. /.   WORLD TRADE  
ORGANIZATION  G/TBT/N/USA/284 
19 July 2007 
 (07-3055) 
Committee on Technical Barriers to Trade Original:   English 
  
 
NOTIFICATION 
 
The following notification is being circ ulated 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 Aeroso l 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 co atings (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 consum er and commercial products for purposes of 
minimizing VOC emissions contributing to ozone formation and causing non-attainment. 
This regulation will establish a nationwide reac tivity-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 fo r regulation was published on March 23, 1995 
(60 FR 15264).  This proposed action announc es EPA's final decision to list aerosol 
coatings for regulation under group III of th e consumer and commercial product category 
for which regulations are mandate d under section 183 (e) of the Act. G/TBT/N/USA/284 
Page 2  
 
  7. Objective and rationale, including the na ture of urgent problems where applicable:  
Protection of the environment 
8. Relevant documents:   :  72 Federal Register (FR) 3895 1 16 July 2007; Title 40 Code of 
Federal Regulations (CFR) Part s 51 and 59.  Will appear in the Federal Register when 
adopted. 
9. Proposed date of adoption:   
Proposed date of entry into force:   }To be determined 
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:   
Internet URLs: 
http://a257.g.akamaitech.net/7/257/24 22/01jan20071800/edocket.access.gpo.gov/2007/E7-
13108.htm 
http://a257.g.akamaitech.net/7/257/24 22/01jan20071800/edocket.access.gpo.gov/2007/pdf/
E7-13108.pdf