[Federal Register Volume 79, Number 66 (Monday, April 7, 2014)]
[Notices]
[Page 19127]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2014-07668]


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NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION


Notice of Permit Emergency Provision Under the Antarctic 
Conservation Act of 1978 (Pub. L. 95-541)

AGENCY: National Science Foundation.

ACTION: Notice of permit emergency provision for hazardous waste stored 
in Antarctica at McMurdo Station for more than 15 months due to an 
emergency, as specified by Sec.  671.17.

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SUMMARY: The Program of Environment Safety and Health in the Division 
of Polar Programs in accordance with Sec.  671.17, is giving notice 
that an emergency relating to considerations of human health and safety 
and ship safety caused hazardous waste to be stored at McMurdo Station 
for more than 15 months.
    Hazardous waste in the form of batteries (1,600 lbs), biomedical 
waste from the clinic (4,500 lbs), chemical waste (31,000 lbs), 
compressed gases (2,000 lbs), hazardous debris (18,000 lbs), glycol 
(65,500 lbs), PCBs from cleanup of historic activities (1,100 lbs), 
petroleum products (132,600 lbs), radioactive material from scientific 
research (1,200 lbs) and solvents/paints (3,200 lbs) was segregated and 
packaged for removal from McMurdo Station at the end of the 2013-2014 
season and was to be removed from the station in February 2014.
    On 6 February 2014, cargo operations to load the containers 
containing the segregated and packaged waste from the ice pier onto the 
M/V Maersk Illinois were suspended due to safety issues. Conditions of 
very high winds (30 knots sustained and up to 50 knot gusts) and severe 
wave action made operations on the ice pier dangerous. Throughout the 
course of the two day storm, several of the lines from the ship to the 
ice pier parted and the ice pier fractured into multiple pieces. A 
short lull in the storm on 7 February provided the ship the opportunity 
to safely pull away from the ice pier. The storm brought an increasing 
number of icebergs to the area and in the interest of safety, the ship 
proceeded north away from McMurdo Station. Once the storm had subsided, 
the broken ice pier was found to be unfit for further operations and 
all containers (including those containing the packaged hazardous 
waste) which had not been previously loaded onto the cargo ship 
remained on station. The packaged waste material has been secured until 
removal during the 2014-2015 season.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Dr. Polly A. Penhale at (703) 292-
7420.

Nadene G. Kennedy,
Polar Coordination Specialist, Division of Polar Programs.
[FR Doc. 2014-07668 Filed 4-4-14; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7555-01-P