G/TBT/N/USA/1564  
17 January 2020  
(20-0482) Page: 1/2 
Committee on Technical Barriers to Trade  Original:  English  
 
  
NOTIFICATION  
The following notification is being circulated in accordance with Article 10.6  
 
1. Notifying Member:  UNITED STATES OF AME RICA  
If applicable, name of local government involved (Article 3.2 and 7.2):   
2. Agency responsible:  Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) [1591]  
Name and address (including telephone and fax numbers , email and website 
addresses, if available) of agency or authority designated to handle comments 
regarding the notification shall be indicated if different from above:   
Please submit comments to: USA WTO TBT Enquiry Point, Email: usatbtep@nist.gov  
3. Notified under Article 2.9.2 [X], 2.10.1 [   ], 5.6.2 [X], 5.7.1 [   ], other :  
4. Products covered (HS or CCCN where applicable, otherwise national tariff 
heading. ICS numbers may be provided in addition, where applicab le): 
Polychlorinated Dibenzo -p-Dioxins and Polychlorinated Dibenzofurans; Pollution, pollution 
control and conservation (ICS 13.020.40), Stationary source emissions (ICS 13.040.40), 
Environmental testing (ICS 19.040), Production in the chemical industry (I CS 71.020), 
Organic chemicals (ICS 71.080)  
5. Title, number of pages and language(s) of the notified document:  EPA Method 23 
- Determination of Polychlorinated Dibenzo -p-Dioxins and Polychlorinated Dibenzofurans 
From Stationary Sources (44 page(s), in English)  
6. Description of content:  Proposed rule - This action proposes editorial and technical 
revisions to the Environmental Protection Agency's Method 23 (Determination of 
Polychlorinated Dibenzo -p-Dioxins and Polychlorinated Dibenzofurans from Stationary 
Sources). Proposed revisions in clude incorporating isotope dilution for quantifying all 
target compounds and changing the method quality control from the current prescriptive 
format to a more flexible performance -based approach with specified performance 
criteria. We are also proposing revisions that will expand the list of target compounds of 
Method 23 to include polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and polychlorinated 
biphenyls (PCBs). The proposed revisions will improve the accuracy of Method 23 and will 
provide flexibility to stac k testers and analytical laboratories who measure semivolatile 
organic compounds (SVOC) from stationary sources while ensuring that the stack testing 
community can consistently implement the method across emissions sources and 
facilities.  
7. Objective and  rationale, including the nature of urgent problems where 
applicable:  Protection of human health or safety; Protection of animal or plant life or 
health; Protection of the environment  G/TBT/N/USA/1564  
 
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  8. Relevant documents:   
• 85 Federal Register (FR) 2234, 14 January 2020; Title 40 Code of Federal 
Regulations (CFR) Parts 60, 63 and 266:  
https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR -2020-01-14/html/2019 -27842.htm   
https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR -2020-01-14/pdf/2019 -27842.pdf  
• Supporting documents accessible from Regulations.gov at 
https://www.regulations.gov/docketBrowser?rpp=25&so=DESC&sb=commentD
ueDate&po=0&dct=SR%2BO&D=EPA -HQ-OAR-2016-0677  
9. Proposed date of adoption:  To be determined  
Proposed date of entry into force:  To be determined  
10. Final date for comments:  16 March 2020  
11. Texts available from:  National enquiry point [ ] or address, telephone and fax 
numbers and email and website addresses, if available , of other body:   
https://members.wto.org/crnattachments/2020/TBT/USA/20_0506_00_e.pdf