Representatives of the EPA and the South Coast Air Quality Management District (SCAQMD) will be present at the BodyShop Business Waterborne Conference (Aug. 13-14 in Huron, Ohio) to discuss current rules and regulations mandating the use of low-VOC basecoats and outline other compliance issues.
Holly Wilson is the lead for the EPA’s Community Air Program in the Office of Air Quality Planning and Standards, Outreach and Information Division. She’ll be making a special appearance at the conference to discuss the Collision Repair Campaign.
“The Collision Repair Campaign (CRC) is a voluntary program that’s designed to help shops coming into early compliance with 6H Rule (click HERE to read more on this rule),” said Wilson. “It’s our goal that by providing free training, technical assistance and tools to the shops’ owners and operators, they’ll work toward early compliance and beyond by implementing available best management practices.”
The EPA’s stated goal is “to reduce the negative environmental and health impacts on employees and surrounding communities by reducing Hazardous Air Pollutants (HAP, also known as air toxics), Volatile Organic Compounds (VOC) and Particulate Matter (PM) emissions.
Naveen Berry is the planning and rules manager for the SCAQMD, the air pollution control agency for all of Orange County, Calif., and the urban portions of Los Angeles, Riverside and San Bernardino counties, the smoggiest region of the U.S. Body shops there had to switch to low-VOC basecoats and clearcoats effective July 1, 2008 to comply with Rule 1151, which called for topcoat clear to be at or below 2.1 lb. of VOC per gallon and the base color, by itself, to be at or below 3.5 lb. of VOC per gallon.
For more information on the 2009 BodyShop Business Waterborne Conference, visit www.waterbornefacts.com.
