Ohio-based Mercer Color's Pat Berger explains why printers should pay attention to this "heads up" from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency:

The EPA's Control Techniques Guidelines are rules for the nation concerning Offset Lithographic and Letterpress Printing. In the introduction on page 7, there is RACT (reasonably available control technology). When there is a control technology that is working, the EPA will present the data to the states and the states can modify or accept the rules. With the implementation of the rules used in SCAMQD (South Coast Air Quality Management District), these have a very good chance of becoming RACT nationwide.

This should be a wake-up call to all printers. Once a RACT program is initiated, it has passed the test of working and cost of implementation and is extremely difficult to get changed.

Pat Berger
Mercer Color, Coldwater, OH