On this page:

• Rule Summary
• Rule History
• Additional Resources
• Compliance

Rule Summary

Section 129 of the Clean Air Act (CAA), titled, “Solid Waste Combustion,” requires the EPA to develop and adopt standards for solid waste incineration units pursuant to CAA sections 111 and 129.

This suite of actions promulgate EPA’s new source performance standards (NSPS), emission guidelines (EG), and federal implementation plan (FIP) for hospital/medical/infectious waste incineration units (HMIWI). These final rules set limits for nine pollutants under CAA section 129:

• Cadmium,
• carbon monoxide,
• hydrogen chloride,
• lead,
• mercury,
• nitrogen oxides,
• particulate matter,
• polychlorinated dibenzo-pdioxins and polychlorinated dibenzofurans, and
• sulfur dioxide.

Rule History

09/06/2013 – Correction to Final Rule (78 FR 54766)

05/13/2013 – Final Rule (78 FR 28051)

04/23/2012 – Proposed Rule (77 FR 24272)

04/04/2011 – Final Rule (76 FR 18407)

05/14/2010 – Proposed Rule (75 FR 27249)

10/06/2009 – Final Rule (74 FR 51368

12/01/2008 – Proposed Rule (73 FR 72962)

02/06/2007 – Proposed Rule (72 FR 5510)

08/15/2000 – Final Rule (subpart HHH - 65 FR 49868)

07/06/1999 – Proposed Rule (subpart HHH - 64 FR 36426)

09/15/1997 – Final Rule (62 FR 48348)

06/20/1996 – Notice of availability of supplemental information (61 FR 31736)

02/27/1995 – Proposed Rules (60 FR 10654)

Additional Resources

Hospital, Medical, and Infectious Waste Incinerators (HMIWI) Fact Sheets

2010 State Implementation Guidance Document with Appendices

Summary of Amended Regulation Controlling Emissions from Existing Hospital/Medical/Infectious Waste Incinerators (HIMWI)

Questions and Answers Regarding the 2009 New Source Performance Standards (NSPS) Emissions Guidelines, and State Plan Process for Hospital, Medical, and Infectious Waste Incinerators (HMIWI)

Medical Waste Incinerators: 1994 Background Information for Proposed Standards and Guidelines; Industry Profile Report for New and Existing Facilities

1997 State Implementation Guidance Document

Questions and Answers Regarding the 1997 State Plan Requirements for Hospital, Medical, and Infectious Waste Incinerators (HMIWI)

View the NSPS and EG supporting documents or the Federal Plan supporting documents in the docket folder to find additional related documents to this rule.

Related Rules

Commercial and Industrial Solid Waste Incineration Units (CISWI): New Source Performance Standards (NSPS) and Emission Guidelines (EG) for Existing Sources

Large Municipal Waste Combustors (LMWC): New Source Performance Standards (NSPS) and Emissions Guidelines

Small Municipal Waste Combustors (SMWC): New Source Performance Standards (NSPS) and Emission Guidelines

Sewage Sludge Incineration Units (SSI): New Source Performance Standards (NSPS) and Emission Guidelines

Other Solid Waste Incinerators (OSWI): New Source Performance Standards (NSPS) and Emission Guidelines for Existing Sources

Hazardous Waste Combustors: National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants (NESHAP)

Non-Hazardous Secondary Materials Rulemakings

Compliance

Applicability Determination Index (ADI). The ADI is maintained by EPA's Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance (OECA) and provides a data base of memoranda dealing with applicability issues.  The database is searchable by Subpart.

Memorandum of Understanding Between the United States Environmental Protection Agency and the American Hospital Association

Applicability Flowchart: 2009 Amended Regulation Controlling Emissions from HIMWI