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California Autobody Association Promotes New EPA Rule


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California Autobody Association Combines Green Certification with EPA's Collision Repair Campaign


SACRAMENTO, CA - November 2, 2009: David McClune, Executive Director, announced that the California Autobody Association (CAA) will promote a new pollution prevention partnership with the U.S. EPA by encouraging its members to apply for subsidies and rebates available under federal, state and local Green programs.

The CAA partnership under the EPA Collision Repair Campaign (CRC) is an effort to address health threats and reduce auto body emissions. The partnership is aimed at reducing toxic exposures from collision repair operations in accordance with a Certified Green Investment (CGI) shop scoring system validated by GRC-Pirk Management.

The CGI program helps owners and operators pay for the cost of compliance through grants and rebates using an EPA licensed professional. The U.S. EPA developed the CRC Campaign to focus on meaningful risk reduction in the Collision Repair source sector to complement their ongoing community air toxics work and attain reductions at a faster rate. The mutual promotion also serves as an opportunity for shops to work towards early compliance with the new Area Source Rule (NESHAP 6H) for spray coating operations.

"With accredited certification, CAA member shops will have an effective way to attract consumers in an eco-friendly way. But no matter how they invest in the environment, eco-consciousness has become an established movement and attracting customers with evidence of green investment will confirm credibility," said Steven Schillinger, President of GRC-Pirk Management.

"CAA has always led the nation in efforts to keep collision repair shops eco-friendly and environmentally responsible, and now we have the means to validate our venture," said Mr. McClune. "Our members will be able to display third party evidence that they care for the environment and the community they serve. Ecological excellence for each member is top priority. Our goal is to reduce the negative environmental and health impacts on shop employees and surrounding communities by certifying members that establish sustainable best management and pollution prevention practices."

EPA anticipates that it's National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants (NESHAP) Paint Stripping and Miscellaneous Surface Coating Operations at Area Sources Rule, sometimes called the "HAPs 6H" or "Area Source" Rule will continue to prove successful at reducing air toxics. EPA has consistently worked to develop air toxics standards that achieve the required reductions in air pollution while providing regulated communities with as much flexibility as possible in deciding how to comply with the standards. For example, under a flexible regulation, industries may reduce their emissions by redesigning their processes, capturing and recycling emissions, changing work practices, or installing any of a variety of control technologies. Flexibility helps industries minimize the cost of compliance and encourages pollution prevention.

To date, the EPA has primarily focused efforts to reduce emissions of toxic air pollutants on technology-based or Maximum Achievable Control Technology (MACT) emission standards. The EPA will continue to work with industry; environmental groups; state, local, and tribal agencies; and other interested groups to develop standards for the remaining source categories that will reduce air toxics emissions even further.

For more information about the EPA Collision Repair Campaign, visit: www.epa.gov/collisionrepair or contact Holly Wilson at (919) 541-5624.