[Federal Register Volume 65, Number 157 (Monday, August 14, 2000)]
[Notices]
[Pages 49571-49572]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 00-20536]


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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[FRL-6850-6]


Regulatory Reinvention XL Pilot Projects; Project XL Proposed 
Final Project Agreement: Kodak Pollution Prevention Project

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

ACTION: Notice of availability of the Project XL Proposed Final Project 
Agreement: Kodak Company Pollution Prevention Project.

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SUMMARY: EPA is requesting comments on a proposed Project XL Final 
Project Agreement (FPA) for the Kodak Company (hereafter ``Kodak.'') 
The FPA is a voluntary agreement developed collaboratively by Kodak and 
the EPA.

DATES: Comments are due on or before August 28, 2000.

ADDRESSES: All comments on this proposed FPA should be sent to: Janet 
Murray, EPA Headquarters, Ariel Rios Building, 1200 Pennsylvania 
Avenue, NW., mail code 1802, Washington DC 20460, or to BillWaugh, EPA 
Headquarters, Ariel Rios Building, 1200 Pennsylvania Avenue, mail code 
7403, Washington DC 20460. Comments may also be faxed to Ms. Murray at 
(202) 260-3125 or Mr. Waugh at (202) 260-0118. Comments may also be 
received via e-mail sent to: [email protected] or 
[email protected].

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: To obtain a copy of the proposed FPA, 
contact: Janet Murray, EPA Headquarters, Ariel Rios Building, 1200 
Pennsylvania Avenue, NW., mail code 1802, Washington DC 20460. The FPA 
and related documents are also available via the Internet at http://www.epa.gov/ProjectXL. Information on the project is also available for 
viewing at Kodak's

[[Page 49572]]

Neighborhood Information Center, located on the first floor of Building 
28, 200 Ridge Road West, in Rochester, NY 14652-3413. Questions to EPA 
regarding documents can be directed to Janet Murray at (202) 260-7570. 
To be included in the Kodak Project XL mailing list for information 
about future meetings, or XL Progress Reports, contact Janet Murray at 
(202) 260-7570 or Bill Waugh at (202) 260-3489. Information on other 
aspects of Project XL, descriptions of other XL projects and proposals, 
and application information is available via the Internet at http://www.epa.gov/ProjectXL.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Project XL, first announced in the Federal 
Register on May 23, 1995 (60 FR 27282), gives regulated entities the 
flexibility to develop alternative strategies that will replace or 
modify specific regulatory or procedural requirements on the condition 
that they produce greater environmental benefits. EPA has set a goal of 
implementing fifty XL projects in full partnership with the states.
    The Eastman Kodak Company (Kodak) in partnership with the United 
States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is entering into a Project 
XL Final Project Agreement (FPA) to pilot the application of and the 
dissemination of information about the Pollution Prevention Framework 
(P2 Framework) developed by the EPA Office of Prevention, Pesticides 
and Toxic Substances (OPPTS).
    In the context of this XL Project, Kodak will apply the P2 
Framework early in its product development cycle to help identify and 
develop products and processes that can be sustained both 
environmentally and economically. Kodak's application of the P2 
Framework to its operations will help develop environmentally 
preferable products, while saving considerable time and money. Kodak 
believes many other companies can also develop environmentally 
preferable products by applying OPPT's P2 Framework, especially at the 
Research and Development stage of product development. As a part of 
their participation in this XL project, Kodak will receive 
administrative flexibility in the form of a shortened pre-manufacture 
review period (from 90 days to 45) for those new chemicals developed 
under the P2 Framework and submitted to the Agency for approval.
    The EPA Office of Prevention, Pesticides and Toxic Substances 
(OPPTS) has developed a set of computerized risk screening tools which 
have the potential to significantly advance EPA's pollution prevention 
objectives by allowing companies to calculate or estimate important 
risk-related properties based on an analysis of chemical structure. 
OPPTS uses these tools in the P2 Framework to evaluate new chemicals 
when test data are lacking. OPPTS is also making these tools in the P2 
Framework available to industry and demonstrating how they could be 
used to design safer chemicals, reduce waste generation, and identify 
other P2 opportunities. Kodak will pilot the application of and the 
dissemination of information about the P2 Framework under the Project 
XL Agreement.
    The Agency encourages chemical manufacturers to incorporate health 
and environmental issues into product decision making during the 
development of new chemical substances. EPA has several ongoing 
initiatives intended to help stakeholders better assess risk issues 
during the early stages of chemical development efforts. Examples 
include the Design for Environment Program, the Green Chemistry 
Program, and the P2 Framework, among other programs. Of specific 
relevance to the Kodak XL Final Project Agreement is the P2 Framework 
as utilized in the development of safer new chemicals submitted as 
Premanufacture Notices (PMNs) under section 5 of the Toxic Substances 
Control Act (TSCA).
    The P2 Framework is a set of computer models that predict risk-
related properties of chemicals using structure activity relationships 
(SARs) and standard (default) scenarios. These models have been 
developed over a 20-year period by EPA's Office of Pollution Prevention 
and Toxics to screen new chemicals in the absence of data. Annually, 
EPA evaluates over 2,000 new chemicals submitted under section 5 of 
TSCA. TSCA requires that EPA evaluate the chemicals within 90 days, 
however the law does not require that the submitter conduct laboratory 
tests to evaluate the potential hazard and risk of the chemicals. 
Operating under this time limitation, and often without complete data, 
EPA has developed methods to quickly screen chemicals in the absence of 
data.
    The P2 Framework Models capture the expertise of multiple EPA 
scientists, grantees, support contractors, and others in the scientific 
community, who have worked for over 20 years screening chemicals in the 
absence of data. The P2 Framework Project presents these 18 models to 
industry with the hope that the models will be useful in identifying 
potential problem chemicals and processes early in the research and 
development process.
    The Framework, as currently constructed, does not address all 
biological endpoints. It is a screening-level methodology that is of 
most value when chemical-specific data are lacking. By using the P2 
Framework early-on in product development, Kodak expects to submit pre-
manufacture notices (PMNs) to EPA on new chemicals that will foster the 
development of new, greener products and emphasize P2 through source 
reduction. Kodak would then receive Project XL flexibility to 
manufacture PMN chemicals in 45 days as opposed to the current 90 day 
review period. The 45-day period would only be available for chemicals 
for which EPA has no further concerns. At day 20-25 of the 90 day 
review period, the Agency concludes its evaluation of chemicals it has 
determined to be low risk.
    As part of their participation in this project, Kodak will not only 
institute full usage of the P2 Framework at its facilities, but will 
also conduct a series of innovative actions to help demonstrate to 
other stakeholders how the P2 Framework can help to develop products 
that are both environmentally and economically sustainable. Kodak will 
complete three separate and independent initiatives beyond its own use 
of the P2 Framework, in which they will address the scientific 
community, the business community, and upper level management within 
selected companies. Each of these three initiatives is designed to make 
other industrial stakeholders aware of the source reduction, pollution 
prevention and economic benefits that flow from use of the P2 
Framework.
    The P2 Framework allows companies to improve the environmental 
performance (i.e., lower health hazard, lower environmental hazard, or 
lower exposure potential) of products, reduce costs, decrease potential 
liability, and improve market share, resulting in a significant 
competitive advantage. Companies can improve the environmental 
performance of their products by using the P2 Framework to pre-screen 
their product development options.
    The public comment period on this project will be 14 days.

    Dated: August 8, 2000.
Elizabeth Shaw,
Director, Office of Environmental Policy Innovation.
[FR Doc. 00-20536 Filed 8-11-00; 8:45 am]
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