98-29157. Notice of Availability: The Office of Solid Waste (OSW) is Announcing the Availability of a New Draft Guidance Document Entitled Human Health Risk Assessment Protocol for Hazardous Waste Combustion Facilities

[Federal Register Volume 63, Number 210 (Friday, October 30, 1998)]
[Notices]
[Pages 58381-58382]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 98-29157]


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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[FRL-6182-8]


Notice of Availability: The Office of Solid Waste (OSW) is 
Announcing the Availability of a New Draft Guidance Document Entitled 
Human Health Risk Assessment Protocol for Hazardous Waste Combustion 
Facilities

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency.

ACTION: Notice of document availability and public comment period.

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SUMMARY: The Environmental Protection Agency (``EPA'' or ``the 
Agency'') is providing notice that the following draft guidance 
document: Human Health Risk

[[Page 58382]]

Assessment Protocol for Hazardous Waste Combustion Facilities (Peer 
Review Draft) is available and that a 60-day public review period of 
the document will begin today. In addition, this document will be 
undergoing an external peer review which will be organized and 
conducted by EPA's contractor, Tech Law. Information regarding the peer 
review process will be published in a Federal Register notice at a 
later date.
    This EPA document will serve to update and replace the existing 
draft guidance entitled: ``Guidance for Performing Screening Level Risk 
Analyses at Combustion Facilities Burning Hazardous Wastes' (April 15, 
1994 draft). This updated document contains the Office of Solid Waste's 
recommended approach for conducting site-specific risk assessments on 
RCRA hazardous waste combustors. The goal of this guidance document is 
to develop an understanding of the potential human health risks 
associated with the emissions from hazardous waste combustors. This 
guidance document includes specific parameters, pathways and algorithms 
to evaluate both direct and indirect risks. OSW intends to use the 
results of the risk assessments to provide a basis for risk management 
decisions in hazardous waste combustor permitting and to ensure that 
the permits are protective of human health and the environment.
    All public comments should be received by December 29, 1998 to be 
considered by the Agency. The public comments will be for the Agency's 
evaluation only and will not be part of the peer review process. All 
comments received from the public and the peer review will be 
considered when the Agency finalizes this document.

DATES: Public comments on the document Human Health Risk Assessment 
Protocol for Hazardous Waste Combustion Facilities should be received 
by the docket no later than December 29, 1998.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For further information contact the 
RCRA Hotline at [phone] or TDD [phone] (hearing 
impaired). In the Washington, DC metropolitan area, call [phone] 
or TDD [phone]. For specific questions on implementation of the 
methods described in this document, please contact your RCRA regulatory 
authority; for other questions contact Karen Pollard, Office of Solid 
Waste, 5307W U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 401 M Street, SW., 
Washington, DC 20460; phone: [phone]; e-mail: [email protected] 
mail.EPA.gov.

ADDRESSES: Commenters must send the original and two copies of their 
comments referencing docket number F-98-HHRA-FFFFF to: RCRA Information 
Center (RIC), Office of Solid Waste (5305G), U.S. Environmental 
Protection Agency Headquarters (EPA, HQ), 401 M Street, SW, Washington, 
DC 20460. Comments submitted electronically comments should be 
identified by the docket number F-98-HHRA-FFFFF and submitted to: RCRA-
[e-mail]. Submit electronic comments in an ASCII file and 
avoid the use of special characters and any form of encryption. EPA's 
Office of Solid Waste (OSW) also accepts data on disks in Wordperfect 
6.1 file format.
    Commenters should not submit any confidential business information 
(CBI) electronically. An original and two copies of the CBI must be 
submitted under separate cover to: Regina Magbie, RCRA CBI Document 
Control Officer, Office of Solid Waste (5305W), U.S. EPA, 401 M Street 
SW, Washington, DC 20460.
    Public comment and supporting materials will be made available for 
viewing from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., Monday through Friday (except Federal 
holidays) in the RIC, located at Crystal Gateway One, 1235 Jefferson 
Davis Highway, First Floor, Arlington, Virginia. To review docket 
materials, the public must make an appointment by calling (703) 603-
9230. The public may copy a maximum of 100 pages from any regulatory 
docket at no charge. Additional copies cost $0.15 per page. The docket 
index and notice are available electronically. See the ``Supplementary 
Information'' section for information on accessing it.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: For paper or CD-ROM copies of the guidance 
document, please contact the RCRA Information Center (RIC), Office of 
Solid Waste (5305G), U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Headquarters 
(EPA, HQ), 401 M Street, SW, Washington, DC 20460, [phone]. The 
document is a three volume set, the document numbers are EPA 530-D-98-
001A; 530-D-98-001B; and 530-D-98-001C. Copies of this document may 
also be obtained from the RCRA Hotline at [phone] or TDD (800) 
553-7672 (hearing impaired). In the Washington, DC metropolitan area, 
call [phone] or TDD [phone]. The document is also 
available in electronic format on the world wide web at: http://
www.epa.gov/epaoswer/hazwaste/combust/riskhtm.
    EPA is asking prospective commenters to voluntarily submit one 
additional copy of their comments on labeled personal computer 
diskettes in ASCII (TEXT) format or a word processing format that can 
be converted to ASCII(TEXT). It is essential to specify on the disk 
label the word processing software and version/edition as well as the 
commenter's name. This will allow EPA to convert the comments into one 
of the word processing formats utilized by the Agency. Please use 
mailing envelopes designed to physically protect the submitted 
diskettes. EPA emphasizes that submission of comments on diskettes is 
not mandatory, nor will it result in any advantage or disadvantage to 
any commenter. This expedited procedure is in conjunction with the 
Agency ``Paperless Office'' campaign.

    Dated: October 21, 1998.
Elizabeth A. Cotsworth,
Acting Director, Office of Solid Waste.
[FR Doc. 98-29157 Filed 10-29-98; 8:45 am]
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