Hanford Environmental Report
Dedicated to the Goal of 100% Environmental Compliance

Volume 21, Number 5 - May 14, 1999

From Washington, D.C.:

EPA IS PROPOSING SEVERAL RULE AMENDMENTS AND POLICY CHANGES

EPA is proposing several rule amendments and policy changes that may have impacts at Hanford. These are:

• A proposed rule amendment that EPA recently announced in the Federal Register (64 FR 15158) under the effluent guidelines program. This proposed rule would address storm water runoff from construction sites during the active phase of construction as well as design consideration to minimize the adverse effects of post-construction runoff. This proposed rule would apply to storm water discharges associated with construction activities for new developments as well as those associated with re-development activities. EPA held a public meeting to discuss the proposed rule on April 20, 1999. A fact sheet on this proposed rule can be obtained from the Internet at http://www.epa.gov/OST/guide.
• A direct final rule that would amend several regulations under the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) to allow for electronic filing of reports and forms that are required by the Act. The TSCA regulations affected include: Section 4 on chemical testing; Section 5 on premanufacture notification; Section 8 on chemical reporting; and Section 12 on export notification. The changes would not only allow EPA to accept an electronic submittal but would also set out how to do digital signatures.
• A proposed change to EPA's environmental audit policy that would lengthen the 10-day deadline for prompt disclosure of self-disclosed violations. Currently under this policy, a company that wishes to qualify for a penalty reduction for violations of environmental regulations must voluntarily disclose violations within 10 days after they are discovered through such efforts as audits or environmental management systems. This proposed policy change would lengthen that time frame and will be announced in the Federal Register in May.
• A proposed change to a TSCA policy that guides EPA in calculating fines for administrative violations on certain recordkeeping, reporting, and import/export notifications. This policy change will affect Sections 8 on recordkeeping and reporting including health and safety studies, substantial risk reports and updates to the TSCA inventory of chemicals in commerce, Section 12 on notifications for export of chemicals and Section 13 on certification that imported chemicals meet TSCA requirements.

For more information, email or call Marsha A_Beery@rl.gov of Fluor Daniel Hanford, Inc.'s Regulatory Interface at (360) 709-0664.

From Olympia:

DOH TO BEGIN RULEMAKING TO ADOPT THE NRC RADIOLOGICAL CLEANUP STANDARDS

The DOH recently released a notice announcing that they will soon begin rulemaking to adopt the NRC's radiological cleanup standards for decommissioning lands and structures of facilities whose licenses are terminated. Currently, the State of Washington is under Agreement State status with the NRC to license and regulate certain facilities that use radioactive materials. Through this Agreement, the State, in particular the DOH, is required to adopt the NRC regulation by August 2000. Because DOH is adopting the federal rule with only minor changes to satisfy State rule formatting criteria, they hope to have the rulemaking complete by August 1999 using the exception rule category. The rule will apply to all facilities using radioactive material that are licensed by the state. It is already in effect at federal facilities under the NRC jurisdiction. The rule will not, however, affect facilities under federal jurisdiction such as Hanford except in those areas that are released from federal control. The rule will contain provisions including:

• A site will be considered acceptable for unrestricted use if the residual radioactivity above background results in a total dose to a member of the public that does not exceed 25 mrem per year, and the radioactivity has been reduced to levels that are As Low As Reasonably Achievable taking economic and social factors into account;
• For license termination under restricted use, the licensee must seek, as appropriate, the advice of individuals and institutions in the community who may be affected.

DOH has recently prepared a draft rule which is currently being reviewed by the Attorney General and staff within DOH. Once this review is complete, DOH will file the appropriate form with the Code Revisor to begin the official rulemaking process. For more information, email or call Marsha A_Beery@rl.gov of Fluor Daniel Hanford, Inc.'s Regulatory Interface at (360) 709-0664.

BRIEFLY

Ecology had created a new online service called the Online Permit Assistance System (OPAS). The OPAS offers a quick way to gather information on federal and state environmental permit requirements. It provides a complete list of permit requirements including links to other state/federal agency websites and has several permit applications that can be downloaded. In addition, the OPAS provides the names and phone numbers of agencies that a person may need to contact before starting a project. The OPAS is located at http://www.wa.gov/ecology/sea/pac/index.html.

NOTICE

Ecology and the Preston Gates and Ellis law firm are cosponsoring a workshop entitled Wastewater Discharge Permits 101. This workshop is being held May 17, 1999 at the Seattle Tacoma Airport Auditorium from 8:30am to 4:30pm. The workshop will cover the step-by-step process for drafting state and NPDES discharge permits. For more information, email or call Marsha A_Beery@rl.gov of Fluor Daniel Hanford, Inc.'s Regulatory Interface at (360) 709-0664.