At the committee's quarterly meeting on July 28 at Northampton Community College in Bethlehem, members discussed getting the word out that small businesses need to meet certain pollution standards. Specifically, the committee discussed regulations for auto refinishers, vapor degreasers, chrome electroplaters, and ethyline oxide sterilizers.
Area sources emit less pollution than major sources like coal-fired generation plants.
The Chief of Regulation and Policy Development in the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection's Bureau of Air Quality has stated that new regulations for auto refinishers should be in place by November. Refinishers must use certain finish application techniques that use less paint and emit less VOCs. They also must clean their paint guns in closed containers or with a commercially available cleaner and handle and store paints and solvents to reduce VOC emissions. The requirements are basically pollution prevention practices that will reduce material use and costs for repair and refinish facilities. Low interest funding is available through the Small Business Pollution Prevention Loan Program.