OMB Approves EPA Chemical Manufacturing NESHAP Final Rule

Yesterday the OMB’s Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs (OIRA) announced that it had approved a final rule from the EPA on “National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants: Chemical Manufacturing Area Source Technology Review”. The final rule was sent to OIRA on February 23^rd, 2026. The notice of proposed rulemaking was published on January 22^nd, 2025. There was a judicial deadline for the publication of this final rule of January 15^th, 2026.

According to the Spring 2025 Unified Agenda entry for this rulemaking:

“This action will address the agency's technology review of the National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants (NESHAP) for Chemical Manufacturing Area Sources (CMAS). The CMAS NESHAP, subpart VVVVVV, was promulgated on October 29, 2009, pursuant to section 112(d) of the Clean Air Act (CAA) and established emission limitations and work practice requirements for controlling emissions of hazardous air pollutants (HAP). The NESHAP controls HAP emissions from process vents, storage tanks, equipment leaks, wastewater streams, transfer operations and heat exchange systems. This action addresses the technology review requirements of CAA section 112(d)(6) which require the EPA to review and revise the standards as necessary (taking into account developments in practices, processes and control technologies) no less often than every 8 years.”

This appears to be outside of the normal scope of this blog, but I would expect to announce the publication of the final rule in the appropriate Short Takes post. I would expect publication within the next week of two.