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Collision Repair Campaign
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Auto Body Rule
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Coming Soon
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Cool Tools
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EPA developed the Collision Repair Campaign to focus on meaningful risk reduction in the Collision Repair source sector to complement our ongoing community air toxics work and attain reductions at a faster rate. The Campaign will also serve as an opportunity for shops to work towards early compliance with the Auto Body Rule.
What is the Collision Repair Campaign?
The Collision Repair Campaign is an effort to address health threats through a two-year campaign to drastically reduce auto body emissions at the national level. Each EPA regional office involved in the Campaign will work with their respective partners (e.g. community, industry, small businesses, etc.) to significantly reduce human and environmental exposure to air toxics from auto body shops. While similar work has been done in the past in pockets around the country, the Campaign represents a unique, unprecedented nationwide effort to accomplish bold goals in toxic reductions. The community campaign aimed at reducing toxic exposures from collision repair shops is voluntary.
The Collision Repair Industry was identified for a number of reasons:
- A number of communities have identified these shops as an environmental and health concern, hence the number of efforts across the US to address this issue.
- These shops are widespread in nature and tend to be clustered in minority, immigrant, and low income neighborhoods.
- Many of these shops are not in compliance with existing occupational and environmental regulations.
- Many of these shops are small businesses and don't often use standard methods for auto body repair and painting, and they do not comply with accepted industry practices or current control technologies.
Goals:
- 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.
- To provide training, technical assistance, and outreach to local communities and shop owners about established best management and pollution prevention practices.
- To provide information about the National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants: Paint Stripping and Miscellaneous Surface Coating Operations at Area Sources Rule and encourage early compliance.
Health Impacts from Collision Repair Activities:
- Particulate Matter (PM)
- Asthma, heart attacks, bronchitis, premature mortality
- Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs)
- Asthma and Bronchitis
- Hazardous Air Pollutants (HAP, also known as air toxics), including Lead, Chromium and Cadmium
- Neurotoxicity, lung cancer
- Diisocyanates
- Leading cause of occupational asthma; skin and lung sensitization
- Solvents
- Iirritation, headache, nausea, liver, kidney, nervous system damage
Potential Benefits:
- Through implementing best practices, which include installing and maintaining control equipment and using safer paints and solvents, toxic exposures are expected to be reduced by 90%.
- It is estimated that utilizing best practices in 1,000 shops will reduce HAP and VOC emissions by 3.5 million pounds annually.
- Shop owners also will reduce paint and solvent costs, as well as related hazardous waste disposal costs through this program.
- The Campaign creates better environmental stewards, happier and healthier community neighbors and improves worker safety and health.
- The Campaign will also better prepare the industry to comply with an upcoming area source federal rule designed to reduce auto body emissions.
Collision Repair Campaign Project Coordinator
Holly Wilson - (919) 541-5624, wilson.holly@epa.govRegional Campaign Projects:
Headquarters - Design for the Environment (DfE) Program, EETD/OPPT/OPPTS
Mary Cushmac - 202-564-8803
http://www.epa.gov/dfe/pubs/projects/auto/
The DfE Automotive Refinishing Partnership has been working with collision repair businesses and schools since 1997 to encourage best practices, safer alternative products, and innovative technologies to reduce risk and prevent pollution. DfE best practices reduce exposures to and emissions of diisocyanates (the leading cause of occupational asthma), chromium, lead, ethyl benzene, toluene, xylenes, and other paint additives. DfE is collaborating with the Campaign and providing technical support, including train-the-trainer workshops, site visits, and outreach materials to support Regional Campaign Projects. The workshops are an important outreach component of the Campaign and are designed to reduce risk and pollution in the workplace and surrounding community, while helping small businesses come into early compliance with new regulations to control air emissions from surface coating operations, including auto refinishing. Best Practices training is provided by an experienced auto refinisher/former shop manager and a certified industrial hygienist/senior safety engineer.
Region I
– The Boston Safe Shops Project
Tiffany Skogstrom or Persio Acevedo – 617-534-5966
Safe Shops is a program at the Boston Public Health Commission that was created to promote environmental leadership among Boston’s auto body and repair shops. Safe Shops staff provides free training, education, and other resources to help shops improve their safety and environmental practices, and to help them become better neighbors. Staff also helps auto shop workers access health care resources and safer alternatives to toxic chemicals. This project is funded with grant money from the United States Environmental Protection Agency and The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The program helps the community by creating partnerships between residents and their auto shop neighbors; ensuring that local auto shops are responsive to community concerns; improving the quality of life in the neighborhood; and reducing water, air, and noise pollution. Communities and businesses can download tools and educational material from the Safe Shops web site. 
The Boston Safe Shops Project will collaborate with the US EPA Collision Repair Campaign by helping distribute educational materials to Boston auto shops as well as brainstorm outreach and participation strategies with other communities.
– Safe Shops in CARE Communities
MaryBeth Smuts – (617) 918-1512
1) CARE level 1 communities have identified concentration of auto shops 2) CARE community partners will recruit shop owners as CARE partners while visiting local shops 3) CARE partners will schedule and invite shops and employees to trainings so that interest and buy-in to Safe Shops best practices will be locally supported 4) voc-tech schools will be recruited in same manner 5) voc-techs will be encouraged to host trainings and be central spot for technical contacts.
Region II – Collision Repair Shop Campaign in Rochester, NY
Carol Bellizzi – (212) 637-3712
EPA's Design for the Environment (DfE) team conducted best practices trainings for 4 high school-level classes comprised of 2 instructors, 2 assistant instructors, and 82 students. The team conducted best practices site visits at both schools and prepared a brief report on the site visits and the recommendations they made for improvements at the schools. The instructors indicated that they would include the DfE recommendations with upcoming budget requests for their programs.
The DfE team provided an evening workshop at the Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT), with generous support from RIT. The workshop drew 14 registrants, including a few shop owners and representatives from the following: PPG Industries Auto Refinishing and Coatings; 3M; the New York State Department of Labor, Division of Safety and Health; and the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation. Attendees were asked to fill out an evaluation sheet to help measure impacts of the workshop. These DfE trainings and the workshop were made possible with essential support from the Rochester Green Business Network.
Region III – “WV Safe Shops” WV Collision Repair Best Practices Initiative
Linda Miller (215) 814-2068
Region III currently has two pilots underway. West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection and its partners had a workshop in September 12, 2007 which brought together a range of stakeholders including shop owners, technical assistance providers, career and technical school instructors, paint company representatives, etc. Utilizing the talents, expertise and training program of EPA’s Design for the Environment (DfE), the training provided a multi-media approach towards this industry sector including a session on relevant rules and regulations. The training included visits to several shops as well as a VoTech school. WVDEP has continued the outreach with additional workshops and follow-up with workshop participants to gauge pre-and post- workshop adoption of best practices. Currently, The District of Columbia Department of the Environment, the Maryland Department of the Environment and the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality are working with Region III, DfE and the Clean Air Partners to host a similar Safe Shops workshop in the Metro DC area in early June. The workshop will highlight the $1000 rebate program available through the Clean Air Partners for the purchase of environmentally friendly equipment at auto shops in the Metro DC and Baltimore areas.
Region IV – Collision Repair Campaign
Paul Wagner – (404) 562-9100
Region 4, our state and local partners across the Southeast, the Office of Air Quality Planning and Standards, and EPA’s Design for the Environment Program are collaborating to offer “Best Practices” workshops to diverse audiences. The programs target shop owners, compliance assistance personnel, paint manufacturer representatives, and technical school instructors to explain to them how these practices reduce costs, protect the workers, and protect neighbors in the vicinity. By reaching individuals who interact with many more in the industry, we hope to multiply the impact of these workshops.
This consortium recognizes that not every shop owner and painter will be able to attend these workshops or be reached by someone who has. Hence we are developing a DVD that will be mailed to thousands of shops to introduce them to the benefits of best practice. The DVD will feature interviews with neighborhood and celebrity shop owners and painters, and with federal, state, and local program personnel.
Region V – Autobody Refinishers Emission Reduction Project
Jacqueline Nwia – (312) 886-6081
Clean Air Minnesota would identify an industry leader within the metropolitan area, and arrange for a technology demonstration event for other shop owners and managers. Following the demonstration, Clean Air Minnesota would identify emission reduction technologies, and evaluate industry training needs. Clean Air Minnesota would arrange for and facilitate a training event, and solicit participation in pilot trials of various emission reduction technologies. Emission reductions achieved through pilot trials, and permanent adoption of new technologies would be quantified.
Region VI – Auto Body Statewide Outreach
Mandy Ellifritz – (325) 698-6104
Statewide outreach using web pages, mailouts, guidance documents, and workshops. The Auto Body statewide outreach initiative involves using directed web pages for auto body and surface coaters to educate them about TCEQ and Federal rules and to encourage voluntary compliance. The initiative will also provide guidance documentation, notification and compliance forms and mailouts for these industries. The program also has one-on-one site assistance visits available for these industries that include a comprehensive evaluation of applicable environmental regulations and assistance with complying with those regulations.
Region VII – Mailing, Workshop, and Voc-Tec Outreach
Gwen Yoshimura – (913) 551-7073
Mail outreach materials to applicable sources for which we have information. Work with local vocational technical schools to conduct additional outreach; tap the Iowa Waste Reduction Center and see what connections they might be able to offer. Work with CARE 2005 project in St. Louis to offer an auto body workshop in St. Louis in fall of 2007.
Region VIII – Safe Shops Colorado
Tracy M. Eagle – (303) 312-6373
This project is a timely effort to reduce AB/CR related pollutants with significant and growing regional interest. There are currently three elements to the project strategy: 1) Working with a local trade school/Colorado board of trade schools to initiate train-the-trainer sessions for trade school staff, provide information for inclusion in trade school curricula, etc. 2) Mass mail letters to auto body/collision repair shops building on template letter from EPA's Office of Air Quality Planning and Standards (OAQPS) in order to advise about the upcoming rule (including copy of the draft rule) and what it means to them and reference DfE support. Will work from OAQPS template. 3) Work with a current CARE project in Northeast Denver to procure and train a circuit rider (someone with tech knowledge who can help with compliance assistance) to visit businesses to educate about air toxics/public and worker health, then survey behavioral changes to estimate environmental benefit (CARE Coordinator wants to hire a bilingual person for this role).
Region IX - Safer Auto body Collision Repair in Tucson (Para Mejor Serguridades en Tallers de Reparacianes d’Autos)
Periann Wood – (415) 947-4138
The project will provide information to car collision repair shops that have been previously identified in the SERI/Promotora/Voluntary Reduction Program (and others) of the health issues associated with the Standard chemicals used in auto body collision repair procedures.
An Awards/Recognition Program will be developed that identifies those shops that are reducing toxic materials and publicizes their pro-environmental actions to potential clients who might do business with these shops.
Region X – Early ABC (Auto body Rule Compliance) Campaign
Ashley Zanolli (206) 553-4425
The Early ABC Campaign is a program that will invite and encourage early compliance with the proposed Auto Body Refinishing (Surface Coating) NESHAP for Area Source Rule. Training will be provided (through HQ resources and DfE) on ways to reduce emissions and risks from current operations. We will develop and work with partners to develop incentives for early compliance. Also develop a framework for a certification program that could be used by partners to help encourage early compliance.
We are working with the Pacific Northwest Pollution Prevention Resource Center (PPRC), who will use this money ($18,400) to build STAR training capacity at the technical colleges in Washington State that currently do not offer STAR training to their students. PPRC with provide these colleges with laser training devices that were purchased with leveraged funding from the Washington Department of Ecology. We will also work with PPRC to organize and provide one STAR training session at a University, technical college or collision repair shop in Anchorage, Alaska. PPRC will work with Alaska-GreenStar to identify the most appropriate venue and help with soliciting participation.
Tools and Resources
Listed below is a bank of resources providing information about various areas of the Auto Body industry. The following links will assist you in locating documents about training, best management practices, technical assistance and some videos about the industry.
- Healthy Air: A Community and Business Leaders Guide - a collection of non-regulatory, time-and-cost-saving ideas communities can use to reduce toxic air pollution.
- EPA's Design for the Environment (DfE) Automotive Refinishing Partnership - a voluntary partnership with the collision repair industry and schools to promote safer alternatives and best practices to reduce risk in the workplace and community.
- Best Practices Link - Design for the Environment (DfE) best shop practice
- Managing Worker Health and Safety: An Auto Body Refinish Shop Success Story (EPA 744-F-00-017) (PDF) (4pp, 1.6 MB)
- HVLP Spray Guns: Cost-effective, environment-friendly technology (EPA-744-F-00-004)
- HVLP Spray Guns in the Auto Refinishing Shop: A Success Story (EPA-744-F-00-014)
- Choosing the Right Gloves for Painting Cars (EPA-744-F-00-005)
- Using Waterborne Basecoats in Collision Repair Shops: A Case Study (PDF) (4 pp, 284k) (EPA 744-F-08-003)
- Spray Booth Filters: The Key to Quality Jobs and Clean Emissions (PDF) (2 pp, 221k) (EPA 744-F-08-001) - Factsheet
- DfE Emission Reduction Calculator (EPA 744-F-08-004) - a tool to estimate emissions and material use reductions achieved through implementing DfE best practices.
- CCAR-Greenlink® -
the National Automotive Environmental Compliance Assistance Center for the automotive industry. It is operated by the Coordinating Committee for Automotive Repair in cooperation with the U.S. EPA.
- CCAR-Greenlink® virtual auto body shop - developed by CCAR-Greenlink and the DfE Program to provide easy access to valuable health, safety, environmental, and technical links.
- CCAR-Greenlink® virtual auto body shop
- Safe Shops - a program of the Boston Public Health Commission. Contains information about the safe shops program, its resources, training, education and environmental practices.
- Safe Shops Fact Sheet
- Safe Shops Video and Safe Shops Toolbox Downloadable (in English or Spanish) - tools and resources use for developing Safe Shop projects in your community.
- Safe Shops Fact Sheet
- EPA's Tools for Schools - a variety of products, materials, and tools at no cost to help schools implement an indoor air quality management program.
- LaserPaint and VirtualPaint - LaserPaint is a targeting tool can be easily attached onto a spray gun and provide continuous and immediate feedback regarding spray technique. VirtualPaint is a virtual painting system that allows training without the use of paint.
- STAR4Defense - training program for military spray technicians and training instructors.
- Iowa Waste Reduction Center (IWRC) - provides free, confidential and non-regulatory environmental assistance to small businesses in Iowa.
- AirNow - real-time air quality data.
- Community Action for a Renewed Environment (CARE) - a competitive grant program that offers an innovative way for a community to organize and take action to reduce toxic pollution in its local environment.
- Toxtown - information about environmental health concerns and toxic chemicals where you live, work, and play.
- 4Clean Air Tool Kit - to provide state and local air agencies with comprehensive and easy-to-use documents and information on communicating with constituents about toxic air pollution and the public-health risks associated with exposure to toxic air pollutants
- New Jersey:
- VOC Compliance for Auto Body Shops (PDF) (2pp, 1.1 MB) - a factsheet to
provide guidance on air regulations that affect auto
body shops in NJ.
- Alliance for Auto Service Providers of NJ (AASP) - to advance the professionalism and excellence in the automotive repair industry through education, representation, and member services
- HVLP Spray Gun Operation (PDF) (126pp, 806k) (see pp 79 to 84) - requirements and procedures concerning the control and prohibition of air pollution by volatile organic compounds (VOC) from repair and refinishing facilities in NJ.
- VOC Compliance for Auto Body Shops (PDF) (2pp, 1.1 MB)
- NIOSH Hazard Controls: Control of Dust From Sanding in Auto Body Repair Shops - a document alerting workers to dangers of hazardous components of paint spray, including metals such as lead and chromium, polyisocyanates, and liquid organic solvents.
- Rhode Island's Auto Body Certification Program
- CA Department of Toxic Substances Control Auto Body & Paint Shop Project Fact Sheets and Videos
- Working Safely with Polyurethane Paints (PDF) (12pp, 438k) - information pamphlet from Bayer Corporation on safe use of paints containing polyisocyanates.
- California Air Resources Board (CARB) Coatings Program
- OSHA’s new “SafetyPays” e-tool - A helpful tool when calculating the health benefits derived when collision repair businesses adopt best practices to reduce air toxics.
- Small Business Environmental Assistance contacts