Our technical correspondent Alistair Bromhead pointed out a number of errors in our report on the EPA emission legislation, ‘Regulations cause confusion’ (TTJ March 10).
In the article the reference to rule PG633 should have read PG6/33 and PG62, PG6/2. The former came into force 1992 and was last revised in 1997.
To clarify the deadlines, any authorised solvent-using process using more than 5 tonnes a year had to comply by April 1, 1999 with most EPA clauses. The April 2007 deadline applies only to 5-15 tonnes users achieving a ‘final compliance option’.
Mr Bromhead also points out that the EPA is a UK specific regime which is ‘far in advance of any other regime’ in Europe.
‘The EU rules are being harmonised through the EU Solvent Emissions Directive which will effectively force the rest of Europe to catch up to UK standards by 2007,’ he said.
He added that the EPA legislation has always allowed compliant coatings which contain a ‘fair amount of solvent’ (up to 520g/l VOC in tinted coatings and 435g/l in clear).
‘The current mass balance approach allows the use of high solvent pre-catalysed coatings as long as the required solvent to solids ratio is achieved,’ he said.
