[Federal Register Volume 65, Number 116 (Thursday, June 15, 2000)]
[Notices]
[Pages 37548-37549]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 00-14871]



[[Page 37548]]

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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[OEI-100000; FRL-6497-9]
RIN 2070-AD09


Guidance Documents for Dioxin and Dioxin-like Compounds and Other 
Persistent Bioaccumulative Toxic (PBT) Chemicals; Community Right-to-
Know Toxic Chemical Release Reporting

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

ACTION: Notice of availability; request for comments and request for 
workgroup members.

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SUMMARY: EPA is annoucing the availability of a draft guidance document 
for the dioxin and dioxin-like compounds category which is subject to 
reporting under section 313 of the Emergency Planning and Community 
Right-to-Know Act of 1986 (EPCRA) and section 6607 of the Pollution 
Prevention Act of 1990 (PPA). The category of dioxin and dioxin-like 
compounds was added to the EPCRA section 313 list of toxic chemicals as 
part of a final rule that lowered the reporting thresholds for certain 
persistent bioaccumulative toxic (PBT) chemicals. EPA is requesting 
comments on this draft guidance document and is also requesting the 
participation of interested stakeholders on a workgroup to assist in 
the preparation of the final guidance document. In addition, EPA is 
considering establishing another workgroup or workgroups to assist in 
the development of guidance documents for other PBT chemicals that are 
subject to the new reporting requirements under the October 29, 1999 
final rule. EPA would like to know whether interested stakeholders wish 
to participate on such workgroups.

DATES: Written comments, identified by the docket control number OEI-
100000, must be received by EPA on or before July 17, 2000.

ADDRESSES: Comments may be submitted by mail, electronically, or in 
person. Please follow the detailed instructions for each method as 
provided in Unit I. of the SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION section of this 
document.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Daniel R. Bushman, Petitions 
Coordinator, (202) 260-3882, e-mail: [email protected], for 
specific information on this document, or for more information on EPCRA 
section 313, the Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know 
Hotline, Environmental Protection Agency, Mail Code 5101, 1200 
Pennsylvania Ave., NW., Ariel Rios Building, Washington, DC 20460, Toll 
free: 1-800-535-0202, in Virginia and Alaska: (703) 412-9877 or Toll 
free TDD: 1-800-553-7672. Information concerning this notice is also 
available on EPA's website at http://www.epa.gov/tri.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. General Information

A. Does this Notice Apply to Me?

    You may be interested in this notice if you manufacture, process, 
or otherwise use aldrin, chlordane, dioxin and certain dioxin-like 
compounds, heptachlor, hexachlorobenzene, isodrin, mercury, mercury 
compounds, methoxychlor, octachlorostyrene, pendimethalin, 
pentachlorobenzene, polychlorinated biphenyls, certain polycyclic 
aromatic compounds, tetrabromobisphenol A, toxaphene, and trifuralin. 
Potentially interested categories and entities may include, but are not 
limited to:

 
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                                     Examples of Potentially Interested
             Category                             Entities
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Industry                            SIC major group codes 10 (except
                                     1011, 1081, and 1094), 12 (except
                                     1241), or 20 through 39; industry
                                     codes 4911 (limited to facilities
                                     that combust coal and/or oil for
                                     the purpose of generating power for
                                     distribution in commerce); 4931
                                     (limited to facilities that combust
                                     coal and/or oil for the purpose of
                                     generating power for distribution
                                     in commerce); or 4939 (limited to
                                     facilities that combust coal and/or
                                     oil for the purpose of generating
                                     power for distribution in
                                     commerce); or 4953 (limited to
                                     facilities regulated under the
                                     Resource Conservation and Recovery
                                     Act, subtitle C, 42 U.S.C. section
                                     6921 et seq.), or 5169, or 5171, or
                                     7389 (limited to facilities
                                     primarily engaged in solvent
                                     recovery services on a contract or
                                     fee basis)
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Federal Government                  Federal facilities
------------------------------------------------------------------------

    This table is not intended to be exhaustive, but rather provides a 
guide for readers regarding entities likely to be interested in this 
notice. Other types of entities not listed in the table could also be 
interested. To determine whether your facility may be interested in 
this notice, you should carefully examine the applicability criteria in 
part 372, subpart B of Title 40 of the Code of Federal Regulations. If 
you have questions regarding the applicability of this notice to a 
particular entity, consult the person listed in the preceding ``FOR 
FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT'' section.

B. How Can I Get Additional Information or Copies of this Document or 
Other Support Documents?

    1. Electronically. You may obtain electronic copies of this 
document from the EPA internet Home Page at http://www.epa.gov/. On the 
Home Page select ``Laws and Regulations'' and then look up the entry 
for this document under the ``Federal Register--Environmental 
Documents.'' You can also go directly to the ``Federal Register'' 
listings at http://www.epa.gov/fedrgstr/. The draft guidance document 
for the dioxin and dioxin-like compounds category is available for 
downloading at http://www.epa.gov/tri.
    2. In person. The Agency has established an official record for 
this action under docket control number OEI-100000. The official record 
consists of the documents specifically referenced in this action, any 
public comments received during an applicable comment period, and other 
information related to this action, including any information claimed 
as confidential business information (CBI). This official record 
includes the documents that are physically located in the docket, as 
well as the documents that are referenced in those documents. The 
public version of the official record does not include any information 
claimed as CBI. The public version of the official record, which 
includes printed, paper versions of any electronic comments submitted 
during an applicable comment period, is available for inspection in the 
TSCA Nonconfidential Information Center, North East Mall Rm. B-607, 
Waterside Mall, 401 M St., SW., Washington, DC.

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The Center is open from noon to 4 p.m., Monday through Friday, 
excluding legal holidays. The telephone number of the Center is (202) 
260-7099.

C. How and to Whom Do I Submit Comments?

    You may submit comments through the mail, in person, or 
electronically. Be sure to identify the appropriate docket control 
number (i.e., ``OEI-100000'') in your correspondence.
    1. By mail. Submit written comments to: Document Control Office 
(7407), Office of Pollution Prevention and Toxics (OPPT), Environmental 
Protection Agency, 1200 Pennsylvania Ave., NW., Ariel Rios Building, 
Washington, DC 20460.
    2. In person or by courier. Deliver your comments to: OPPT Document 
Control Office (DCO) in East Tower Rm. G-099, Waterside Mall, 401 M 
St., SW., Washington, DC. The DCO is open from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., Monday 
through Friday, excluding legal holidays. The telephone number for the 
DCO is: (202) 260-7093.
    3. Electronically. Submit your comments electronically by e-mail 
to: ``[email protected].'' Please note that you should not submit any 
information electronically that you consider to be CBI. Electronic 
comments must be submitted as an ASCII file avoiding the use of special 
characters and any form of encryption. Comments and data will also be 
accepted on standard computer disks in WordPerfect 6.1/8.0 or ASCII 
file format. All comments and data in electronic form must be 
identified by the docket control number OEI-100000. Electronic comments 
on this document may also be filed online at many Federal Depository 
Libraries.

D. How Should I Handle CBI Information that I Want to Submit to the 
Agency?

    You may claim information that you submit in response to this 
document as CBI by marking any part or all of that information as CBI. 
Information so marked will not be disclosed except in accordance with 
procedures set forth in 40 CFR part 2. A copy of the comment that does 
not contain CBI must be submitted for inclusion in the public record. 
Information not marked confidential will be included in the public 
docket by EPA without prior notice. If you have any questions about CBI 
or the procedures for claiming CBI, please consult with the person 
identified in the ``FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT'' section.

II. Background Information

A. What is the Purpose of this Notice?

    The purpose of this notice is to make available for comment a draft 
document titled ``Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act--
Section 313: Guidance for Reporting for the Dioxin and Dioxin-like 
Compounds Category.'' The category of dioxin and dioxin-like compounds 
was added to the EPCRA section 313 list of toxic chemicals as part of a 
final rule that lowered the reporting thresholds for certain PBT 
chemicals (64 FR 58666, October 29, 1999) (FRL-6389-11). EPA would like 
to receive comments on the technical contents of the guidance document 
particularly on the methods of estimating releases and other waste 
management quantities for dioxin and dioxin-like compounds. Unit I.B. 
contains information on how to get copies of the draft guidance 
document. Through this notice EPA is also requesting the participation 
of interested stakeholders on a workgroup to assist in the preparation 
of the final guidance document for the dioxin and dioxin-like compounds 
category. Stakeholders interested in participating on the workgroup 
should contact the person identified in the ``FOR FURTHER INFORMATION 
CONTACT'' section by July 17, 2000. Whether or not you participate on 
the workgroup, your comments will be considered in preparing the final 
guidance document.
    In addition, this notice also requests comments on whether 
interested stakeholders wish to participate on a workgroup to develop 
guidance documents for the other PBT chemicals. These other guidance 
documents would cover the following chemicals: aldrin, chlordane, 
heptachlor, hexachlorobenzene, isodrin, mercury, mercury compounds, 
methoxychlor, octachlorostyrene, pendimethalin, pentachlorobenzene, 
polychlorinated biphenyls, polycyclic aromatic compounds (PACs), 
tetrabromobisphenol A, toxaphene, and trifuralin. At this point EPA 
anticipates developing individual guidance documents for the PACs 
category and for mercury/mercury compounds and another guidance 
document to cover the other PBT chemicals. Whether or not workgroups 
are formed for these other guidance documents, EPA will issue drafts of 
the guidance documents for public review and comment. If you are 
interested in participating on a workgroup for the development of these 
other guidance documents, please contact the person identified in the 
``FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT'' section by July 17, 2000.

B. How Will the Interested Stakeholder Workgroups Function?

    All interested parties are welcome to participate on the 
workgroups. The workgroups will not revisit any issues raised during 
the rulemaking process or the determinations contained in the final 
rule. The workgroups will deal only with guidance on how to report 
given the requirements of the final rule. The workgroups will make 
recommendations on the contents of the guidance documents, and then EPA 
will issue draft final documents and provide them to interested 
stakeholders for final comment. EPA will then review the final comments 
and issue the final guidance documents. The workgroup for the dioxin 
and dioxin-like compounds category will be formed and have its first 
meeting after the end of the comment period for this notice to allow 
time for the processing of any comments received. Whether or not 
workgroups are formed to develop guidance documents for the other PBT 
chemicals, a separate Federal Register notice will be issued to obtain 
comments on the other PBT chemical draft guidance documents. This type 
of process for developing guidance documents is similar to the 
processes that EPA has used for the development of guidance documents 
for other regulations.

List of Subjects

    Environmental protection, Chemicals, Community right-to-know, 
Hazardous substances, Intergovernmental relations, Reporting and 
recordkeeping requirements, Superfund.

    Dated: May 30, 2000.
Margaret N. Schneider,
Principal Deputy Assistant Administrator, Office of Environmental 
Information.
[FR Doc. 00-14871 Filed 6-14-00; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6560-50-F