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Under the mandate by the courts for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to lower emission standards, printing plants will be under lower and more stringent thresholds and standards to comply with the federal and state regulations. California has led the way, and other states such as New York will be following suit. In effect, the thresholds are being lowered to encompass a greater number of printers. Plants that have been able to avoid regulatory requirements and permits will now have to comply.
California has been in the lead. Regulations have been amended to reduce air pollutants by industrial sources. The primary objective of the changes in California are directed at the cleaning solvents used for screen, offset conventional, and EB/UV curable inks, and digital printing process rollers and image carriers.
The threshold for the cleaning solutions is comparable in many ways to the standards previously established for the inks and fountain solutions used in the presses. The standards are set at a level of 100 grams per liter of solution. This has taken place as of Jan. 1 for cleaning being done off press. The deadline for on-press cleaning has been extended for six months, to July.
In addition, California placed strict controls on the suppliers of solvents to the printing industry. While New York has always had regulations against the suppliers of inks and solvents, this has never, to my knowledge, been enforced to prevent the supply of non-adherent inks and solvents to printers.
Suppliers will also be held to publishing product instructions for dilution to prevent use of the product at higher-than-acceptable emission levels. Record keeping is a new requirement, which will have suppliers of solvent cleaning materials maintain sales for up to three years.
The major thrust of regulating the solvent suppliers is the need to develop low volatile organic compound (VOC) solvents that can perform as well as the older, more aggressive but high in VOC products, to which the printer personnel have been accustomed. Products have been developed and tried in California that comply.
Companies that have taken place in the trials and have been cited by the South Coast California District are Hutamaki, The Foster Printing Co., The Castle Press, and Taylor Graphics.
A further step to prevent the use of emission-laden solvents is a restriction on the solvent supplier to prohibit the aiding or assisting of a solvent cleaning operation that is non-compliant. This includes the distribution of cleaning products for which the supplier fills and empties the cleaning equipment.
Facts and Provisions
The contemplated changes in New York are directed at the total use of chemicals in the printing process, including cleaning. The changes will most likely be followed by the surrounding states in the Northeast. Among the key provisions of the amended Part 234, Graphic Arts is the change in the applicability criteria for areas outside the NYC metro region, from 15 pounds per day total VOCs, to three tons per year.
Considering that the greatest use of solvents in screen and lithographic printing comes from cleaning operations, the implications of the new three-ton limit is to place considerable pressure on the printer to find better and safer ways of cleaning press parts and plates, both on and off the press. This is where a transfer to New York and the Northeast of technical know-how and new products developed for California will benefit everyone. In many ways, this is the same type of transfer that encouraged flexographic and gravure printers to move from solvent-based to waterborne inks, and the use of aqueous cleaning products.
In addition, printers are urged to take advantage of new technology for the off-press cleaning required of ink rollers, pans, and other parts. Cleaning tank manufacturers have introduced biological agents to water-based formulations that have eliminated the need to use solvents. Bacteria and enzymes attack the pollutants and break them down into harmless compounds. Suppliers to the printing industry include Graymills and Prisco.
The New York changes were discussed by a focus group with representatives of all the major printing associations, the NYS Environmental Facility Corp. (NYSEFC), the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (NYSDEC), and this columnist. In an effort to make the regulations clearer for the smaller print shops, the DEC has agreed to make the amended regulations easier to follow, and more understandable as to what limitations printers will have to adhere. The new regulations will be extremely clear as to applicability to a facility, and the standards to which they must comply.
A word to the wise. Start collecting data on the chemistry used in your facility, and the amounts that convert into airborne emissions. This will make it much easier on you when the time to comply with new regulations comes. Don't wait and be caught unprepared.
Fred Shapiro is president of P-F Technical Services Inc. Silver Spring, Md., a technical and environmental management consulting firm. Contact him at (301) 598-7949.
author: By Fred Shapiro