[Federal Register Volume 60, Number 40 (Wednesday, March 1, 1995)]
[Notices]
[Pages 11089-11090]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 95-5023]
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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
[FRL-5163-1]
Ores and Minerals; Additional Data Available on Wastes From
Extraction and Beneficiation
AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency.
ACTION: Notice of availability.
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SUMMARY: This notice announces the availability of technical documents
issued by the Agency concerning wastes from non-coal extraction and
beneficiation. Focused on selected mineral sectors, these documents
update and supplement the information contained in the Agency's
December 1985, Report to Congress on Wastes from the Extraction and
Beneficiation of Metallic Ores, Phosphate Rock, Asbestos, Overburden
from Uranium Mining, and Oil Shale. The documents were developed over
the past four years, and take into account public comments received
during that time. Therefore, the Agency is not soliciting comments on
the information described in this notice, and is not reopening the
comment period on the Report to Congress.
ADDRESSES: This information is available on paper at the RCRA docket,
EPA Headquarters, Washington, DC and all EPA Regional Libraries. Copies
of the documents may also be purchased from the National Technical
Information Service at (703) 487-4650 or (800) 553-NTIS.
The RCRA public docket room is located at EPA Headquarters, 401 M
Street SW., Washington, D.C., Room M2616, 2nd floor, Waterside Mall and
is available for viewing 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Monday through Friday,
excluding federal holidays. Public review of the docket materials is by
appointment only. Call (202) 260-9327. The documents are located under
docket number F-95-MTDA-FFFFF.
As part of an interagency ``streamlining'' initiative, EPA is
making this notice and most of the supporting documents available
electronically. They can be accessed in electronic format on the
Internet System through:
EPA Public Access Gopher Server: Go to: gopher.epa.gov; From the
main menu, choose ``EPA Offices and Regions''; Next choose ``Office of
Solid Waste and Emergency Response (OSWER)''; Finally choose ``Office
of Solid Waste/Other Wastes/Bevill Amendment-Mining Waste.''
Through FTP: Go to: ftp.epa.gov; Login: anonymous; Password: Your
Internet Address; Files are located in /pub/gopher. All OSW files are
in directories beginning with OSW.
Through MOSAIC: Go to: http://www.epa.gov; Choose the EPA Public
Access Gopher; From the main (Gopher) menu choose ``EPA Office and
Regions''; Next choose ``Office of Solid Waste and Emergency Response
(OSWER)''; Finally, choose ``Office of Solid Waste/Other Wastes/Bevill
Amendment-Mining Waste.''
Through Dial-up Access: Dial 919-558-0334; Choose EPA Public Access
Gopher; From the main (Gopher) menu choose ``EPA Offices and Regions'';
Next choose ``Office of Solid Waste and Emergency Response (OSWER)'';
Then choose ``Office of Solid Waste/Other Wastes/Bevill Amendment-
Mining Waste.''
EPA is interested in learning whether people have obtained these
documents electronically and what their experiences were in doing so.
You are encouraged to provide feedback on the electronic availability
of these documents by sending E-mail to OSW-Pilot@epamail.epa.gov.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For general information, contact the
RCRA/Superfund Hotline at (800) 424-9346; for technical information
contact Bonnie Robinson (5302W), U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
SW., Washington, D.C. 20460, (703) 308-8429 or by sending an E-mail to:
Robinson.Bonnie@epamail.epa.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
I. Background
A. Regulatory Activities
RCRA Section 3001(b)(3)(A)(i-iii) (``the Bevill Exemption'')
exempted among other things solid wastes from the ``extraction,
beneficiation, and processing of ores and minerals'' from regulation
under RCRA Subtitle C, pending completion of a Report to Congress and a
subsequent regulatory determination of whether such regulation is
warranted. In particular, Section 8002 (f) and (p) of RCRA required EPA
to conduct a detailed and comprehensive study and submit a Report to
Congress on the adverse effects on human health and the environment, if
any, of the disposal of these wastes.
EPA published the Report to Congress on Wastes from the Extraction
and Beneficiation of Metallic Ores, Phosphate Rock, Asbestos,
Overburden from Uranium Mining, and Oil Shale in December, 1985. This
report addresses wastes from the extraction and beneficiation of
metallic ores (with special emphasis on copper, gold, iron, lead,
silver, and zinc), uranium overburden, and the nonmetals asbestos and
phosphate rock. EPA selected these mining industry segments because
they generate large quantities of wastes that are potentially
hazardous.
On July 3, 1986 (51 FR 24496) EPA published a regulatory
determination based on the findings of the Report to Congress. These
findings concluded that non-coal extraction and beneficiation mining
wastes should be regulated as solid wastes under RCRA Subtitle D,
rather than as hazardous wastes under RCRA Subtitle C.
The Agency has also promulgated rules that identify mineral
processing wastes that meet the exemption criteria of being high-volume
and low-hazard1. With the exception of 20 wastes, the majority of
the mineral processing wastes do not meet this criteria and are subject
to Subtitle C hazardous waste regulations2. Today's notice focuses
on the release of information concerning non-coal extraction and
beneficiation wastes and references no new mineral processing
information. For more information on Mineral Processing Wastes, consult
the RCRA docket (#F-90-RMPA-FFFF).
\1\See 54 FR 36592 September 1, 1989 and 55 FR 2322 January 23,
1990.
\2\Final Regulatory Determination on Special Wastes from Mineral
Processing (56 FR 27300 June 13, 1991).
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B. Non-Regulatory Activities
Since 1985, the Agency has collected information on selected
mineral sectors to update and supplement the 1985 Report to Congress.
EPA has been working closely with States, public interest groups, and
industry to solicit input on waste management approaches and to gather
information. Since the Report to Congress on Wastes from the Extraction
and Beneficiation of Metallic Ores, Phosphate Rock, Asbestos,
Overburden from Uranium Mining, and Oil Shale was published in 1985,
the Agency has conducted site visits and prepared case study reports on
waste generation and management practices of operating mines.
Additionally, the Agency has compiled reports on the selected mineral
sectors and has provided research grants to support continued study of
the environmental impacts of non-coal mining, as well as current waste
management and engineering practices. This new information is described
in today's notice.
[[Page 11090]]
II. Description of Information
A complete list of the information described below is available
from the RCRA Docket at the address and telephone number listed above.
The new data include:
Technical Resource Documents--Mineral Sectors
The Agency has prepared technical resource documents on extraction
and beneficiation practices of various mineral sectors. Each of the
following documents contains a summary of current literature on waste
management practices in the sector and site visit reports of operating
mines. These documents have been peer reviewed by state
representatives, federal land management agencies, mining companies,
and public interest groups. Where appropriate, the reviewers' comments
have been incorporated into each document. These documents will be
available in Spanish in May 1995: (1) TRD Vol.1: Lead-Zinc (NTIS PB94-
170248); (2) TRD Vol.2: Gold (NTIS PB94-170305); (3) TRD Vol.3: Iron
(NTIS PB94-195203); (4) TRD Vol.4: Copper (NTIS PB94-200979); (5) TRD
Vol.5: Uranium (NTIS PB94-200987); (6) TRD Vol.6: Gold Placer (NTIS
PB94-201811); and (7) TRD Vol.7: Phosphate & Molybdenum (NTIS PB94-
201001).
Technical Reports--Mining Waste Management and Engineering Practices
These documents discuss current mining waste management and
engineering practices. These documents have been peer reviewed by state
representatives, federal land management agencies and mining companies.
Where appropriate, the reviewers' comments have been incorporated into
each document. Additionally, the WASTE database will be available in
the RCRA docket and electronically, however, it will be unavailable at
NTIS. These documents will be available in Spanish in May 1995: (1)
Innovative Methods of Managing Environmental Releases at Mine Sites
(NTIS PB94-170255); (2) Design and Evaluation of Tailings Dams (NTIS
PB94-201845); (3) Treatment of Cyanide Heap Leaches & Tailings (NTIS
PB94-201837); (4) Acid Mine Drainage Prediction (NTIS PB94-201829); and
(5) WASTE: An Information Retrieval System for Mill Tailings References
(NOT AT NTIS).
Other Mining Documents
The following documents provide historical context for EPA's mine
waste activities. The Report to Congress and Strawman II documents are
currently not available in electronic format but will be made available
at a later date: Report to Congress on Wastes from the Extraction and
Beneficiation of Metallic Ores, Phosphate Rock, Asbestos, Overburden
from Uranium Mining, and Oil Shale (NTIS PB88-162631); Strawman II
(NTIS PB91-178418); U.S. EPA Mine Waste Policy Dialogue Committee
Meeting Summaries and Supporting Material (NTIS PB95-122529).
The Agency is also developing additional technical reports on waste
rock piles, subaqueous disposal of mine tailings, model mines, and
phosphogypsum waste piles.
Dated: February 23, 1995.
Elizabeth A. Cotsworth,
Acting Director, Office of Solid Waste.
[FR Doc. 95-5023 Filed 2-28-95; 8:45 am]
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