What: On November 10, 2025, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) proposed a rule establishing emission limits and work practice standards for hydrogen fluoride and hydrogen cyanide emissions from hazardous waste combustors (HWC).
Why: HWCs are incinerators, cement kilns, lightweight aggregate kilns, boilers, or hydrochloric acid production furnaces that combust hazardous waste for waste reduction, thermal energy recovery, and/or production of a product.
In addition to emissions limits, the EPA’s proposed rule:
- Eliminates the startup, shutdown, and malfunction (SSM) exemption.
- Adds a work practice standard for periods of SSM.
- Adds electronic reporting procedures and requirements.
- Allow states to choose to exempt area sources from certain permitting requirements.
The EPA is also repealing a proposed rule issued on July 24, 2024, regarding HWC emission standards during periods of malfunction, electronic reporting provisions, and emergency safety vent provisions.
The EPA estimates the rule will impact eight small businesses out of 57 affected entities (or 14 percent of the total). The small business impacts range from cost savings of 0.01 percent to adverse impacts of 0.16 percent, measured as a percentage of their revenues.
Action: Requests for a public hearing on the proposed rule must be received by November 15, 2025. Comments are due December 26, 2025.
2024 REPEALED PROPOSED RULE:
PROPOSED RULE:
Withdrawal of Proposed Revisions to Standards for Periods of Malfunction
CONTACT:
Nick Goldstein
EMAIL:
Regulatory Alerts
TAG(S):
EPA
Is your small business or entity being impacted by a proposed rule? If yes, write a comment letter to the proposing agency.