...changing environmental regulatory scene the development of new ASTM analytical methods to meet testing needs. Because of the importance of these subjects, the meeting is reported in considerable detail below. Of particular interest is a proposed method to measure condensation products of cure. When the product is water, that amount can be removed from the VOC calculation or measurement. As always, Subcommittee D01.21 on Analysis of Whole Paints and Paint Materials has been very active, particularly in the areas of analysis of VOC and HAPs. D01.23 on Physical Properties of Applied Paint Films continues to look for better ways of measuring adhesion and is working on a nano-scratch method for measuring mar and scratch. D01.25 on Evaluation of Weather Effects and Coatings Defects has become a resource for image analysis and other imaging techniques. D01.28 on Biodeterioration continues to work on methods and equipment to evaluate fungal growth and has started on a method to detect enzymes in paint. D01.34 on Naval Stores has made considerable progress on a method for the determination of the neutral content of tall oil fractions and a GC method for characterization of gum rosin. D01.45 on Marine Coatings had a special session on copper-based coatings with a number of speakers. D01.46 on Industrial Protective Coatings has many projects, including work on a new method for measuring surface roughness with protable stylus recorders and a major revision of D 5402, "Standard Practice for Assessing the Solvent Resistance of Organic Coatings Using Solvent Rub." D01.53 on Coil Coated Metal also is working on a solvent rub test.

DIVISION 1 ADMINISTRATION

D01.06, International Coordination and Technical Advisory Group to ISO/TC 35/SC2/SC9/SC10, Paints, Pigments and Varnishes

T. Sliva, Chair

D01.06 has absorbed D01.09, the D01 group overseeing activities with the ISO paint and varnish committees. The Chair reviewed ballot items since the January 2004 meeting and acknowledged efforts by ISO TC35/SC9 to harmonize methods with those of ASTM D01. He also reported on coordination with the Canadian General Standards Board on their paint specifications. ISO TC35 met in Sweden in June. A report on the activities during these meetings will be presented and discussed at the January 2005 D01 meeting.

D01.08, Environmental Concerns

J.C. Berry, Chair

D01.08 is a point of contact for ASTM, Federal and State agencies. It helps coordinate the testing needs of agencies with analytical talents within D01. It also provides a forum for the presentation and discussion of environmental programs and issues. In June, D01.08 met jointly with Analytical Task Group D01.21.13 on Coordination of VOC/HAP Method Development.

Progress was reported by Task Group D01.51.14 on Consideration of Cure Volatiles for Powder Coatings in developing a means for measuring the condensation products of cure. A draft of the method will be available at the next D01 meeting in January. Since the method could also be used for solventborne coatings, M. Wills has recommended that the activity become a part of Subcommittee D01.21. The test involves placing a known quantity of coating and internal standard in a can equipped with inlet and outlet gas ports. The can is placed in an oven at the specified cure temperature of the coating. Dry nitrogen (or other gas) is run through the can and the exiting stream is spit using a mass flow controller. One of the streams is directed to a carbon sorbent. Subsequent thermal or solvent desorption of the sorbent gives the volatiles containing the internal standard for speciation by GC analysis. The method has been validated for two powder coatings when nearly the same values were obtained with a gravimetric measure of total weight loss at the same cure conditions.

J. Berry reported for D. Salman on the status of EPA's program for MACT standards for coatings-related industries. The 1990 Clean Air Act required that EPA develop standards based on "Maximum Available Control Technology" to protect the population from almost two hundred hazardous air pollutants identified by the legislation. After those technology standards have been in place for a number of years, the Agency was instructed to evaluate the risk that remained after the technological "fix" was in place and regulate as required to protect the public health. Residual risk evaluations are now being made for several of the very first industries for which MACT standards were developed. The first step in evaluating residual risk is to gather "readily-available" data for a screening study. The screening analysis is to look at chronic and acute cancer and non-cancer health effects to determine if the source is low risk. If not, a rule to protect public health is required. This program has been complicated, however, by a different reading of the legislation as described below but not mentioned during the meeting.

Note: Prior to publication of the 10 year MACT rules, the plywood industry submitted "white papers" suggesting that risk to the surrounding population be determined before imposing (presumably) expensive MACT standards. The papers described that industry's interpretation of some parts of the enabling legislation that would allow many facilities to be regulated by standards less restrictive than MACT. This would include both those of inherently low risk as well as others that could relatively inexpensively be made low risk. The concept spread rapidly and as a result, comments were solicited from the public on including risk-based options as an inherent part of the MACT standard. The resulting comments varied dramatically from "What a brilliant idea" to "This is the most illegal idea ever and we will see you in court." As a result, the proposed rule for the plywood industry and industrial boilers contains risk-based options in the final MACT rule. The auto industry indicated to the Agency that few of their facilities would likely qualify as low risk and most of those would need MACT level controls to achieve such status. As a result, a risk-based MACT standard would have little benefit.

R. Nelson, NPCA, reported that the South Coast Air Quality Management District (SCAQMD) adopted new, more stringent limits for architectural and industrial maintenance coatings (AIM) on December 5, 2003. On January 1, 2004, a new limit of 250 g/l became effective for industrial maintenance coatings. On the first day of 2005, new limits for lacquers and roof coatings will be effective in the SCAQMD and the Northeastern states are expected to require the SCAQMD limits as their AIM rule. Other, more stringent rule changes are scheduled for the SCAQMD as follows: July 1, 2006--VOC limits of 50 or 100 g/l for most major coating categories, July 1, 2007--limit of 100 g/l for stains and July 1, 2008--50 g/l for flat architectural coatings.

Dates and Locations of Future D01 Meetings

Jan. 23-26, 2005 -- Fort Lauderdale, FL (Embassy Suites Hotel)

June 19-22, 2005 -- Pittsburgh, PA (Hilton Hotel) with D02

Jan. 2006 -- Tentatively Fort Lauderdale, FL

June 25-28, 2006 -- Toronto, Ontario (Sheraton Centre Hotel) with D02

Canada also is considering regulations for coatings based on CARB rules. In the U.S., the new National Ambient Air Quality Standard (NAAQS) for Ozone (based on an eight hour average ozone level rather than a one-hour peak value) is having an impact nationwide. Many more counties are being deemed as non-compliant with the new, more stringent limits. As a result, many states can be expected to pass rules for further VOC reductions (otherwise, lack of compliance can lead to withholding of Federal Highway funds).

J. Berry reported that EPA's Relative Reactivity Work Group, first convened over five years ago, has not met during the last 12 months. The group is evaluating the benefits and liabilities of changing the Agency's measure of solvent photochemical reactivity from the current binary measure to one of relative reactivity. If the change is approved, subsequent rules would focus on limiting the amount of the more highly reactive solvents, perhaps allowing much larger amounts of extremely low reactivity (photochemical) solvents in coatings. An "Advanced Notice of Proposed Rule Making"...

NOTE: All illustrations and photos have been removed from this article.




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