[Federal Register Volume 64, Number 65 (Tuesday, April 6, 1999)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Pages 16643-16647]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 99-8480]


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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

40 CFR Part 261

[SW-FRL-6320-4]


Hazardous Waste Management System; Identification and Listing of 
Hazardous Waste; Final Exclusion

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency.

ACTION: Final rule.

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SUMMARY: The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) today is granting a 
petition submitted by Aluminum Company of America (Alcoa), Pittsburgh, 
Pennsylvania, to exclude (or ``delist'') certain solid wastes generated 
by its wastewater treatment plant from the lists of hazardous wastes 
contained in subpart D of 40 CFR part 261. EPA has concluded that the 
petitioned waste is not a hazardous waste when disposed of in a 
subtitle D landfill. This exclusion applies only to the 16,772 cubic 
yards of wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) sludge present in the Stolle 
landfill. Today's action conditionally excludes the petitioned waste 
from the

[[Page 16644]]

requirements of the hazardous waste regulations under the Resource 
Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) only if the waste remains in place 
or, if excavated, it is disposed of in a subtitle D landfill which is 
permitted, licensed, or registered by a State to manage industrial 
solid waste.

EFFECTIVE DATE: April 6, 1999.

ADDRESSES: The RCRA regulatory docket for this proposed rule is located 
at the U.S. EPA Region 5, 77 W. Jackson Blvd., Chicago, IL 60604, and 
is available for viewing from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., Monday through 
Friday, excluding Federal holidays. Call Peter Ramanauskas at (312) 
886-7890 for appointments. The public may copy material from the 
regulatory docket at $0.15 per page.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For technical information concerning 
this document, contact Peter Ramanauskas at the address above or at 
(312) 886-7890.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Background

A. Authority

    Under Secs. 260.20 and 260.22, facilities may petition the EPA to 
remove their wastes from hazardous waste control by excluding them from 
the lists of hazardous wastes contained in subpart D of part 261. 
Specifically, Sec. 260.20 allows any person to petition the 
Administrator to modify or revoke any provision of parts 260 through 
266, 268 and 273, and under Sec. 260.22, which specifically provides 
generators the opportunity to petition the Administrator to exclude a 
waste on a ``generator-specific'' basis from the hazardous waste lists. 
Petitioners must provide sufficient information to allow EPA to 
determine that the waste to be excluded does not meet any of the 
criteria under which the waste was listed as a hazardous waste. In 
addition, where there is reasonable basis to believe that factors 
(including additional constituents) other than those for which the 
waste was listed could cause the waste to be a hazardous waste, the 
Administrator must determine that such factors do not warrant retaining 
the waste as a hazardous waste.

B. History of This Rulemaking

    Alcoa petitioned EPA to exclude its WWTP sludge from hazardous 
waste control. After evaluating the petition, on December 21, 1998, EPA 
proposed to exclude Alcoa's waste from the lists of hazardous wastes in 
subpart D of part 261 (see 63 FR 70360). This rulemaking addresses the 
public comments received on the proposal and finalizes the proposed 
decision to grant Alcoa's petition.

II. Disposition of Delisting Petition

    Aluminum Company of America, Alcoa Corporate Center, 201 Isabella 
Street, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15212-5858

A. Proposed Exclusion

    Alcoa petitioned EPA to exclude the estimated total volume of 
16,772 cubic yards of WWTP filter press sludge previously disposed of 
in the Stolle landfill from the list of hazardous wastes contained in 
Sec. 261.31 because it believed that the petitioned waste did not meet 
any of the criteria under which the waste was listed and that there 
were no additional constituents or factors that could cause the waste 
to be hazardous. Subsequently, Alcoa provided additional information to 
complete its petition. The WWTP filter cake sludge is listed as EPA 
Hazardous Waste Numbers F006 and F019. The listed constituents of 
concern for EPA Hazardous Waste Number F006 are cadmium, hexavalent 
chromium, nickel and cyanide (complexed) and for EPA Hazardous Waste 
Number F019 are hexavalent chromium and cyanide (complexed) (see 
appendix VII of part 261).
    In support of its petition, Alcoa submitted detailed descriptions 
of its manufacturing and wastewater treatment processes, a schematic 
diagram of the wastewater treatment process, and analytical testing 
results for representative samples of the petitioned waste, including 
(1) the hazardous characteristics of ignitability, corrosivity, and 
reactivity; (2) total oil and grease; (3) Toxicity Characteristic 
Leaching Procedure (TCLP, SW-846 Method 1311) analyses for volatile and 
semi-volatile organic compounds, herbicides, pesticides, 
polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), metals, fluoride, and cyanide (using 
deionized water instead of acid); (4) total sulfide, total cyanide and 
total fluoride; and (5) total constituent analysis for 40 CFR part 264, 
appendix IX metals (plus hexavalent chromium for which F006 and F019 
wastes are listed), VOCs, SVOCs, pesticides and herbicides, and PCBs.
    EPA evaluated the information and analytical data provided by Alcoa 
and tentatively determined that Alcoa had successfully demonstrated 
that the petitioned waste is not hazardous. See the proposed exclusion 
(63 FR 70360; December 21, 1998) for a detailed explanation of EPA's 
evaluation.

B. Response to Comments

    EPA received a public comment on the December 21, 1998 proposal 
from Chemical Products Corporation.
    Comment: Commenter noted the absence of any published revision of 
the Toxicity Characteristic regulatory limit for barium, as the level 
for barium in the proposed exclusion exceeds the regulatory limit for 
barium in the Toxicity Characteristic (TC) Rule.
    Response: The regulatory limit for barium under the TC rule has not 
been changed. The level of regulatory concern in the proposed rule was 
calculated using the EPA Composite Model for Landfills (EPACML). This 
level for barium, although protective of human health and the 
environment, has been lowered in today's final rule to comply with the 
levels set by the toxicity characteristic in Sec. 261.24.

C. Changes to Proposed Conditions

    In the proposed rulemaking, EPA included delisting levels for 12 
constituents which would be protective of human health and the 
environment and which could not be exceeded in a TCLP extract of the 
petitioned waste. The proposed levels of 200 mg/l for barium and 10 mg/
l for chromium have been lowered to the hazardous waste TC levels of 
100 mg/l for barium and 5 mg/l for chromium to ensure that the 
petitioned waste, even though protective of human health and the 
environment, remains below the TC levels.
    Levels in the proposed rule were based on ``Docket Report on 
Health-Based Levels and Solubilities Used in the Evaluation of 
Delisting Petitions,'' December 1994. This document was revised in May, 
1996, and the health based levels for copper and vanadium were changed 
from 1.4 mg/l to 1.3 mg/l for copper and from 0.2 mg/l to 0.3 mg/l for 
vanadium. These new values were multiplied by the dilution/attenuation 
factor (DAF) generated using the EPACML to calculate the allowable 
constituent concentration levels.
    In today's final rule, the allowable constituent concentrations 
measured in the TCLP extract may not exceed the following levels (mg/
l): Arsenic--5; Barium--100; Chromium--5; Cobalt--210; Copper--130; 
Nickel--70; Vanadium--30; Zinc--1000; Fluoride--400; Acetone--400; 
Methylene Chloride--0.5; Bis(2-ethylhexyl)phthalate--0.6.

D. Final Agency Decision

    For the reasons stated in both the proposal and this document, EPA 
has concluded that Alcoa's petitioned waste

[[Page 16645]]

may be excluded from hazardous waste control. EPA, therefore, is 
granting a final exclusion for the WWTP sludge. This exclusion applies 
to the waste described in the petition only if the requirements 
described in Table 1 of part 261, appendix IX are satisfied.
    Although management of the waste covered by this exclusion is 
removed from subtitle C jurisdiction, this exclusion applies only if 
the waste remains in place or, if excavated, is disposed of in a 
subtitle D landfill which is permitted, licensed, or registered by a 
state to manage industrial solid waste.

III. Limited Effect of Federal Exclusion

    The final exclusion being granted today is issued under the Federal 
(RCRA) delisting program. States, however, are allowed to impose (non-
RCRA) regulatory requirements that are more stringent than EPA's, 
pursuant to section 3009 of RCRA. These more stringent requirements may 
include a provision which prohibits a Federally-issued exclusion from 
taking effect in the State. Because a petitioner's waste may be 
regulated under a dual system (i.e., both Federal (RCRA) and State 
(non-RCRA) programs), petitioners are urged to contact the State 
regulatory authority to determine the current status of their waste 
under State law.
    Furthermore, some States are authorized to administer a delisting 
program in lieu of the Federal program (i.e., to make their own 
delisting decisions). Therefore, this exclusion does not apply in those 
authorized States. If the petitioned waste will be transported to any 
State with delisting authorization, Alcoa must obtain delisting 
authorization from that State before the waste may be managed as 
nonhazardous in the State.

IV. Effective Date

    This rule is effective April 6, 1999. The Hazardous and Solid Waste 
Amendments of 1984 amended section 3010 of RCRA to allow rules to 
become effective in less than six months when the regulated community 
does not need the six-month period to come into compliance. That is the 
case here, because this rule reduces the existing requirements for 
persons generating hazardous wastes. These reasons also provide a basis 
for making this rule effective immediately, upon publication, under the 
Administrative Procedure Act, 5 U.S.C. 553(d).

V. Regulatory Impact

    Under Executive Order 12866, (58 FR 51735 (October 4, 1993)) the 
Agency must determine whether the regulatory action is ``significant'' 
and therefore subject to OMB review and the requirements of the 
Executive Order. The Order defines ``significant regulatory action'' as 
one that is likely to result in a rule that may: (1) Have an annual 
effect on the economy of $100 million or more or adversely affect, in a 
material way the economy, a sector of the economy, productivity, 
competition, jobs, the environment, public health or safety, or State, 
local, or tribal governments or communities; (2) create a serious 
inconsistency or otherwise interfere with an action taken or planned by 
another agency; (3) materially alter the budgetary impact of 
entitlements, grants, user fees, or loan programs, or the rights and 
obligations of recipients thereof, or; (4) raise novel legal or policy 
issues arising out of legal mandates, the President's priorities, or 
the principles set forth in the Executive Order.
    It has been determined that this rule is not a ``significant 
regulatory action'' under the terms of Executive Order 12866 and is 
therefore not subject to OMB review.

VI. Regulatory Flexibility Act

    Pursuant to the Regulatory Flexibility Act, 5 U.S.C. 601-612, 
whenever an agency is required to publish a general notice of 
rulemaking for any proposed or final rule, it must prepare and make 
available for public comment a regulatory flexibility analysis that 
describes the impact of the rule on small entities (i.e., small 
businesses, small organizations, and small governmental jurisdictions). 
No regulatory flexibility analysis is required, however, if the 
Administrator or delegated representative certifies that the rule will 
not have any impact on any small entities.
    This rule will not have an adverse economic impact on any small 
entities since its effect would be to reduce the overall costs of EPA's 
hazardous waste regulations. Accordingly, I hereby certify that this 
regulation will not have a significant economic impact on a substantial 
number of small entities. This regulation, therefore, does not require 
a regulatory flexibility analysis.

VII. Paperwork Reduction Act

    Information collection and recordkeeping requirements associated 
with this final rule have been approved by OMB under the provisions of 
the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1980 (Public Law 96-511, 44 U.S.C. 3501 
et seq.) and have been assigned OMB Control Number 2050-0053.

VIII. Unfunded Mandates Reform Act

    Under section 202 of the Unfunded Mandates Reform Act of 1995 
(UMRA), Public Law 104-4, which was signed into law on March 22, 1995, 
EPA generally must prepare a written statement for rules with Federal 
mandates that may result in estimated costs to State, local, and tribal 
governments in the aggregate, or to the private sector, of $100 million 
or more in any one year. When such a statement is required for EPA 
rules, under section 205 of the UMRA, EPA must identify and consider 
alternatives, including the least costly, most cost-effective or least 
burdensome alternative that achieves the objectives of the rule. EPA 
must select that alternative, unless the Administrator explains in the 
final rule why it was not selected or it is inconsistent with law. 
Before EPA establishes regulatory requirements that may significantly 
or uniquely affect small governments, including tribal governments, it 
must develop under section 203 of the UMRA a small government agency 
plan. The plan must provide for notifying potentially affected small 
governments, giving them meaningful and timely input in the development 
of EPA regulatory proposals with significant Federal intergovernmental 
mandates, and informing, educating, and advising them on compliance 
with the regulatory requirements. The UMRA generally defines a Federal 
mandate for regulatory purposes as one that imposes an enforceable duty 
upon State, local or tribal governments or the private sector. EPA 
finds that today's delisting decision is deregulatory in nature and 
does not impose any enforceable duty upon State, local or tribal 
governments or the private sector. In addition, today's delisting 
decision does not establish any regulatory requirements for small 
governments and so does not require a small government agency plan 
under UMRA section 203.

IX. Submission to Congress and General Accounting Office

    The Congressional Review Act, 5 U.S.C. 801 et seq., as added by the 
Small Business Regulatory Enforcement Fairness Act of 1996, generally 
provides that before a rule may take effect, the agency promulgating 
the rule must submit a rule report, which includes a copy of the rule, 
to each House of Congress and to the Comptroller General of the United 
States. EPA is not required to submit a rule report regarding today's 
action under section 801 because this is a rule of particular 
applicability. Section 804 exempts from section 801 the

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following types of rules: rules of particular applicability; rules 
relating to agency management or personnel; and rules of agency 
organization, procedure, or practice that do not substantially affect 
the rights or obligations of non-agency parties. 5 U.S.C. 804(3).

X. Executive Order 13045--Protection of Children From Environmental 
Health Risks and Safety Risks

    The E.O. 13045 is entitled ``Protection of Children from 
Environmental Health Risks and Safety Risks'' (62 FR 19885, April 23, 
1997). This order applies to any rule that EPA determines: (1) is 
economically significant as defined under Executive Order 12866, and 
(2) the environmental health or safety risk addressed by the rule has a 
disproportionate effect on children. If the regulatory action meets 
both criteria, the Agency must evaluate the environmental health or 
safety effects of the planned rule on children, and explain why the 
planned regulation is preferable to other potentially effective and 
reasonably feasible alternatives considered by the Agency. This final 
rule is not subject to E.O. 13045 because this is not an economically 
significant regulatory action as defined by E.O. 12866.

XI. Executive Order 12875

    Under E.O. 12875, EPA may not issue a regulation that is not 
required by statute and that creates a mandate upon a state, local, or 
tribal government, unless the Federal government provides the funds 
necessary to pay the direct compliance costs incurred by those 
governments. If the mandate is unfunded, EPA must provide to the Office 
of Management and Budget a description of the extent of EPA's prior 
consultation with representatives of affected state, local, and tribal 
governments, the nature of their concerns, copies of written 
communications from the governments, and a statement supporting the 
need to issue the regulation. In addition, E.O. 12875 requires EPA to 
develop an effective process permitting elected officials and other 
representatives of state, local, and tribal governments ``to provide 
meaningful and timely input in the development of regulatory proposals 
containing significant unfunded mandates.'' Today's rule does not 
create a mandate on state, local or tribal governments. The rule does 
not impose any enforceable duties on these entities. Accordingly, the 
requirements of section 1(a) of E.O. 12875 do not apply to this rule.

XII. Executive Order 13084

    Under E.O. 13084, EPA may not issue a regulation that is not 
required by statute, that significantly affects or uniquely affects the 
communities of Indian tribal governments, and that imposes substantial 
direct compliance costs on those communities, unless the Federal 
government provides the funds necessary to pay the direct compliance 
costs incurred by the tribal governments. If the mandate is unfunded, 
EPA must provide to the Office of Management and Budget, in a 
separately identified section of the preamble to the rule, a 
description of the extent of EPA's prior consultation with 
representatives of affected tribal governments, a summary of the nature 
of their concerns, and a statement supporting the need to issue the 
regulation. In addition, E.O. 13084 requires EPA to develop an 
effective process permitting representatives of Indian tribal 
governments ``to provide meaningful and timely input in the development 
of regulatory policies on matters that significantly or uniquely affect 
their communities.'' Today's rule does not significantly or uniquely 
affect the communities of Indian tribal governments. Accordingly, the 
requirements of section 3(b) of E.O. 13084 do not apply to this rule.

XIII. The National Technology Transfer and Advancement Act

    Section 12(d) of the National Technology Transfer and Advancement 
Act of 1995 (NTTAA), Public Law 104-113, 12(d) (15 U.S.C. 272 note) 
directs EPA to use voluntary consensus standards in its regulatory 
activities unless to do so would be inconsistent with applicable law or 
otherwise impractical. Voluntary consensus standards are technical 
standards (e.g., materials specifications, test methods, sampling 
procedures, and business practices) that are developed or adopted by 
voluntary consensus standards bodies. The NTTAA directs EPA to provide 
Congress, through OMB, explanations when the Agency decides not to use 
available and applicable voluntary consensus standards.
    This rulemaking does not establish any new technical standards and 
thus, the Agency has no need to consider the use of voluntary consensus 
standards in developing this final rule.

List of Subjects in 40 CFR Part 261

    Environmental protection, Hazardous waste, Recycling, and Reporting 
and recordkeeping requirements.

    Authority: Sec. 3001(f) RCRA, 42 U.S.C. 6921(f).

    Dated: March 16, 1999.
Robert Springer,
Director, Waste, Pesticides and Toxics Division.

    For the reasons set out in the preamble, 40 CFR part 261 is amended 
as follows:

PART 261--IDENTIFICATION AND LISTING OF HAZARDOUS WASTE

    1. The authority citation for Part 261 continues to read as 
follows:

    Authority: 42 U.S.C. 6905, 6912(a), 6921, 6922, and 6938.

    2. In Table 1 of Appendix IX of Part 261 add the following waste 
stream in alphabetical order by facility to read as follows:

Appendix IX to Part 261--Wastes Excluded Under Secs. 260.20 and 
260.22

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           Table 1.--Wastes Excluded From Non-Specific Sources
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           Facility                  Address         Waste description
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Aluminum Company of America...  750 Norcold Ave.,  Wastewater treatment
                                 Sidney, Ohio       plant (WWTP) sludges
                                 45365.             generated from the
                                                    chemical conversion
                                                    coating of aluminum
                                                    (EPA Hazardous Waste
                                                    No. F019) and WWTP
                                                    sludges generated
                                                    from electroplating
                                                    operations (EPA
                                                    Hazardous Waste No.
                                                    F006) and stored in
                                                    an on-site landfill.
                                                    This is an exclusion
                                                    for approximately
                                                    16,772 cubic yards
                                                    of landfilled WWTP
                                                    filter cake. This
                                                    exclusion applies
                                                    only if the waste
                                                    filter cake remains
                                                    in place or, if
                                                    excavated, is
                                                    disposed of in a
                                                    Subtitle D landfill
                                                    which is permitted,
                                                    licensed, or
                                                    registered by a
                                                    state to manage
                                                    industrial solid
                                                    waste. This
                                                    exclusion was
                                                    published on April
                                                    6, 1999.
                                                   1. The constituent
                                                    concentrations
                                                    measured in the TCLP
                                                    extract may not
                                                    exceed the following
                                                    levels (mg/L):
                                                    Arsenic--5; Barium--
                                                    100; Chromium--5;
                                                    Cobalt--210; Copper--
                                                    130; Nickel--70;
                                                    Vanadium--30; Zinc--
                                                    1000; Fluoride--400;
                                                    Acetone--400;
                                                    Methylene Chloride--
                                                    0.5; Bis(2-
                                                    ethylhexyl)phthalate
                                                    -0.6.
                                                   2. (a) If, anytime
                                                    after disposal of
                                                    the delisted waste,
                                                    Alcoa possesses or
                                                    is otherwise made
                                                    aware of any
                                                    environmental data
                                                    (including but not
                                                    limited to leachate
                                                    data or groundwater
                                                    monitoring data) or
                                                    any other data
                                                    relevant to the
                                                    delisted waste
                                                    indicating that any
                                                    constituent
                                                    identified in
                                                    Condition (1) is at
                                                    a level in the
                                                    leachate higher than
                                                    the delisting level
                                                    established in
                                                    Condition (1), or is
                                                    at a level in the
                                                    ground water or soil
                                                    higher than the
                                                    health based level,
                                                    then Alcoa must
                                                    report such data, in
                                                    writing, to the
                                                    Regional
                                                    Administrator within
                                                    10 days of first
                                                    possessing or being
                                                    made aware of that
                                                    data.
                                                   (b) Based on the
                                                    information
                                                    described in
                                                    paragraph (a) and
                                                    any other
                                                    information received
                                                    from any source, the
                                                    Regional
                                                    Administrator will
                                                    make a preliminary
                                                    determination as to
                                                    whether the reported
                                                    information requires
                                                    Agency action to
                                                    protect human health
                                                    or the environment.
                                                    Further action may
                                                    include suspending
                                                    or revoking this
                                                    exclusion, or other
                                                    appropriate response
                                                    necessary to protect
                                                    human health and the
                                                    environment.
                                                   (c) If the Regional
                                                    Administrator
                                                    determines that the
                                                    reported information
                                                    does require Agency
                                                    action, the Regional
                                                    Administrator will
                                                    notify the facility
                                                    in writing of the
                                                    actions the Regional
                                                    Administrator
                                                    believes are
                                                    necessary to protect
                                                    human health and the
                                                    environment. The
                                                    notice shall include
                                                    a statement of the
                                                    proposed action and
                                                    a statement
                                                    providing the
                                                    facility with an
                                                    opportunity to
                                                    present information
                                                    as to why the
                                                    proposed Agency
                                                    action is not
                                                    necessary or to
                                                    suggest an
                                                    alternative action.
                                                    The facility shall
                                                    have 10 days from
                                                    the date of the
                                                    Regional
                                                    Administrator's
                                                    notice to present
                                                    such information.
                                                   (d) Following the
                                                    receipt of
                                                    information from the
                                                    facility described
                                                    in paragraph (c) or
                                                    (if no information
                                                    is presented under
                                                    paragraph (c) the
                                                    initial receipt of
                                                    information
                                                    described in
                                                    paragraph (a), the
                                                    Regional
                                                    Administrator will
                                                    issue a final
                                                    written
                                                    determination
                                                    describing the
                                                    Agency actions that
                                                    are necessary to
                                                    protect human health
                                                    or the environment.
                                                    Any required action
                                                    described in the
                                                    Regional
                                                    Administrator's
                                                    determination shall
                                                    become effective
                                                    immediately, unless
                                                    the Regional
                                                    Administrator
                                                    provides otherwise.
 
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[FR Doc. 99-8480 Filed 4-5-99; 8:45 am]
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