About the Clean Air Technology Center

The Clean Air Technology Center (CATC) serves as a resource on all areas of emerging and existing air pollution prevention and control technologies, and provides public access to data and information on their use, effectiveness and cost. In addition, the CATC will provide technical support, including access to EPA’s knowledge base, to government agencies and others, as resources allow, related to the technical and economic feasibility, operation and maintenance of these technologies.

Data Resources

• RACT/BACT/LAER Clearinghouse (RBLC) - Query, view and download data you select on
  - Source Specific Technology Applications
  - Air Pollution Regulatory Requirements
  
• CATC PRODUCTS - download technical reports, cost information and software

Related Programs and Centers

• CICA - U.S.-Mexico Border Information Center on Air Pollution / Centro de Información sobre Contaminación de Aire
• SBAP - Small Business Assistance Program
• International Technology Transfer Center for Global Greenhouse Gases

Public Access and Information Transfer

The CATC’s INTERNET World Wide Web (WWW) Home Page provides full access to most CATC products and services and links to related programs and web sites. The CATC Home Page is part of EPA’s Technology Transfer Network WWW site (TTNWeb). Download CATC and RBLC products, access SBAP and CICA services and products through links to these special sites, search technology and regulation data and generate your own report, check air quality along the U.S.-Mexico border or send us an E-Mail with your question or comments. Just open our WWW site and check it out. Remember to add a bookmark in your web browser because you will want to come back!

Communications

If you want to do things the old fashioned way and talk to a real live person, give us a call on the CATC Info-Line. CICA, the CATC’s technical support program for the U.S.-Mexico border, also provides a Spanish language Info-Line and toll-free service from Mexico. You can call the CATC on any of these numbers. We will be happy to answer your questions or direct you to an EPA staff expert on the subject or an appropriate EPA information source or service. If you do happen to get our voice mail we will usually get back to you the same day. Our normal business hours are 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. eastern time Monday through Friday. Voice-mail is available during non-business hours and we will return your call the next business day.

Data Resources/RBLC

CATC maintains a technology data base called the RACT/BACT/LAER Clearinghouse * or RBLC. The RBLC provides data on prevention and control technology determinations made primarily by state and local permitting agencies. The Clearinghouse contains over 3,500 determinations that can help you identify appropriate technologies to mitigate or treat most air pollutant emission streams. The RBLC was designed to help permit applicants and reviewers make pollution prevention and control technology decisions for stationary air pollution sources and includes data submitted by 50 states and territories in the U.S. on over 200 different air pollutants and 1,000 industrial processes.

The Clearinghouse also has a rule data base that summarizes all emission standards issued by EPA’s Office of Air Quality Planning and Standards (OAQPS). This includes new source performance standards (NSPS), national emission standards for hazardous air pollutants (NESHAP), and maximum achievable control technology (MACT) standards. The rule data base also includes prevention and control technology cost information related to each rule and references to supporting documentation.

You query the RBLC data on-line and choose what you want to see by making selections in a user-friendly query routine or selecting search criteria. The result is a data set that you have created that can either be viewed, printed or downloaded to your PC. You are in control!

Data Resources/CATC Products

The CATC WWW site provides access to CATC products including products generated by its predecessor, the Control Technology Center (CTC). Products include reports, software tools, fact sheets and brochures generated by the CATC, RBLC, CICA and SBAP. CICA and SBAP products are accessed through links to these specialized WWW sites.

CICA - U.S.-Mexico Border Information Center on Air Pollution / Centro de Información sobre Contaminación de Aire

CICA provides technical support and assistance in evaluating air pollution problems along the U.S. -Mexico border. It provides a bilingual (Spanish/English) information line and WWW site. The WWW site includes air quality data for the border, information on border air quality programs and CICA projects, downloadable products generated by CICA and others on border air pollution problems and solutions, and links to other related WWW sites. Access CICA through the CATC WWW site, or access CICA directly at http://www.epa.gov/ttn/cica.

Small Business Assistance Program

The Clean Air Act Amendments of 1990 required that all states develop a program to assist small businesses in meeting the requirements of the Act. EPA established its own Small Business Assistance Program (SBAP), through the CATC, to provide technical assistance to the state programs on clean air technology and prevention issues. State small business programs can access SBAP assistance through CATC communication and information services. In addition, the SBAP WWW site can be accessed directly at http://www.epa.gov/ttn/sbap.

International Technology Transfer Center for Global Greenhouse Gases

The International Technology Transfer Center for Global Greenhouse Gases provides technology transfer regarding greenhouse gas emissions. This assistance includes characterizations of global emissions from anthropogenic sources, and available prevention, mitigation, and control technologies/ strategies for major sources of greenhouse gases. Information is available for methane emissions from landfills and other waste management facilities, the natural gas industry, and coal mining. In addition, information is available on biomass utilization for energy generation and production of liquid fuel, and for pollution prevention technologies.

* NOTE: Are you wondering what “RACT, BACT and LAER” stand for and why these acronyms are part of the Clearinghouse name? Well, they are acronyms for different program requirements required under the Clean Air Act which also gave us the name “RACT/BACT/ LAER Clearinghouse.” RACT, or Reasonably Available Control Technology, is required on existing sources in areas that are not meeting national ambient air quality standards (i.e.,non-attainment areas). BACT, or Best Available Control Technology is required on major new or modified sources in clean areas (i.e., attainment areas). LAER, or Lowest Achievable Emission Rate, is required on major new or modified sources in nonattainment areas. However, data in the Clearinghouse is not limited just to sources subject to these requirements. Noteworthy prevention and control technology decisions are included in the RBLC even if they are not related to RACT, BACT, or LAER decisions.

Clean Air Technology Center
Sponsored by
Office of Air Quality Planning and Standards
U.S. EPA (MD-E143-03)
Research Triangle Park, NC 27711

In cooperation with
STAPPA / ALAPCO
(State and Territorial Air Pollution Program Administrators /
Association of Local Air Pollution Control Officials)

FURTHER INFORMATION:
For additional information on the CATC, contact:
Clean Air Technology Center (MD-E143-03)
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Research Triangle Park, NC 27711
(919) 541-0800