[Federal Register Volume 68, Number 199 (Wednesday, October 15, 2003)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Pages 59333-59335]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 03-25934]


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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

40 CFR Part 258

[RCRA-2002-0034; FRL-7573-6]
RIN 2050-AE91


Municipal Solid Waste Landfill Location Restrictions for Airport 
Safety

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

ACTION: Technical amendment.

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SUMMARY: EPA is amending the location restriction section in the 
Criteria for Municipal Solid Waste Landfills (MSWLFs) under the 
Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA), in order to add a note 
providing information about landfill siting requirements enacted in the 
Wendell H. Ford Aviation Investment and Reform Act for the 21st Century 
(Ford Act). Today's amendment does not change existing criteria under 
RCRA with respect to siting MSWLF units.

EFFECTIVE DATE: This technical amendment is effective on October 15, 
2003.

ADDRESSES: Copies of the documents relevant to this action (Docket No. 
RCRA-2002-0034) are available for public inspection during normal 
business hours from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday, 
excluding federal holidays, at the RCRA Information Center (RIC), 
located at EPA West, Room B-102, 1301 Constitution Avenue, NW., 
Washington, DC.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For general 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 (hearing impaired).
    For information on specific aspects of this rule, contact Mary T. 
Moorcones, Municipal and Industrial Solid Waste Division of the Office 
of Solid Waste (mail code 5306W), U.S. Environmental Protection Agency 
Headquarters (EPA, HQ), 1200 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW., Washington, DC 
20460; telephone: 540-338-1348; e-mail: [email protected]. 
Some information about this rule can be accessed via the Internet at: 
<http://www.epa.gov/epaoswer/non-hw/muncpl/landfill/airport.htm.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

General Information

A. How Can I Get Copies of This Document and Other Related Information?

    1. Docket. EPA has established an official public docket for this 
action under Docket ID No. RCRA-2002-0034. The official public docket 
consists of the documents specifically referenced in this action, any 
public comments received and other information related to this action. 
The official public docket is the collection of materials that is 
available for public viewing at the RCRA Information Center (RIC), 
located at EPA West, Room B-102 1301 Constitution Avenue, NW, 
Washington, DC. This Docket Facility is open from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 
p.m., Monday through Friday, excluding legal holidays. The Docket 
telephone number is 800-424-9346 or TDD 800-553-7672 (hearing 
impaired). In the Washington, DC, metropolitan area, call 202-566-0270 
or TDD 703-412-3323 (hearing impaired). To review the docket materials 
in person, we recommend that the public make an appointment by calling 
202-566-0270.
    2. Electronic Access. You may access this Federal Register document 
electronically through the EPA Internet under the ``Federal Register'' 
listings at <http://www.epa.gov/fedrgstr/.
    An electronic version of the public docket is available through 
EPA's electronic public docket and comment system, EPA Dockets. You may 
use EPA Dockets at <http://www.epa.gov/edocket/ to access 
the index listing of the contents of the official public

[[Page 59334]]

docket, and to access those documents in the public docket that are 
available electronically. Although not all docket materials may be 
available electronically, you may still access any of the publicly 
available docket materials through the docket facility identified above 
in Unit I.A. Once in the system, select ``search,'' then key in the 
appropriate docket identification number.

B. Acronyms

    The full names for the acronyms used in this document are:

------------------------------------------------------------------------
             Acronym                            Definition
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AC..............................  Federal Aviation Administration
                                   Advisory Circular 150/5200-34,
                                   together with its Appendix 1, dated
                                   August 26, 2000.
CFR.............................  The United States Code of Federal
                                   Regulations.
EPA.............................  The United States Environmental
                                   Protection Agency.
FAA.............................  The United States Federal Aviation
                                   Administration.
Ford Act........................  Wendell H. Ford Aviation Investment
                                   and Reform Act for the 21st Century.
MSWLF...........................  Municipal Solid Waste Landfill.
RCRA............................  The Resource Conservation and Recovery
                                   Act.
U.S.............................  United States.
U.S.C...........................  United States Code.
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I. Purpose of Today's Action

    EPA is adding a note at the end of 40 CFR 258.10, the location 
restriction requirements in the criteria for municipal solid waste 
landfills (MSWLFs), to inform the public about landfill siting 
requirements enacted in the Wendell H. Ford Aviation Investment and 
Reform Act for the 21st Century, Pub. L. 106-181 (Ford Act), enacted on 
April 5, 2000. The Ford Act is an aviation statute administered by the 
Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). However, section 503 of the Ford 
Act includes a provision limiting the ``construction or establishment'' 
of new municipal solid waste landfills (MSWLFs) after April 5, 2000, 
within six miles of certain smaller public airports. Therefore, as a 
convenience for owners/operators of MSWLFs and for those wishing to 
construct or establish new MSWLFs, EPA is providing a reference to the 
Ford Act following the location requirements that apply to MSWLFs under 
RCRA.
    On July 11, 2002, EPA published a direct final rule (67 FR 45915) 
and a parallel proposed rule (67 FR 45948) to incorporate the Ford Act 
restrictions into EPA's criteria for MSWLFs under RCRA. Had the rule 
gone into effect, it would have added a new paragraph (e) to Sec.  
258.10 to incorporate the Ford Act landfill siting restrictions. 
However, EPA received several adverse comments on the direct final 
rule, therefore the Agency withdrew the rule on October 8, 2002 (67 FR 
62647).
    One commenter challenged EPA's authority to issue the rule under 
RCRA, as well as the adequacy of the record to support incorporation of 
the Ford Act requirements in the RCRA criteria. A second commenter also 
questioned the validity of data cited by EPA with respect to the 
hazards from bird strikes.
    After reviewing the comments, EPA has decided not to finalize the 
rule as proposed. Instead of adding a new subsection (e) to 40 CFR 
258.10, EPA is incorporating information about the Ford Act in a note 
following the criteria in 40 CFR 258.10. As a result, the specific 
limitations of the Ford Act are not being incorporated into the 
criteria for MSWLFs under RCRA and are not enforceable as part of EPA's 
MSWLF criteria. The note is for advisory purposes only.
    Because section 503 of the Ford Act is directly applicable to any 
``person'' constructing or establishing a MSWLF, it does not by its 
terms require implementation through regulation. The Ford Act does not 
amend Subtitle D of the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA), 
which EPA administers. Therefore, in light of the comments received, 
EPA has reconsidered promulgating a regulation under RCRA that 
incorporates the Ford Act requirements. In addition, to the extent that 
section 503 the Ford Act is to be interpreted, the Federal Aviation 
Administration, not EPA, is the administering agency under the statute. 
The FAA has issued guidance interpreting section 503. See FAA AC 
No.150/5200-34. For further information, the public should contact the 
FAA.

II. Airport Safety Location Restrictions

A. The Ford Act

    The Ford Act has been in effect since April 5, 2000. Section 503(b) 
amends 49 U.S.C. 44718(d), and states:
    (1) No person shall construct or establish a municipal solid waste 
landfill (as defined in Sec.  258.2 of title 40, Code of Federal 
Regulations, as in effect on the date of enactment of this subsection) 
that receives putrescible waste (as defined in Sec.  257.3-8 of such 
title) with 6 miles of a public airport that has received grants under 
chapter 471 and is primarily served by general aviation aircraft and 
regularly scheduled flights of aircraft designed for 60 passengers or 
less unless the State aviation agency of the State in which the airport 
is located requests that the Administrator of the Federal Aviation 
Administration exempt the landfill from the application of this 
subsection and the Administrator determines that such exemption would 
have no adverse impact on aviation safety.
    (2) Limitation on Applicability--Paragraph 1 shall not apply in the 
State of Alaska and shall not apply to the construction, establishment, 
expansion , or modification of, or to any other activity undertaken 
with respect to, a municipal solid waste landfill if the construction 
or establishment of the landfill was commenced on or before the date of 
enactment of this subsection.
    Section 503(c) of the Ford Act establishes civil penalties for 
violations of the limitations on siting landfills set forth above in 
section 503(b).
    As previously stated, these landfill siting restrictions are 
directly applicable to any person constructing or establishing a new 
landfill as those terms are defined in the statute and interpreted by 
the FAA, the agency charged with administering the Ford Act. Therefore, 
it is not necessary for EPA to incorporate these provisions into the 
MSWLF criteria. Today's amendment to include a reference to section 503 
of the Ford Act in a note to 40 CFR 258.10, which is the section of the 
criteria that sets forth the location restrictions for airport safety 
under RCRA, Subtitle D, is solely for the convenience of the public.

B. Criteria for Landfill Siting Under RCRA

    Nothing in this notice amends the requirements of 40 CFR 258.10, 
which sets forth location restrictions for MSWLFs to address airport 
safety. Section 258.10(a) and (c) contain requirements for new MSWLFs, 
existing MSWLFs and lateral expansions of landfills that are located 
within 10,000 feet of any airport runway used by turbojet aircraft or 
within 5,000 feet of any airport runway used only by piston-type 
aircraft. Owners or operators of such landfills are required to (1) 
demonstrate that the MSWLFs are designed and operated so as not to 
``pose a bird hazard to aircraft; (2) place a copy of the demonstration 
in the MSWLF operating record, and (3) notify the State Director that 
it has been placed in the operating file. ``State Director'' is defined 
as the chief administrative office of the lead state agency responsible 
for implementing the state permit program for 40 CFR part 258 regulated 
facilities.''
    Section 258(b) applies to new MSWLFs and lateral expansions

[[Page 59335]]

proposed to be constructed within a five-mile radius of the end of any 
airport runway used by a turbojet or piston-type aircraft. For such 
proposed new MSWLFs and lateral expansions, the owner or operator must 
notify the affected airport and the FAA.
    Section 258.10(d) defines ``airport'' to mean a ``public-use 
airport open to the public without prior permission and without 
restrictions within the physical capacities of available facilities.'' 
This subsection also defines ``bird hazard.''

List of Subjects in 40 CFR Part 258

    Environmental protection, Reporting and recordkeeping requirements, 
Waste treatment and disposal, Water pollution control.

    Dated: October 2, 2003.
Thomas Dunne,
Associate Assistant Administrator, Office of Solid Waste and Emergency 
Response.

0
For the reasons discussed in the preamble, title 40 chapter 1 of the 
Code of Federal Regulations, is amended as follows:

PART 258--[AMENDED]

0
1. The authority citation for part 258 continues to read as follows:

    Authority: 33 U.S.C. 1345(d) and (e); 42 U.S.C. 6902(a), 6907, 
6912(a), 6944, 6945(c) and 6949a(c);


0
2. Section 258.10 is amended by adding a note to the end of the section 
to read as follows:


Sec.  258.10  Airport safety.

* * * * *

    Note to Sec. 258.10: A prohibition on locating a new MSWLF near 
certain airports was enacted in Section 503 of the Wendell H. Ford 
Aviation Investment and Reform Act for the 21st Century (Ford Act), 
Pub. L. 106-181 (49 U.S.C. 44718 note). Section 503 prohibits the 
``construction or establishment'' of new MSWLFs after April 5, 2000 
within six miles of certain smaller public airports. The Federal 
Aviation Administration (FAA) administers the Ford Act and has 
issued guidance in FAA Advisory Circular 150/5200-34, dated August 
26, 2000. For further information, please contact the FAA.

[FR Doc. 03-25934 Filed 10-14-03; 8:45 am]
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