Best Available Control Technology
Encyclopedia
Best available control technology (BACT) is a pollution control standard mandated by the United States
Clean Air Act. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
(EPA) determines what air pollution control technology will be used to control a specific pollutant to a specified limit. When a BACT is determined, factors such as energy consumption, total source emission, regional environmental impact, and economic costs are taken into account. It is the current EPA standard for all polluting sources that fall under the New Source Review
guidelines and is determined on a case-by-case basis.
The BACT standard is significantly more stringent than the reasonably available control technology
standard but much less stringent than the lowest achievable control technology
standard.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
Clean Air Act. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
United States Environmental Protection Agency
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is an agency of the federal government of the United States charged with protecting human health and the environment, by writing and enforcing regulations based on laws passed by Congress...
(EPA) determines what air pollution control technology will be used to control a specific pollutant to a specified limit. When a BACT is determined, factors such as energy consumption, total source emission, regional environmental impact, and economic costs are taken into account. It is the current EPA standard for all polluting sources that fall under the New Source Review
New Source Review
The New Source Review, is a permitting process created by the US Congress in 1977 as part of a series of amendments to the Clean Air Act. The NSR process requires industry to undergo an Environmental Protection Agency pre-construction review for environmental controls if they propose either...
guidelines and is determined on a case-by-case basis.
The BACT standard is significantly more stringent than the reasonably available control technology
Reasonably Available Control Technology
Reasonably Available Control Technology is a pollution control standard created by the Environmental Protection Agency and is used to determine what air pollution control technology will be used to control a specific pollutant to a specified limit...
standard but much less stringent than the lowest achievable control technology
Lowest Achievable Emissions Rate
Lowest Achievable Emissions Rate is used by the Environmental Protection Agency to determine if emissions from a new or modified major stationary source are acceptable under SIP guidelines....
standard.
See also
- Appropriate technologyAppropriate technologyAppropriate technology is an ideological movement originally articulated as "intermediate technology" by the economist Dr...
- Best Available TechnologyBest Available TechnologyBest available technology is a term applied with regulations on limiting pollutant discharges with regard to the abatement strategy. Similar terms are best available techniques , best practicable means or best practicable environmental option...
- Clean Air Act of 1990
- Cost Benefit Analysis
- National Emissions Standards for Hazardous Air PollutantsNational Emissions Standards for Hazardous Air PollutantsThe National Emissions Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants are emissions standards set by the United States EPA for an air pollutant not covered by NAAQS that may cause an increase in fatalities or in serious, irreversible, or incapacitating illness...
(NESHAP)
External links
- EPA - Overview of Best Available Control Technology