[Federal Register Volume 59, Number 155 (Friday, August 12, 1994)]
[Unknown Section]
[Page 0]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 94-19771]
[[Page Unknown]]
[Federal Register: August 12, 1994]
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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
[EPA-FRL-5050-4]
Request for Comment on Draft Methodology Document on Setting
Priorities for Hazardous Waste Minimization
AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
ACTION: Notice of Availability of Document.
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SUMMARY: The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announces the
availability of a document, describing a draft methodology, entitled
``Setting Priorities for Hazardous Waste Minimization'' (``Draft
Methodology Document'') and solicits comments on this document. (EPA
also solicits comments on a previously-released draft document entitled
``Draft RCRA Waste Minimization National Plan'' (``Draft Plan'') and
extends the comment period for this document.)
DATES: Comments regarding the Draft Methodology Document should be
submitted by September 9, 1994. (When the Draft Plan was released on
May 24, 1994, comments were requested by August 31, 1994; comments on
the Draft Plan are now requested by September 9, 1994.)
ADDRESSES: All comments must be submitted in writing (including an
original and two copies) to: RCRA Information Center (5305), U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency, 401 M Street, S.W., Washington, D.C.
20460. (When the Draft Plan was released, comments on the Draft Plan
were to be submitted to the following address: Director, Waste
Management Division (5302W), U.S. EPA, Washington, D.C. 20460. Comments
may now also be submitted to the RCRA Information Center at the address
given above.)
Comments should reference docket number F-94-WMNA-FFFFF. Comments
should be submitted separately for the Draft Methodology Document and
the Draft Plan and should identify which document they pertain to.
Commenters who wish to claim as Confidential Business Information any
parts of their comments must submit an original and two copies, under
separate cover, to: Document Control Officer (5305), Office of Solid
Waste, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 401 M Street, S.W.,
Washington, D.C. 20460.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For general information, or for copies
of the documents described in this notice, contact the RCRA Hotline,
toll free at (800) 424-9346. TDD (800) 553-7672. For specific
information pertaining to the documents, contact Mark Ralston, Office
of Solid Waste, at 703-308-8595.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
I. Background
On May 18, 1993, Administrator Carol Browner announced an
initiative to further the protection of human health and the
environment--referred to as the Hazardous Waste Minimization and
Combustion Draft Strategy (``Draft Strategy''). The Draft Strategy was
designed, among other things, to further the reduction in the quantity
and toxicity of hazardous wastes generated in the United States as well
as to strengthen federal controls governing hazardous waste combustion.
Since the announcement of the Draft Strategy, the Agency has held
extensive discussions with all the interested stakeholders, including a
series of Roundtable discussions. Based on these discussions, EPA
developed and released on May 24, 1994, a Draft Plan to implement the
waste minimization part of the Draft Strategy.
The Draft Plan describes two phases: the first phase focuses on
hazardous wastes containing metals and/or halogenated organics burned
in combustion units. The second phase will move beyond metal- and
halogen-containing wastes managed in combustion devices and will
address source reduction and recycling opportunities for the broader
universe of hazardous wastes managed by a variety of practices.
Key components of the Draft Plan include: establishing specific
goals for source reduction and recycling; prioritizing wastestreams and
industrial processes for source reduction and recycling; identifying
and evaluating source reduction and recycling opportunities for these
wastestreams and industrial processes; arraying potential voluntary and
regulatory mechanisms for effecting source reduction and recycling; and
measuring progress.
One of the building blocks for the Draft Plan is setting priorities
for source reduction and recycling. EPA has developed and is today
releasing the Draft Methodology Document, which describes a proposed
hazard-based methodology for ranking hazardous wastestreams and, in
turn, ranking the industrial processes that generate them. The document
also presents draft ranking results for certain wastestreams and
industrial processes.
EPA is soliciting comments from reviewers on a number of specific
issues presented in the Draft Methodology Document. Some of these
issues are summarized below.
--Criteria relevant to developing a prioritization methodology. There
are a number of criteria which could potentially be considered in
setting priorities for waste minimization. Some potential risk- or
hazard-based criteria include:
Waste quantities
Waste characteristics (e.g., constituent concentrations
and physical/chemical properties)
Waste management practices (e.g., combustion)
Constituent releases
Fate and transport
Human and ecological exposure
Human and ecological toxicity Other possible criteria
include:
Protection of natural resources (e.g., stratospheric ozone
and ground water)
Demand for waste management capacity
Environmental justice concerns
Technical/economic feasibility of promoting waste
minimization
The Agency is soliciting comments on which criteria (among those
listed above or others not listed above) should be emphasized in
setting priorities for minimization of hazardous wastes.
--Sources of waste characterization data. While the Agency has
collected waste characterization data as part of hazardous waste
listing determinations and industry surveys, most of these data have
limitations (e.g., the data are often more than five years old). Some
of the more important and challenging data elements for prioritizing
hazardous wastes (and, in turn, industrial processes) based on hazard
are: (1) the identities of constituents (i.e., chemicals) present in
wastestreams, and (2) the concentrations of the constituents.
Therefore, the Agency solicits comment on whether there are other
readily-available sources of waste characterization data, in addition
to the data already obtained by EPA, that include these data elements
and that could potentially be employed for ranking these wastestreams
(e.g., data collected by state regulatory agencies or technical
assistance centers).
--Emphasis on hazard of wastes as generated. Consistent with the goal
of the Draft Plan to reduce the quantity and toxicity of hazardous
wastes, EPA's draft methodology prioritizes wastestreams based on the
hazard associated with those wastes as generated. In effect, it
identifies and promotes source reduction for the most pervasive, toxic,
mobile, persistent, and/or bioaccumulative wastes, based on the
characteristics of the wastes prior to management. At present, the
draft methodology does not directly consider the hazard associated with
the wastes as managed (e.g., considering releases and exposures
following combustion of the wastes). EPA requests comment on the
appropriateness of emphasizing the hazard of wastes as generated in
developing a national-level screening methodology for prioritizing
hazardous wastes.
--Applicability of EPA's as-generated hazard-based methodology to
combusted wastestreams containing metals and/or halogenated organics.
Given that metals are not destroyed by combustion (and typically exit
the combustion unit in ash, air releases, or product), EPA is
soliciting comments on whether EPA's draft as-generated hazard-based
methodology is appropriate for national screening of wastestreams
containing metals. EPA is also seeking comments on whether the draft
methodology is appropriate for wastestreams containing halogenated
organics, or whether the draft methodology should be modified to better
reflect the hazard of these compounds as managed (e.g., through
applying a destruction and removal efficiency (DRE) factor to halogen
concentrations in wastes, prioritizing based on the percent halogen in
waste feedstocks, focusing on wastestreams containing dioxin
precursors, or using another approach). EPA would also be interested in
commenters' views on whether the draft methodology should be
complemented by considering releases/transfers reported in the Toxics
Release Inventory (TRI).
II. Availability of Documents
The Draft Methodology Document and the Draft Plan are available for
viewing at:
EPA
RCRA Information Center
Room 2616
401 M Street, S.W.
Washington, D.C. 20460
The RIC is open from 9:00 to 4:00 Monday through Friday, except for
federal holidays. The public must make an appointment to review docket
materials. Call (202) 260-9327 for appointments. Copies of the
documents may be obtained by calling the RCRA Hotline, toll free at
(800) 424-9346. TDD (800) 553-7672.
Dated: July 26, 1994.
Michael Shapiro,
Director, Office of Solid Waste.
[FR Doc. 94-19771 Filed 8-11-94; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6560-50-P
