[Federal Register Volume 62, Number 124 (Friday, June 27, 1997)]
[Notices]
[Pages 34748-34749]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 97-16893]


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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[FRL-5849-5]


Regulatory Reinvention (XL) Pilot Projects

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

ACTION: Notice of availability of OSi Project XL Draft Final Project 
Agreement and Related Documents.

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SUMMARY: EPA is today requesting comment on a proposed Project XL Final 
Project Agreement (FPA) for OSi Specialties, Inc. (a subsidiary of 
Witco Corporation) in Sistersville, West Virginia. The FPA is a 
voluntary agreement developed collaboratively by OSi, stakeholders, and 
state and federal regulators. Project XL, announced in the Federal 
Register on May 23, 1995 (60 FR 27282) (FRL-5197-9), gives regulated 
sources the flexibility to develop alternative strategies that will 
replace or modify specific regulatory requirements on the condition 
that they produce greater environmental benefits. EPA has set a goal of 
implementing a total of fifty projects undertaken in full partnership 
with the states.
    Under the draft FPA, OSi will install an incinerator and route the 
process vents from its polyether methyl capper production unit to that 
incinerator for control of organic air emissions. OSi estimates this 
will reduce the facility's organic air emissions by about 309,000 
pounds per year for substantially lower cost than compliance with 
regulations to be deferred under the Project. In addition, OSi will 
recover and reuse an estimated 500,000 pounds per year of methanol that 
would otherwise be disposed of through the facility's on-site 
wastewater treatment system and would divert about 50,000 pounds per 
year of organic air emissions from the wastewater treatment unit to the 
incinerator. This will result in a reduction in sludge generation from 
OSi's wastewater of 815,000 pounds per year. Lastly, OSi will conduct a 
waste minimization/pollution prevention study which is expected to 
result in additional reductions in waste generation at the facility. As 
an incentive for OSi to take these environmentally beneficial actions, 
EPA would agree to propose for public comment regulations deferring the 
application, to the facility's two hazardous waste surface 
impoundments, of Subpart CC of 40 CFR Parts 264 and 265 which was 
promulgated under the authority of the Resource Conservation and 
Recovery Act (RCRA Subpart CC). Also, the West Virginia Department of 
Environmental Protection (WVDEP) would enter into a consent order with 
OSi to defer application of similar state regulations in the interim 
before the State of West Virginia adopts the EPA deferral. In addition, 
EPA and the State of West Virginia intend to propose, on a case-by-case 
basis, a limited scope deferral of proposed Clean Air Act Subpart YYY 
volatile organic compound emission standards for OSi's wastewater 
collection and treatment system (40 CFR Part 60, Subpart YYY) (CAA 
Subpart YYY), if applicable. The CAA Subpart YYY relief involves a 
deferral of Subpart YYY if OSi begins recovery of CAA Subpart YYY 
substances as a result of its waste minimization efforts and if the 
final CAA Subpart YYY regulations apply to such activities. This 
deferral would be granted only if there is no resulting emissions 
increase from the facility's wastewater system or if organic air 
emissions increases from all YYY deferrals do not exceed 15,000 pounds 
per year (about 5 percent of the Project's expected air emission 
reductions). These deferrals will last until the required compliance 
date of the national emission standards for hazardous air pollutants 
from miscellaneous organic processes (the ``MON''). It is expected that 
the MON will require installation of process vent controls similar to 
the proposed control for the polyether methyl capper unit process vent 
emissions to be implemented under the Project. As a result, the Project 
will be reevaluated at that time to determine whether additional 
environmental benefits provided by the Project warrant the continuation 
of the regulatory flexibility granted by the Project. If continuation 
is warranted, then the FPA and other appropriate documents (e.g., 
permits, regulations, orders, etc.) will be amended as necessary. If 
EPA or WVDEP does not determine that continuation of the Project is 
warranted, the Project will end on the required compliance date of the 
MON.

DATES: The period for submission of comments ends on July 28, 1997.

ADDRESSES: All comments on the draft Final Project Agreement should be 
sent to: Cheryl Atkinson, U.S. EPA, Region III, 841 Chestnut Street 
(3HW70), Philadelphia, PA 19107, or L. Nancy Birnbaum, U.S. EPA, 401 M 
Street, SW, Room 3134CY Mall (2129), Washington, DC 20460. Comments may 
also be faxed to Ms. Atkinson at (215) 566-3114 or Ms. Birnbaum at 
(202) 401-6637. Comments will also be received via electronic mail sent 
to: [email protected] or [email protected].


[[Page 34749]]


FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: To obtain a copy of the proposed Final 
Project Agreement, Fact Sheet, or Question and Answer Document, 
contact: Cheryl Atkinson, U.S. EPA, Region III, 841 Chestnut Street 
(3HW70), Philadelphia, PA 19107, or L. Nancy Birnbaum, U.S. EPA, 401 M 
Street, SW, Room 3134CY Mall (2129), Washington, DC 20460. The 
documents are also available via the Internet at the following 
location: ``http://www.epa.gov/ProjectXL''. In addition, public files 
on the Project are located at both the local Sistersville library and 
EPA Region III in Philadelphia. Questions to EPA regarding the 
documents can be directed to Cheryl Atkinson at (215) 566-3392 or L. 
Nancy Birnbaum at (202) 260-2601. To be included on the OSi Project XL 
mailing list to receive information about future public meetings, XL 
progress reports and other mailings from OSi on the XL Project, 
contact: Okey Tucker, OSi Specialties, Inc., Witco Corporation 
OrganoSilicones Group, 1500 South State Route 2, Friendly, WV 26146. 
Mr. Tucker can also be reached by telephone at (304) 652-8131. For 
information on all other aspects of the XL Program contact Christopher 
Knopes at the following address: Emerging Sectors and Strategies 
Division; United States Environmental Protection Agency; 3202 Mall; 401 
M Street, SW; Mail Code 2129; Washington, DC 20460. The telephone 
number for the Division is (202) 260-5754. The facsimile number is 
(202) 401-6637. Additional information on Project XL, including 
documents referenced in this notice, other EPA policy documents related 
to Project XL, regional XL contacts, application information, and 
descriptions of existing XL projects and proposals, is available via 
the Internet at ``http://www.epa.gov/ProjectXL'' and via an automated 
fax-on-demand menu at (202) 260-8590.

    Dated: June 23, 1997.
Christopher Knopes,
Acting Director, Emerging Sectors and Strategies Division.
[FR Doc. 97-16893 Filed 6-26-97; 8:45 am]
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