[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