Request for Comment on Draft Methodology Document on Setting Priorities for Hazardous Waste Minimization

ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[EPA-FRL-5050-4]

Request for Comment on Draft Methodology Document on Setting

Priorities for Hazardous Waste Minimization

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

ACTION: Notice of Availability of Document.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announces the

availability of a document, describing a draft methodology, entitled

``Setting Priorities for Hazardous Waste Minimization'' (``Draft

Methodology Document'') and solicits comments on this document. (EPA

also solicits comments on a previously-released draft document entitled

``Draft RCRA Waste Minimization National Plan'' (``Draft Plan'') and

extends the comment period for this document.)

DATES: Comments regarding the Draft Methodology Document should be

submitted by September 9, 1994. (When the Draft Plan was released on

May 24, 1994, comments were requested by August 31, 1994; comments on

the Draft Plan are now requested by September 9, 1994.)

ADDRESSES: All comments must be submitted in writing (including an

original and two copies) to: RCRA Information Center (5305), U.S.

Environmental Protection Agency, 401 M Street, S.W., Washington, D.C.

20460. (When the Draft Plan was released, comments on the Draft Plan

were to be submitted to the following address: Director, Waste

Management Division (5302W), U.S. EPA, Washington, D.C. 20460. Comments

may now also be submitted to the RCRA Information Center at the address

given above.)

Comments should reference docket number F-94-WMNA-FFFFF. Comments

should be submitted separately for the Draft Methodology Document and

the Draft Plan and should identify which document they pertain to.

Commenters who wish to claim as Confidential Business Information any

parts of their comments must submit an original and two copies, under

separate cover, to: Document Control Officer (5305), Office of Solid

Waste, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 401 M Street, S.W.,

Washington, D.C. 20460.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For general information, or for copies

of the documents described in this notice, contact the RCRA Hotline,

toll free at (800) 424-9346. TDD (800) 553-7672. For specific

information pertaining to the documents, contact Mark Ralston, Office

of Solid Waste, at 703-308-8595.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Background

On May 18, 1993, Administrator Carol Browner announced an

initiative to further the protection of human health and the

environment--referred to as the Hazardous Waste Minimization and

Combustion Draft Strategy (``Draft Strategy''). The Draft Strategy was

designed, among other things, to further the reduction in the quantity

and toxicity of hazardous wastes generated in the United States as well

as to strengthen federal controls governing hazardous waste combustion.

Since the announcement of the Draft Strategy, the Agency has held

extensive discussions with all the interested stakeholders, including a

series of Roundtable discussions. Based on these discussions, EPA

developed and released on May 24, 1994, a Draft Plan to implement the

waste minimization part of the Draft Strategy.

The Draft Plan describes two phases: the first phase focuses on

hazardous wastes containing metals and/or halogenated organics burned

in combustion units. The second phase will move beyond metal- and

halogen-containing wastes managed in combustion devices and will

address source reduction and recycling opportunities for the broader

universe of hazardous wastes managed by a variety of practices.

Key components of the Draft Plan include: establishing specific

goals for source reduction and recycling; prioritizing wastestreams and

industrial processes for source reduction and recycling; identifying

and evaluating source reduction and recycling opportunities for these

wastestreams and industrial processes; arraying potential voluntary and

regulatory mechanisms for effecting source reduction and recycling; and

measuring progress.

One of the building blocks for the Draft Plan is setting priorities

for source reduction and recycling. EPA has developed and is today

releasing the Draft Methodology Document, which describes a proposed

hazard-based methodology for ranking hazardous wastestreams and, in

turn, ranking the industrial processes that generate them. The document

also presents draft ranking results for certain wastestreams and

industrial processes.

EPA is soliciting comments from reviewers on a number of specific

issues presented in the Draft Methodology Document. Some of these

issues are summarized below.

--Criteria relevant to developing a prioritization methodology. There

are a number of criteria which could potentially be considered in

setting priorities for waste minimization. Some potential risk- or

hazard-based criteria include:

Waste quantities

Waste characteristics (e.g., constituent concentrations

and physical/chemical properties)

Waste management practices (e.g., combustion)

Constituent releases

Fate and transport

Human and ecological exposure

Human and ecological toxicity Other possible criteria

include:

Protection of natural resources (e.g., stratospheric ozone

and ground water)

Demand for waste management capacity

Environmental justice concerns

Technical/economic feasibility of promoting waste

minimization

The Agency is soliciting comments on which criteria (among those

listed above or others not listed above) should be emphasized in

setting priorities for minimization of hazardous wastes.

--Sources of waste characterization data. While the Agency has

collected waste characterization data as part of hazardous waste

listing determinations and industry surveys, most of these data have

limitations (e.g., the data are often more than five years old). Some

of the more important and challenging data elements for prioritizing

hazardous wastes (and, in turn, industrial processes) based on hazard

are: (1) the identities of constituents (i.e., chemicals) present in

wastestreams, and (2) the concentrations of the constituents.

Therefore, the Agency solicits comment on whether there are other

readily-available sources of waste characterization data, in addition

to the data already obtained by EPA, that include these data elements

and that could potentially be employed for ranking these wastestreams

(e.g., data collected by state regulatory agencies or technical

assistance centers).

--Emphasis on hazard of wastes as generated. Consistent with the goal

of the Draft Plan to reduce the quantity and toxicity of hazardous

wastes, EPA's draft methodology prioritizes wastestreams based on the

hazard associated with those wastes as generated. In effect, it

identifies and promotes source reduction for the most pervasive, toxic,

mobile, persistent, and/or bioaccumulative wastes, based on the

characteristics of the wastes prior to management. At present, the

draft methodology does not directly consider the hazard associated with

the wastes as managed (e.g., considering releases and exposures

following combustion of the wastes). EPA requests comment on the

appropriateness of emphasizing the hazard of wastes as generated in

developing a national-level screening methodology for prioritizing

hazardous wastes.

--Applicability of EPA's as-generated hazard-based methodology to

combusted wastestreams containing metals and/or halogenated organics.

Given that metals are not destroyed by combustion (and typically exit

the combustion unit in ash, air releases, or product), EPA is

soliciting comments on whether EPA's draft as-generated hazard-based

methodology is appropriate for national screening of wastestreams

containing metals. EPA is also seeking comments on whether the draft

methodology is appropriate for wastestreams containing halogenated

organics, or whether the draft methodology should be modified to better

reflect the hazard of these compounds as managed (e.g., through

applying a destruction and removal efficiency (DRE) factor to halogen

concentrations in wastes, prioritizing based on the percent halogen in

waste feedstocks, focusing on wastestreams containing dioxin

precursors, or using another approach). EPA would also be interested in

commenters' views on whether the draft methodology should be

complemented by considering releases/transfers reported in the Toxics

Release Inventory (TRI).

II. Availability of Documents

The Draft Methodology Document and the Draft Plan are available for

viewing at:

EPA

RCRA Information Center

Room 2616

401 M Street, S.W.

Washington, D.C. 20460

The RIC is open from 9:00 to 4:00 Monday through Friday, except for

federal holidays. The public must make an appointment to review docket

materials. Call (202) 260-9327 for appointments. Copies of the

documents may be obtained by calling the RCRA Hotline, toll free at

(800) 424-9346. TDD (800) 553-7672.

Dated: July 26, 1994.

Michael Shapiro,

Director, Office of Solid Waste.

[FR Doc. 94-19771 Filed 8-11-94; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 6560-50-P