WORLD TRADE
G/TBT/N/USA/284
19 July 2007
ORGANIZATION
(07-3055)
Committee on Technical Barriers to Trade
Original: English
NOTIFICATION
The following notification is being circulated in accordance with Article 10.6.
1.
Member to Agreement notifying: UNITED STATES
If applicable, name of local government involved (Articles 3.2 and 7.2):
2.
Agency responsible: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) (294)
Name and address (including telephone and fax numbers, e-mail and web-site
addresses, if available) of agency or authority designated to handle comments
regarding the notification shall be indicated if different from above:
3.
Notified under Article 2.9.2 [ X ], 2.10.1 [ ], 5.6.2 [ ], 5.7.1 [ ], other:
4.
Products covered (HS or CCCN where applicable, otherwise national tariff heading.
ICS numbers may be provided in addition, where applicable): Aerosol spray coatings
(HS: 29; ICS: 87.040, 87.060, 71.100, 71.080, 13.020)
5.
Title, number of pages and language(s) of the notified document: National Volatile
Organic Compound Emission Standards for Aerosol Coatings; Proposed Rule (41 pages, in
English)
6.
Description of content: Proposes a national reactivity-based volatile organic compound
(VOC) emissions regulation for the aerosol coatings (aerosol spray paints) category under
section 183(e) of the Clean Air Act (CAA). The proposed standards implement section
183(e) of the CAA, as amended in 1990, which requires the Administrator to control VOC
emissions from certain categories of consumer and commercial products for purposes of
minimizing VOC emissions contributing to ozone formation and causing non-attainment.
This regulation will establish a nationwide reactivity-based standard for aerosol coatings.
States have promulgated rules for the aerosol coatings category based upon reductions of
VOC by mass; however, the Agency believes that a national rule based upon the relative
reactivity approach may achieve more reduction in ozone formation than can be achieved by
a mass-based approach for this specific product category. EPA believes that this rule will
better control a product's contribution to ozone formation by encouraging the use of less
reactive VOC ingredients, rather than treating all VOC in a product alike through the
traditional mass-based approach. EPA is also proposing to revise EPA's regulatory
definition of VOC exempt compounds for purposes of this regulation in order to account for
all the reactive compounds in aerosol coatings that contribute to ozone formation.
Therefore, compounds that would not be VOC under the otherwise applicable definition
will count towards a product's reactivity limits under this proposed regulation. The initial
listing of product categories and schedule for regulation was published on March 23, 1995
(60 FR 15264). This proposed action announces EPA's final decision to list aerosol
coatings for regulation under group III of the consumer and commercial product category
for which regulations are mandated under section 183 (e) of the Act.
. /.
G/TBT/N/USA/284
Page 2
7.
Objective and rationale, including the nature of urgent problems where applicable:
Protection of the environment
8.
Relevant documents: : 72 Federal Register (FR) 38951 16 July 2007; Title 40 Code of
Federal Regulations (CFR) Parts 51 and 59. Will appear in the Federal Register when
adopted.
9.
Proposed date of adoption:
Proposed date of entry into force:
10.
Final date for comments: 15 August 2007
11.
Texts available from: National enquiry point [ X ] or address, telephone and fax
numbers, e-mail and web-site addresses, if available of the other body:

To be determined
Internet URLs:
http://a257.g.akamaitech.net/7/257/2422/01jan20071800/edocket.access.gpo.gov/2007/E713108.htm
http://a257.g.akamaitech.net/7/257/2422/01jan20071800/edocket.access.gpo.gov/2007/pdf/
E7-13108.pdf