The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has delayed the release of the PVC Maximum Achievable Control Technology (MACT) standards establishing emission limits and work practices at PVC production facilities. While the release has been delayed multiple times, the most recent one is for a much longer period of time as the final rule won’t be released until 2025.

The Vinyl Institute calls the PVC MACT “one of EPA’s most complex rules,” seeing as how every phase of production is regulated to control hazardous air pollutant emissions. It was published in 2012 after development began in 1998, however, it included “significant errors in EPA’s limit determinations,” according to the institute.

The EPA is required to re-evaluate MACT standards at least every eight years. It’s now been a decade since the EPA agreed to reconsider the rule from 2012.

“Without a new PVC MACT, the U.S. PVC industry is challenged with building new greenfield facilities to meet expanded global consumer needs for quality PVC resin,” the Institute continues, citing the error in at least one of the emissions limits for new production facilities set in the original rule. “The EPA agreed to reconsider the emissions limits of the PVC MACT industry regulation in September 2012, a process that normally takes less than three years to complete. Since 2012, the EPA has periodically reviewed data and other information provided by Vinyl Institute (VI) members years ago in response to EPA requests.”

The industry awaits the finalization of the rule so that sound investment decisions can be made that align with EPA regulations. September 2025 is the new date the rule is expected to be released.