA as minor sources if actual emissions are less than 50
     percent of the major source threshold.

For Further Information

    Interested parties can obtain more information about EPA's guidance from EPA's web site
     at:  (http://www.epa.gov/ttn/oarpg/gener.html).  For questions concerning the guidance,
     contact your EPA Regional Office, or Tim Smith of EPA's Office of Air Quality Planning
     and Standards at (919) 541-4718.