Hanford Environmental Report

Privacy & Security Notice

	Hanford Environmental Report
Dedicated to Environmental Compliance

Volume 26, Number 6 - June 11, 2004

From Washington, D.C.:

EPA ANNOUNCES INTENTIONS TO EVALUATE AND RECERTIFY THE WASTE ISOLATION PILOT PLANT

On May 24, 2004, EPA published a notice (69 FR 29645) in the Federal Register (FR) announcing that it intends to evaluate and recertify whether or not the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) continues to comply with EPA's environmental radiation protection standards for disposal of radioactive waste. EPA will make this determination based on information contained in the Compliance Recertification Application (CRA) which the Secretary of Energy submitted on March 26, 2004.

DOE is required under the WIPP Land Withdrawal Act to submit documentation of continued compliance with EPA's standards for disposal and other statutory requirements no later than 5 years after the initial receipt of transuranic waste at the WIPP. EPA certified that the WIPP met applicable regulatory requirements on May 18, 1998 (63 FR 27354) and the first shipment of waste was received at the WIPP on March 26, 1999. A copy of DOE's application can be found on the Internet at http://www.epa.gov/radiation/wipp. Comments on the notice must be received by EPA on or before the end of the public comment period which will be specified in a future Federal Register. For more information, email or call Leland_F._Willis@rl.gov at (509) 372-0986 with Fluor Hanford's Environmental Protection Organization. .

EPA HOLDS PUBLIC STAKEHOLDER MEETING ON THE HAZARDOUS WASTE GENERATOR REGULATORY PROGRAM

On May 24, 2004, EPA held a public stakeholder meeting on the Hazardous Waste Generator Regulatory Program at the Radisson Hotel at the SeaTac Airport, Seattle. EPA's announcement of the stakeholder meeting was published in the FR on April 16, 2004 (69 FR 20617). About 50 people attended the event including representatives from federal/state/local government agencies large/small businesses including Fluor Hanford, consulting firms and other organizations. EPA discussed topics on: areas of the generator program that work well; how EPA can improve the generator program; innovations, state programs and technical assistance improvements; how EPA can improve the generator program through better performance measures, burden reductions and pollution prevention/recycling; and prioritizing improvement efforts?

Under the topic on what should EPA work on first, Northwest stakeholders made a number of suggestions about prioritizing improvements:

Writing the rules in plain English;
Restructure the rules to consolidate small quantity generator requirements in one book and large quantity generators in another;
Provide incentives for businesses to comply with regulations;
Require ID numbers for everyone;
Have mandatory renotification;
provide compliance assistance;
Have 100% electronic records;
Shift mentality about the program from bean-counting to establishing relationships with businesses;
Work with small quantity generators as large quantity generators are not the problem anymore;
Do something about abandoned waste and use resources where there is the greatest environmental need.

In the meeting, EPA indicated it will be putting notes of all of the public forums, including the trends they heard, on their website at http://www.epa.gov. EPA will then develop a strategy on what will be the next steps in the process which may include: amending the regulations, amending guidance or preparing more guidance; developing educational materials or other strategies. The strategy will be ready in 2005. Comments on the public meeting must be received by EPA as soon as possible. For more information, e-mail or call Marsha Beery at (360) 709-0664 with Fluor Hanford's Olympia Office.

From Olympia:

ECOLOGY HOLDS PUBLIC MEETING ON THE BEYOND WASTE PROJECT

On May 25, 2004, Ecology held a public meeting in the Ecology Headquarters Office in Lacey on the Beyond Waste Project - Summary of The Washington State Hazardous Waste Management Plan and Solid Waste Management Plan (Summary). Ecology is required by state law to regularly update its statewide plans for managing and reducing solid and hazardous waste. The Agency worked with businesses, other government agencies and members of the public to incorporate both plans into a newly released "Beyond Waste" package that includes a 30-year vision and draft recommendations on how to reach waste-handling and waste-reduction goals. Ecology will also be holding other public meetings throughout the state.

In the Summary, Ecology lists five initiatives it will focus on to reduce wastes and toxic substances in Washington including:

Significantly reducing more waste and the use of toxic substances in Washington's industries;
Reducing and where possible, eliminating small-volume hazardous wastes from businesses and households;
Expanding the recycling system in Washington for organic wastes such as food wastes, yard wastes and crop residues;
Reducing the negative impacts from the design, construction, and operation of buildings; and
Developing a system to measure progress in achieving the goals.

Comments on the Summary must be received by Ecology on or before August 13, 2004. A copy of the Summary can be found on the Internet at http://www.ecy.wa.gov/beyondwaste/. The Summary will be revised and finalized by the fall of 2004. For more information, e-mail or call Marsha Beery at (360) 709-0664 with Fluor Hanford's Olympia Office.

Briefly:

On May 11, 2004, EPA published a notice (69 FR 26059) in the FR announcing that it was making available to the public new information regarding carbon dioxide total flooding fire extinguishing systems, which are currently listed in the fire suppression sector as an acceptable substitute for ozone-depleting halon 1301 under the Significant New Alternatives Policy program of section 612 of the Clean Air Act. Comments on the new information were due to EPA on or before June 10, 2004.
On May 17, 2004, EPA published a notice (69 FR 27921) in the FR announcing the formation of a work group to be known as the Title V Task Force. The task force will seek input from the public including industry, state and local air pollution control agencies and environmental interest groups on the performance of the title V operating permits program. EPA recieved letters of interest in task force membership until May 31, 2004.
On May 17, 2004, EPA published a notice (69 FR 27922) in the FR describing changes it is making to the National Environmental Performance Track (NEPT) program including defining small facilities, adding a criterion to have an independent assessment done of the facilities Environmental Management System if they are not certified under ISO 14001; allowing facilities to have the discretion to designate "Challenge Commitments" that correspond to regional environmental priorities; and adding a corporate recognition component for companies that participate substantially in the facility program. The changes became effective immediately.
On May 19-20, 2004, EPA held a public meeting to discuss the national electronic manifest system for tracking shipments of hazardous waste. In May 2001, EPA proposed giving waste handlers the option of completing, sending, and storing the information electronically. Industry expressed concerns about the cost and consistency of information, so asked EPA to develop a national, Web-based system that would be operated by EPA. As a response to these concerns, EPA is proposing a hybrid model, "the shared services model," where EPA would maintain the core data required under RCRA and private industry could provide additional data such as inventory control and analyzing data for trends. EPA indicated in the meeting that the system could be funded through user fees, shared government and private-sector costs, grants, or private-sector sponsorship. EPA's plan on the electronic manifest system should be completed by the fall of 2004.
On May 26, 2004, the Department of Transportation (DOT) published a final rule (69 FR 30114) in the FR to update and clarify requirements of the Hazardous Materials Regulations (HMR) applicable to incident reporting requirements and the Hazardous Materials Incident Report DOT Form F 5800.1. The final rule becomes effective January 1, 2005.
On May 28, 2004, the DOT published a notice (69 FR 30588) in the FR to announce it was delaying the effective date of the final rule published October 30, 2003 to clarify the applicability of the HMR on loading, unloading, and storage operations. The effective date of the final rule is being changed from October 1, 2004 to January 1, 2005.

*FEDERAL/STATE*
	*REGISTER REVIEW*

69 FR 24590: On May 4, 2004, EPA published a notice announcing the availability of DOE documents applicable to characterization by the Central Characterization Project of transuranic radioactive waste at the Los Alamos National Laboratory proposed for disposal at the WIPP. Comments on the documents were due to EPA on or before June 3, 2004.

69 FR 25183: On May 5, 2004, EPA published a proposed rule to address the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit decision that was issued on the regional haze rule in the case American Corn Growers Assn v. EPA, 291 F.3d 1, D.C. (Cir. 2002). EPA is also proposing new Best Available Retrofit Technology (BART) provisions and is reproposing BART guidelines. Comments on the proposed rule must be received by EPA on or before July 6, 2004.

69 FR 26059: On May 11, 2004, EPA published a notice announcing that it was making available to the public, new information regarding carbon dioxide total flooding fire extinguishing systems (see briefly, this edition). Comments on the new information were due to EPA on or before June 10, 2004.

69 FRR 26813: On May 14, 2004, EPA published a notice announcing the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) responses to Information Collection Requests (ICRs) received in March 2004.

69 FR 26823: On May 14, 2004, EPA, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Commerce; U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Defense, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service: Interior, National Resources Conservation Service; Agriculture and Department of Transportation (DOT) published a notice announcing the availability of a technical resource document to assist with stream mitigation entitled, "Physical Stream Assessment: A Review of Selected Protocols for Use in the Clean Water Act Section 404 Program (Stream Mitigation Compendium)." Comments on the Stream Mitigation Compendium must be received by EPA on or before June 28, 2004.

69 FR 27921: On May 17, 2004, EPA published a notice announcing the formation of a work group to be known as the Title V Task Force (see Briefly, this edition).

69 FR 27922: On May 17, 2004, EPA published a notice describing program changes for the NEPT program (see Briefly, this edition). The changes reflect experience gained in the program's first three years of implementation.

69 FR 28885: On May 19, 2004, EPA published a notice announcing it is planning to submit an ICR on Control Technology Determinations for Constructed and Reconstructed Major Sources of Hazardous Air Pollutants to OMB for review and approval. Comments on the ICR must be received by EPA on or before July 19, 2004.

69 FR 29118: On May 20, 2004, EPA published a notice announcing that it will be holding a public hearing of the proposed Regional Haze Regulations and Guidelines for Best Available Control Technology (BART) Determinations (69 FR 25184, May 5, 2004). The public hearings will be held on June 4, 2004 in Alexandria, Virginia and on June 15, 2004 in Denver, Colorado.

69 FR 29304: On May 21, 2004, EPA published a notice announcing that it was planning to submit an ICR on Community Right-To-Know Reporting Requirements Under Section 311 and 312 of the Emergency Planning and Community Right-To-Know Act to the OMB for review and approval. Comments on the ICR must be received by EPA on or before July 20, 2004.

69 FR 29533: On May 24, 2004, EPA published a notice announcing that an ICR on National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System Compliance Assessment/Certification Information (Renewal) has been forwarded to OMB for review and approval. Comments on the ICR must be received by EPA on or before June 23, 2004.

69 FR 29645: On May 24, 2004, EPA published a notice announcing that it intends to evaluate for recertification whether or not the WIPP continues to comply with EPA's environmental radiation protection standards for disposal of radioactive waste (see article, this edition). Comments on the notice must be received by EPA on or before the end of the public comment period which will be specified in a future Federal Register.

69 FR 29717: On May 25, 2004, EPA published a notice announcing it has forwarded an ICR on Reporting and Recordkeeping Requirements Under EPA's WasteWise Program to OMB for review and approval. Comments on the ICR must be received by EPA on or before June 24, 2004.

69 FR 29718: On May 25, 2004, EPA published a notice announcing it is planning to submit 18 ICRs including an ICR on New Source Performance Standards for Small Industrial-Commercial-Industrial Steam Generating Units (40 CFR Part 60, subpart Dc). Comments on the ICR must be received by EPA on or before July 26, 2004.

69 FR 30114: On May 26, 2004, the DOT published a final rule to update and clarify requirements of the HMR applicable to incident reporting requirements and the Hazardous Materials Incident Report DOT Form F 5800.1(see Briefly, this edition). The final rule becomes effective January 1, 2005.

69 FR 30588: On May 28, 2004, the DOT published a notice to announce it was delaying the effective date of the final rule published October 30, 2003 to clarify the applicability of the HMR on loading, unloading, and storage operations (see Briefly, this edition). The effective date of the final rule is being changed from October 1, 2004 to January 1, 2005.

WSR 04-10-053: On May 19, 2004, Ecology published a notice announcing a public hearing on Yakima Regional Clean Air Authority's PM10 Limited Maintenance Plan and Redesignation Request in the State Implementation Plan. The public hearing will be held June 9, 2004 at 3 p.m. a the Yakima County Courthouse in Yakima. Comments on the SIP were due to Ecology on or before June 11, 2004.

[Hanford Home Page] [Index List]

For technical questions regarding the subject matter, please send e-mail to: Wayne_E_Toebe@rl.gov