[Federal Register Volume 62, Number 15 (Thursday, January 23, 1997)]
[Notices]
[Pages 3508-3509]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 97-1642]


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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[FRL-5679-7]


Project XL Draft Final Project Agreement for HADCO Corporation

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency.

ACTION: Notice of opportunity for public comment.

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SUMMARY: The United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) 
Regions I and II are announcing the availability of, and soliciting 
comments on, the draft Final Project Agreement developed for HADCO 
Corporation under EPA's Project XL initiative.

DATES: Comments must be submitted on or before February 24, 1997; 
public hearing, February 12, 1997, 12:30 p.m.; requests to attend the 
hearing must be received on or before February 11, 1997.

ADDRESSES: Written comments should be addressed or delivered to Mr. 
James Sullivan, U.S. EPA Region II, Mail Code DECA-RCB, 290 Broadway, 
New York, NY 10007-1866. A copy of any comments should also be sent to 
Regulatory Reinvention Pilot Projects, FRL-5197-9, Water Docket, Mail 
Code 4101, U.S. EPA, 401 M Street, S.W., Washington, DC 20460.
    The public hearing will be held at HADCO Corporation, 1200 Taylor 
Road, Owego, New York 13827. Requests to attend the hearing should be 
made to Mr. James Sullivan, EPA Region 2, (212) 637-4138.
    The FPA is available for review Monday through Friday, except legal 
holidays, at the following locations. (Hours of operation for each 
location can be obtained by calling the numbers provided).

1. Derry, NH Public Library, 64 East Broadway, Derry, NH, (603) 432-
6140 (Cheryl Lynch, Reference Desk)
2. Aaron Cutler Memorial Library, 269 Charles Bancroft Highway, Hudson, 
NH, (603) 424-4044 (Claudia Danielson, Librarian)
3. Kelley Library, 234 Main St, Salem, NH (603) 898-7064, (Deborah 
Berlin, Reference Department)
4. Colburn Free Library, 275 Main St, Owego, NY (607) 687-3520, 
(Christine Burroughs, Librarian)

[[Page 3509]]

5. NYS DEC, 50 Wolf Road, Albany, NY, (518) 457-2553 (Mark Moroukian), 
or (518) 485-8988 (Larry Nadler)
6. NH DES, 6 Hazen Drive, Concord, NH (603) 271-2942, (Kenneth 
Marschner)
7. US EPA Region I Library, One Congress Street, 11th Floor, Boston, MA 
(888) 372-5427
8. US EPA Region II Library, 290 Broadway, 16th Floor, New York, NY, 
(212) 637-3185

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Kenneth Rota, EPA Region I, (617) 565-
3349; Jim Sullivan, EPA Region 2, (212) 637-4138; or Lisa Hunter, EPA 
Headquarters, (202) 260-4744.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: HADCO is one of the first facilities 
accepted into EPA's Project XL program. EPA created Project XL in 1995 
as an initiative providing regulatory flexibility for industry to 
achieve environmental performance that is superior to what would be 
achieved through compliance with existing and reasonably anticipated 
future regulations. The HADCO Final Project Agreement (FPA) was 
developed by EPA, the New Hampshire Department of Environmental 
Services (NH DES), the New York State Department of Environmental 
Conservation (NYS DEC), and HADCO Corporation (``the parties'). The FPA 
is the document that memorializes the parties'' intentions concerning 
Project XL for the HADCO facilities in Owego, NY; Hudson, NH; Derry, NH 
and Salem, NH.
    This XL project concerns the classification under RCRA Subtitle C 
of wastewater treatment (WWT) sludge generated from printed wire board 
manufacturing facilities (SIC 3672). This WWT sludge is presently 
classified as a listed hazardous waste, having the waste code F006, 
pursuant to regulations promulgated under the Resource Conservation and 
Recovery Act (40 CFR 261.31(a)). Because of this hazardous waste 
designation, HADCO, and others in the PWB industry, must currently ship 
this waste to a separate facility licensed to handle hazardous wastes 
before it can be reclaimed. The project seeks to demonstrate that (a) 
classifying HADCO's WWT sludge as an F006 waste pursuant to Subtitle C 
is not necessary to protect human health and the environment, (b) the 
WWT sludge can be safely reclaimed without all of the strict regulatory 
controls imposed by RCRA Subtitle C; and (c) a conditional delisting or 
solid waste variance will yield substantial economic and environmental 
benefits.
    The HADCO FPA details a procedure through which HADCO will 
extensively test its sludge generated from the treatment of wastewater 
associated with circuit board manufacture. This data will be reviewed 
by EPA, NH DES and NYS DEC, in order to determine if such data supports 
removal of the sludge from regulation as a hazardous waste, as defined 
in the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act. Such a determination by 
EPA, NH DES, and NYS DEC is wholly contingent upon HADCO shipping the 
sludge off-site for reclamation of copper contained in the sludge. The 
four (4) HADCO facilities that are involved in this project 
collectively generate approximately 600 tons per year of this sludge.
    HADCO has agreed to direct any cost savings realized towards the 
reclamation of non-hazardous copper containing dusts that are currently 
land filled. If no reclamation occurs, the project would be terminated. 
HADCO must also consider the installation of sludge driers to reduce 
sludge volume at its New Hampshire facilities, if feasible.
    This draft FPA provides an overview of the parties' intentions 
under the XL agreement. The public hearing on February 12, 1997, is 
being held at HADCO's facility in Owego, New York, to provide 
additional opportunity for public comment at the HADCO facility 
included in this project that is most remote from the HADCO Corporation 
headquarters in New Hampshire. The parties to the agreement will 
consider any public comments received at the hearing and during this 
30-day public comment period, modify the agreement if necessary, and 
determine whether to sign a final agreement. If a final agreement is 
reached, any legal mechanisms required to implement the agreement will 
be noticed publicly in accordance with all state and federal 
regulations.
    In addition to the EPA contacts listed in the section entitled 
``For Further Information Contact,'' above, questions concerning 
Project XL and the HADCO project may also be directed to: Ken 
Marschner, NH DES, (603) 271-2943, Mark Moroukian, NYS DEC, (518) 457-
2553, or Lee Wilmot, HADCO Corporation, (603) 896-2424. General 
information about Project XL may be obtained by accessing EPA's 
internet site for Project XL, at http://www.epa.gov/Project XL. A copy 
of the HADCO FPA is posted at this location.

    Dated: January 16, 1997.
Jon Kessler,
Director, Emerging Sectors and Strategies Division, Office of Policy, 
Planning, and Evaluation.
[FR Doc. 97-1642 Filed 1-22-97; 8:45 am]
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