[Federal Register Volume 65, Number 29 (Friday, February 11, 2000)]
[Notices]
[Pages 7012-7013]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 00-3217]


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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[FRL-6535-1]


Notice of Availability: Announcing the availability of a new 
draft guidance document entitled Screening Level Ecological Risk 
Assessment Protocol for Hazardous Waste Combustion Facilities

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency.

ACTION: Notice of document availability and public comment period.

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SUMMARY: The Environmental Protection Agency (``EPA'' or ``the 
Agency'') is providing notice that the following draft guidance 
document Screening Level Ecological Risk Assessment Protocol for 
Hazardous Waste Combustion Facilities (Peer Review Draft) is available 
and an 180-day public review period of the document will begin today.
    This document contains the Office of Solid Waste's recommended 
approach for conducting site-specific ecological risk assessments on 
hazardous waste combustors regulated under the RCRA program. The 
document includes specific parameters, pathways and algorithms to 
evaluate both direct and indirect risks to ecological receptors. The 
goal of this guidance document is to develop a consistent and credible 
methodology for conducting ecological risk assessments at hazardous 
waste combustion facilities. The results of the risk assessments will 
give an understanding of the potential ecological risks associated with 
emissions from those facilities.
    On October 30, 1998, EPA announced in the Federal Register (FR Doc. 
98-29157) the availability of this documents' companion document, Human 
Health Risk Assessment Protocol for Hazardous Waste Combustion 
Facilities (Peer Review Draft--EPA530-D-98-001A, B & C). OSW recommends 
that RCRA permitting authorities consider these documents together when 
conducting risk assessments on hazardous waste combustor emissions. The 
results of these risk assessments can provide a basis for risk 
management decisions in the permitting of hazardous waste combustors 
and help to ensure that the operation of hazardous waste combustion 
facilities will be protective of human health and the environment.
    This document has undergone extensive internal Agency review. It is 
Agency policy that documents such as this be subject to peer review as 
well. EPA expects to have the document reviewed by a group of 
independent scientists in the future. Information regarding the peer 
review process will be published in a Federal Register notice closer to 
the date of the review.
    All public comments should be received by August 9, 2000, to be 
considered by the Agency. The public comments will be for the Agency's 
evaluation only and are not intended to be part of the peer review 
process. To ensure an efficient public comment review and resolution 
process, EPA recommends that the comments be supplied in the following 
format. All comments should be individually identified and a proposed 
resolution (or action) be recommended. In addition, any supporting 
information or reference materials which corroborate the comment and or 
proposed resolution should be furnished as well. All information 
supplied should be in English or accompanied by an English translation. 
All comments received from both the public and the peer review will be 
considered during finalization of this guidance document.

DATES: Public comments on the document Screening Level Ecological Risk 
Assessment Protocol for Hazardous Waste Combustion Facilities should be 
received by the docket no later than August 9, 2000.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For further information contact the 
RCRA Hotline at (800) 424-9346 or TDD (800) 553-7672 (hearing 
impaired). In the Washington, DC metropolitan area, call (703) 412-9810 
or TDD (703) 412-3323. For specific questions on implementation of the 
methods described in this document, please contact your RCRA regulatory 
authority; for other questions contact Karen Pollard, Office of Solid 
Waste, 5307W U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 401 M Street, SW, 
Washington, DC 20460; phone: (703) 308-3948; e-mail: Pollard.Karen@EPA 
mail.EPA.gov.

ADDRESSES: Commenters must send the original and two copies of their 
comments referencing docket number F-1999-SLRA-FFFFF to: RCRA 
Information Center (RIC), Office of Solid Waste (5305G), U.S. 
Environmental Protection Agency Headquarters (EPA, HQ), 401 M Street, 
S.W., Washington, DC 20460. Comments submitted electronically should be 
identified by the docket number F-1999-SLRA-FFFFF and submitted to: 
[email protected]. EPA's Office of Solid Waste (OSW) also 
accepts data on disks in Wordperfect 6.1 file format. EPA is asking 
prospective commenters to voluntarily submit one additional copy of 
their comments on labeled personal computer diskettes in ASCII

[[Page 7013]]

(TEXT) format (with no special characters or any form of encryption) or 
a word processing format that can be converted to ASCII (TEXT). It is 
essential to specify on the disk label the word processing software and 
version/edition as well as the commenter's name. This will allow EPA to 
convert the comments into one of the word processing formats utilized 
by the Agency. Please use mailing envelopes designed to physically 
protect the submitted diskettes. EPA emphasizes that submission of 
comments on diskettes is not mandatory, nor will it result in any 
advantage or disadvantage to any commenter. This expedited procedure is 
in conjunction with the Agency ``Paperless Office'' campaign.
    Commenters should not submit any confidential business information 
(CBI) electronically. An original and two copies of the CBI must be 
submitted under separate cover to: Regina Magbie, RCRA CBI Document 
Control Officer, Office of Solid Waste (5305W), U.S. EPA, 401 M Street 
S.W., Washington, DC 20460.
    Public comment and supporting materials will be made available for 
viewing from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., Monday through Friday (except Federal 
holidays) in the RIC, located at Crystal Gateway One, 1235 Jefferson 
Davis Highway, First Floor, Arlington, Virginia. To review docket 
materials, the public must make an appointment by calling (703) 603-
9230. The public may copy a maximum of 100 pages from any regulatory 
docket at no charge. Additional copies cost $0.15 per page. The docket 
index and notice are available electronically. See the ``Supplementary 
Information'' section for information on accessing it.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: For paper or CD-ROM copies of the guidance 
document, please contact the RCRA Information Center (RIC), Office of 
Solid Waste (5305G), U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Headquarters 
(EPA, HQ), 401 M Street, S.W., Washington, DC 20460, (703) 603-9230. 
The document is a three volume set, with document numbers of: EPA530-D-
99-001A: Methodologies; EPA530-D-99-001B: Appendices A & B; and EPA530-
D-99-001C: Appendices C-H. CD-ROM copies of this document may also be 
obtained from the RCRA Hotline at (800) 424-9346 or TDD (800) 553-7672 
(hearing impaired). In the Washington, DC metropolitan area, call (703) 
412-9810 or TDD (703) 412-3323. The document is also available in 
electronic format on the world wide web at:http://www.epa.gov/epaoswer/hazwaste/combust/riskhtm.

    Dated: January 19, 2000.
Elizabeth A. Cotsworth,
Director, Office of Solid Waste.
[FR Doc. 00-3217 Filed 2-10-00; 8:45 am]
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