[Federal Register Volume 88, Number 92 (Friday, May 12, 2023)]
[Notices]
[Pages 30739-30740]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2023-10152]
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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
[EPA-HQ-OLEM-2022-0933; FRL-10955-01-OLEM]
Recycling Infrastructure and Market Opportunities Map; Request
for Public Comment
AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
ACTION: Notice.
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SUMMARY: The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has developed an
interactive map of recycling markets that highlights existing recycling
infrastructure, per capita generation and recycling of post-consumer
materials, and other relevant market factors. The map visually presents
data estimates across various phases of the recycling process,
including generation, collection, sortation, and end use. Through this
document, the Office of Land and Emergency Management (OLEM) is
soliciting public comments on the accuracy and completeness of the
data, ease of use, graphics, and recommendations on future updates of
the map. EPA will collect and analyze the public comments to use as
inputs for the next update of the map.
DATES: Comments must be received on or before June 26, 2023.
ADDRESSES: You may send comments, identified by Docket ID No. EPA-HQ-
OLEM-2022-0933, using the following method:
Federal eRulemaking Portal: https://www.regulations.gov/.
Follow the online instructions for submitting comments.
Instructions: All submissions received must include the Docket ID
No. for this rulemaking. Comments received may be posted without change
to https://www.regulations.gov/, including any personal information
provided. For detailed instructions on sending comments and additional
information on the rulemaking process, see the ``Public Participation''
heading of the SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION section of this document.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Lawrence Doppelt, Office of Resource
Conservation and Recovery, Office of Land and Emergency Management
(Mail Code 5101T), Environmental Protection Agency, 1200 Pennsylvania
Avenue
[[Page 30740]]
NW, Washington, DC 20460; telephone number: (202) 566-0283; email
address: [email protected].
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
I. Public Participation
Response to this request for public comment is voluntary. Submit
your comments, identified by Docket ID No. EPA-HQ-OLEM-2022-0933, at
https://www.regulations.gov/. Once submitted, comments cannot be edited
or removed from the docket. The EPA may publish any comment received to
its public docket. Responses to this request for public comment may be
submitted by a single party or a team. Responses will only be accepted
using Microsoft Word (.docx) or Adobe PDF (.pdf) file formats. The
response document should contain the following:
Two clearly delineated sections: (1) Cover page with
company name and contact information; and (2) responses should indicate
which topic and specific questions are being addressed.
1-inch margins (top, bottom, and sides).
Times New Roman and 12-point font.
Comments containing references, studies, research, and other
empirical data that are not widely published should include copies or
electronic links of the referenced materials. Do not submit to EPA's
docket at https://www.regulations.gov/ any information you consider to
be Confidential Business Information (CBI), Proprietary Business
Information (PBI), or other information whose disclosure is restricted
by statute. Multimedia submissions (audio, video, etc.) must be
accompanied by a written comment. The written comment is considered the
official comment and should include discussion of all points you wish
to make. The EPA will generally not consider comments or comment
contents located outside of the primary submission (i.e., on the web,
cloud, or other file sharing system). Please visit https://www.epa.gov/dockets/commenting-epa-dockets for additional submission methods; the
full EPA public comment policy; information about CBI, PBI, or
multimedia submissions; and general guidance on making effective
comments.
Privacy note: All comments received from members of the public will
be available for public viewing on Regulations.gov. In accordance with
Federal Acquisition Regulation 15.202(3), responses to this document
are not offers and cannot be accepted by the Federal Government to form
a binding contract. Additionally, those submitting responses are solely
responsible for all expenses associated with response preparation.
II. General Information
What is the purpose of this request for public comment?
EPA has developed an interactive map of recycling markets that
highlights existing recycling infrastructure, per capita generation and
recycling of post-consumer materials, and other relevant market
factors. By providing a comprehensive resource for understanding
opportunities related to post-consumer materials management, this map
can help develop and strengthen primary and secondary markets for
materials, support cleaner communities by reducing the amount of
plastic and other waste entering landfills and the marine environment,
and provide opportunities to address climate change by diverting more
materials from landfills. The map visually presents data estimates
across various phases of the recycling process, including generation,
collection, sortation, and end use. This new resource supports
implementation of the National Recycling Strategy (https://www.epa.gov/recyclingstrategy), the Save our Seas 2.0 Act, and the Solid Waste
Infrastructure for Recycling (SWIFR) grant program funded by the
Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, or BIL (https://www.epa.gov/infrastructure).
Using publicly available information, EPA populated the map with
the locations of 15 different types of recycling and other municipal
solid waste (MSW) infrastructure, such as material recovery facilities,
anaerobic digesters, composting facilities, glass recycling facilities,
MSW landfills, and transfer stations. Using publicly available data
from the Ball Corporation, U.S. Census Bureau's American County Survey,
EPA tools including the State Measurement Program and Wasted Food
Report, and materials management reports from states and regions, the
map also displays 16 types of recyclable material generated and
recycled per U.S. zip code, including aluminum, cardboard, electronics,
food waste, glass, paper, plastics #1-7, steel cans, tires, textiles,
yard trimmings, and wood.
The map also includes specific, publicly available information
about facilities in the recycling system, including facility names,
addresses, counties, phone numbers, emails, websites, North American
Industry Classification System (NAICS) codes, infrastructure types, and
feedstocks for each facility, where available.
EPA is soliciting public comments on the accuracy and completeness
of the data, ease of use, graphics, and recommendations on future
updates of the map. EPA will analyze the public comments to use as
inputs for the next update of the tool. The specific public comment
questions are:
1. Accuracy and Completeness of the Data
Do the data reflect recycling infrastructure, end markets
and market factors in your location accurately?
Are the recycled materials tonnage estimations consistent
with your knowledge of your geographical area?
Are there any missing facilities, end markets, or other
layers within the scope of this map that EPA should add?
2. Ease of Use
Does the structure of the map features, layers, and
overlays make sense?
Is the interface intuitive? How easy or difficult is it to
navigate the various icons and features?
Are the underlying datasets easy to access and download?
3. Graphics
Is the map visually accessible, particularly with multiple
icons and layers turned on?
Do you have any recommendations on improving the
visualization of the key features?
4. Future Updates
What additional infrastructure, layers, or tools would you
want to see in version 2.0 of this map?
If you have questions regarding this action, consult the person
listed in the FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT section of this document.
Dated: May 5, 2023.
Carolyn Hoskinson,
Director, Office of Resource Conservation and Recovery.
[FR Doc. 2023-10152 Filed 5-11-23; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6560-50-P