SACRAMENTO - The California Air Resources Board (CARB) has issued a revised draft suggested control measure (SCM) for architectural and industrial-maintenance coatings that eliminates VOC reductions originally proposed for the year 2001. The revised measure, issued on Dec. 1, 1999 also eliminates VOC limits originally proposed for the years 2005-2008, and includes only one round of new VOC limits with a suggested effective date of July 1, 2002.

Under the revised SCM - which would be used by regional air-quality districts in the state as a guide for development of air-pollution regulations - suggested VOC limits for July 1, 2002, are 100 grams per liter (g/L) for flat coatings, 150 g/L for nonflat coatings and 250 g/L for industrial-maintenance coatings. A 100 g/L limit is also proposed for floor coatings, while a 120 g/L limit is proposed for low-solids coatings and a 150 g/L limit is suggested for traffic-marking coatings. A range of VOC limits is suggested for approximately 25 other coatings categories, from 200 g/L for primers, sealers and undercoaters to 680 g/L for clear brushing lacquers.

The draft SCM is available on the CARB Web site, www.arb.ca.gov.

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