[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-P[email protected].

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.B[email protected].

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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