[Federal Register Volume 62, Number 99 (Thursday, May 22, 1997)]
[Notices]
[Page 28023]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 97-13478]


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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[FRL-5828-8]


Characterization of Municipal Solid Waste in the United States: 
1996 Update

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: In recent years, community officials and the general pubic 
have increased their attention to the waste generated by households, 
institutions, and commercial businesses. They have used information 
about municipal solid waste (MSW) to plan for programs to reduce and 
recycle this waste and to properly dispose of the remainder. The 
``Characterization of Municipal Solid Waste in the United States, 1960 
to 2000'' report was first prepared by EPA in 1986 in order to 
determine the amounts of waste generated, recovered, and discarded in 
the nation, and to project amounts of waste which will be managed in 
the future. The report has been updated five times since its initial 
publication in 1986. Planners nation-wide use this special study to 
estimate the amount and types of MSW that may be generated in their 
communities, and thus are able to plan more effectively for the 
management of the wastes generated, recovered, and/or discarded.
    The Characterization of Municipal Solid Waste in the United States: 
1996 Update report is now available. The 1996 Update is similar to the 
1995 Update, but it contains updated information on the types and 
amounts of municipal solid waste generated, recovered, and discarded in 
the United States through 1995. Some new informational categories and 
also included in the 1996 Update. These include several case studies 
that illustrate the impact of source reduction on different product 
categories, a section on the infrastructure for MSW management, and 
revised projections for MSW generation and management through 2010, 
including three possible scenarios for recovery.
    Finally, due to sustained interest in tacking national generation, 
recovery, and discard rates for MSW, EPA plans to continue provided 
annual updates of this Report as a service to its stakeholders from 
State and local governments, industry, environmental groups, and the 
public.

DATES: May 22, 1997.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
A paper copy of Characterization of Municipal Solid Waste in the United 
States: 1996 Update (EPA Publication Number EPA530-97-R-015) or the 
Report's Executive Summary (EPA Publication Number EPA530-S-97-015) may 
be obtained by calling the RCRA Hotline at 1-800-424-9346. The Report 
is also available in electronic format on the Internet System through 
the EPA Public Access Server at www.epa.gov.

    Dated: April 30, 1997.
Elizabeth A. Cotsworth,
Acting Director, Office of Solid Waste.
[FR Doc. 97-13478 Filed 5-21-97; 8:45 am]
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