Environmental
Report
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Hanford
Environmental Report |
| Dedicated to Environmental Compliance | |
Volume 25, Number 6 - June 13, 2003
On May 27, 2003, DOE published a notice (68 FR 28821) in the Federal Register announcing that it was extending the comment period on the revised draft Hanford Site Solid Waste Program Environmental Impact Statement (EIS). The revised draft EIS was previously published in the Federal Register on February 12, 2003, which announced that the Agency was revising the scope of the EIS. The revised draft EIS will evaluate alternatives for:
It will also provide: information on the impacts of transporting waste especially in Washington and Oregon; DOE responses to major issues from the first draft EIS and contain additional analyses of alternatives for managing both waste generated at Hanford and waste received from offsite generators consistent with DOE's Final Waste Management Programmatic EIS for low-level waste and mixed low-level waste. DOE has extended the comment period from May 27, 2003, to June 11, 2003. Comments on the draft EIS must be received by DOE on or before that date. For more information, , email or call Wayne_E_Toebe@rl.gov at (509)372-2359 with Fluor Hanford's Compliance Services.
On May 30, 2003, EPA published final rule amendments (68 FR 32586) in the Federal Register to the General Provisions for the National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants (NESHAP) and to the rule that establishes criteria and procedures for equivalent emission limitations adopted under the section 112(j) of the Clean Air Act (CAA). The rule amendment could impact source categories at Hanford such as the industrial boilers, institutional/commercial boilers, process heaters, and solid waste treatment, storage and disposal facilities. The final rule amendments:
The new timetable requires that Part 2 applications be submitted to EPA by April 28, 2004 for industrial boilers, institutional/commercial boiler and process heaters that burn no hazardous waste and by August 13, 2005, for industrial boilers, institutional/commercial boilers and process heaters that burn hazardous waste. The final rule amendment became effective May 30, 2003. For more information, email or call Kirk_A_Peterson@rl.gov@rl.gov at (509) 372-2364 with Fluor Hanford's Compliance Services.
On May 14, 2003, EPA published a notice (68 FR 25875) in the Federal Register announcing that it has granted partial delegation of authority to Ecology to implement and enforce the Federal air quality Prevention of Significant Deterioration (PSD) permit program regulations as amended and published in the Federal Register on December 31, 2002. The amendments affect the applicability of the Federal PSD program regarding modifications to existing major stationary sources. The Federal PSD program covers any new construction or any major modification of a major stationary air emission source in an area which has air quality better than the National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS). The program requires that permits be issued prior to construction or modification of certain sources.
EPA had previously granted full delegation to Ecology for the Federal PSD program in February 7, 2002, however, with EPA's recent promulgation of revisions to this regulation, Ecology requested authority to continue to implement the program, as published on December 31, 2002, while it determines how to revise the State PSD regulation to meet the new federal requirements. EPA reviewed Ecology's request and determined that the Agency has the authority to implement and enforce the federal PSD regulations as amended except for applications of plant-wide applicability limitation (PAL) increases under 40 CFR 52.21(aa)(11). EPA and Ecology have listed the conditions of the delegation in the document entitled, "Agreement for Partial Delegation of the Federal PSD Program by EPA, Region 10 to Ecology dated March 28, 2003 (Delegation Agreement)". The Delegation Agreement can be found on the Internet at http://www.ecy.wa.gov/programs/air/psd/PSD_EPA_Final03.pdf. For more information, email or call Kirk_A_Peterson@rl.gov@rl.gov at (509) 372-2364 with Fluor Hanford's Compliance Services.
DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH BEGINS RULEMAKING ON THE RADIATION PROTECTION AIR EMISSION RULE
On May 21, 2003, the Department of Health (WDOH) published a preproposal statement of inquiry(WSR 03-10-016) in the Washington State Register to begin rulemaking to revise provisions of Chapter 246-247 WAC, particularly sections 110, 120 and 130, of the Radiation Protection Air Emission rule which address sampling and monitoring of airborne radioactive releases from the stacks and ducts of nuclear facilities. Currently, the WDOH rules are inconsistent with an EPA rule amendment adopted October 2002 which incorporated the new American National Standard Institute/Health Physics Society National Standard (ANSI/HPS N13.1-1999) for sampling and monitoring releases of radioactive air emissions, and includes more stringent inspection requirements for existing major stack sample systems. The WDOH is both updating Chapter 246-247 WAC to reference this new standard plus providing consistency with EPA practices regarding quality assurance program plans and project plans.
WDOH is currently completing internal review of the Significant Analysis Document which is required under the Administrative Procedures Act and plans to have this finalized prior to publication of the proposed rule in the Washington State Register in early August 2003. Also, in early August, WDOH will be holding a public hearing on the proposed rule and will be notifying the regulated community and other stakeholders of the hearing and other rulemaking activities as the rulemaking progresses. According to the rulemaking schedule, WDOH plans to adopt the final rule on August 12, 2003 and it will become effective September 12, 2003. For more information, email or call John_A_Bates@rl.gov at (509) 376-2088 with Fluor Hanford's Compliance Services.
Ecology will be holding public workshops on the Eastern Washington Stormwater Management project (Project) in June 2003. The purpose of the workshops is to explain how Ecology has responded to comments they received on the first drafts of the Stormwater Management Manual for Eastern Washington and the Model Municipal Stormwater Program for Eastern Washington. The public workshops will be held in various cities throughout Washington including Spokane on June 23, 2003, in the Washington State University Spokane County Cooperative Extension from 4:30 pm to 6:30 pm; Tri-Cities on June 25, 2003, in the Benton County Public Utility District Building Auditorium in Kennewick from 4:30 pm to 6:30 pm; and in Ellensburg on June 26, 2003, in the Ellensburg Inn, Great Northern Room from 4:30 pm to 6:30 pm. Information on the Project can be found on the Internet at http://www.ecy.wa.gov/programs/wq/stormwater.
On May 9, 2003, EPA published a notice (68 FR 25029) in the Federal Register announcing that the draft data standards documents entitled, "Draft Data Standards for Permitting Information" and the "Draft Federal Facility Identification Data Standards" are available for public review and comment. The draft standards, which are a list of data elements, definitions of these elements, formats, notes, and explanatory preamble language, are intended to help improve the ability of interested parties to exchange data efficiently and accurately plus assist secondary users of data to understand, interpret, and use data appropriately. Comments on the documents must be received by EPA on or before June 23, 2003.
On May 15, 2003, EPA published proposed rule amendments (68 FR 26249) in the Federal Register to the NESHAP and other regulatory requirements established under Section 112 of the CAA. The proposed rule amendments are intended to provide regulatory relief to facilities that use pollution prevention to achieve and maintain hazardous air pollutant emissions reductions equivalent to or better than the maximum achievable control technology level of control required under NESHAP. EPA is also proposing additional incentives for facilities that are members of the National Environmental Performance Track program which recognizes and encourages top environmental performers. Comments on the proposed rule amendments must be received by EPA on or before July 14, 2003.
On May 21, 2003, EPA published a notice (68 FR 27805) in the Federal Register announcing that the final report entitled, "A Review of the Reference Dose and Reference Concentration Processes" is available. The final report summarizes the review and deliberations of the Risk Assessment Forum RfD/RfC Technical Panel and its recommendations for improvements in the process of deriving reference values, including setting less than lifetime as well as chronic reference values. The final report can be found on the Internet at http://cfpub.epa.gov/ncea/raf/recordisplay.cfm?deid=55365.
On May 27, 2003, EPA published a notice (68 FR 28825) in the Federal Register announcing that the final report entitled, "Framework for Cumulative Risk Assessment (Framework)" is available. The Framework is the first step in EPA's long-term effort to develop Agency-wide cumulative risk assessment guidance. It is intended to promote consistent approaches to cumulative risk assessment in EPA, identify key issues, and define terms used in these assessments. The Framework is not a procedural guide nor a regulatory requirement but is an information document that describes various aspects of cumulative risk and serves as the foundation for developing future guidance on cumulative risk assessment. The Framework can be found on the Internet at http://cfpub.epa.gov/ncea/raf/recordisplay.cfm?deid=54944.
On May 27, 2003, EPA published its Semiannual Regulatory Agenda (Agenda)(68 FR 30942) in the Federal Register which provides the public an update: of regulations and major policies currently under development, a review of existing regulations and major policies, and of regulations and major policies completed or cancelled since the last Agenda.
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