Hanford Environmental Report

Privacy & Security Notice

	Hanford Environmental Report
Dedicated to Environmental Compliance

Volume 25, Number 9 - September 12, 2003

From Washington, D.C.:

DOE ISSUES DRAFT STRATEGIC PLAN

On August 7, 2003, DOE published a notice (68 FR 47917) in the Federal Register announcing that the document entitled, "Draft Strategic Plan (Plan)", is available for public review and comment. DOE is required by the Government Performance and Results Act to update its Strategic Plan every three years. The Plan provides the direction DOE will take for the next 25 years in the areas of defense, energy, science and environment. According to the Plan, DOE's overarching mission is to advance the national, economic and energy security of the U.S.; to promote scientific and technological innovation in support of that mission, and to ensure the environmental cleanup of the national nuclear weapons complex. To that end, DOE has listed four strategic goals in achieving this mission including:

Defense Strategic Goal: To protect our national security by applying advanced science and nuclear technology to the nation's defense.
Energy Strategic Goal: To protect our national and economic security by promoting diverse supply of reliable, affordable, and environmentally sound energy.
Science Strategic Goal: To protect our national and economic security by providing world-class scientific research capacity and advancing scientific knowledge.
Environment Strategic Goal: To protect the environment by providing a responsible resolution to the environmental legacy of the Cold War and by providing for the permanent disposal of the nation's high-level radioactive waste.

DOE has adopted long-term general goals to implement these strategies. The general goals to implement the environment strategy include accelerating cleanup of nuclear weapons manufacturing and testing sites, completing cleanup of 108 contaminated sites by 2005; licensing and constructing a permanent repository for nuclear waste at Yucca Mountain and beginning the acceptance of waste at the permanent repository by 2010. The draft Plan can be found on the Internet at http://strategicplan.doe.gov/SPpdf.asp. Comments on the draft Plan must be received by DOE on or before September 11, 2003. For more information, email or call Marsha_A_Beery@rl.gov at (360) 709-0664 with Fluor Hanford's Olympia Office.

DOE PUBLISHES FINAL RULE ON FLOODPLAIN AND WETLAND ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW REQUIREMENTS

On August 27, 2003, DOE published a final rule (68 FR 51429) in the Federal Register revising its floodplain and wetland environmental review requirements. The final rule includes provisions that:

simplify its public notification procedures for proposed floodplain and wetland actions by emphasizing local publication as opposed to publication in the Federal Register;
exempts additional actions from the floodplain and wetland assessment provisions of these regulations;
provides for immediate action in an emergency with documentation to follow;
expands the existing list of credible sources that may be used in determining the location of floodplains and wetlands; and
allows floodplain and wetland assessments for actions proposed to be taken under CERCLA to be coordinated with the CERCLA environmental review process rather than the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) process.

The revisions are intended to make the rule easier to use by reordering sections to parallel the assessment process, clarifying requirements such as the differences between floodplain and wetland actions and their respective assessment requirements, and simplifying the rule by deleting provisions that are no longer applicable. DOE is also making a conforming change to the NEPA regulation to allow for issuance of a floodplain statement of findings in a final environmental impact statement or separately. The final rule becomes effective on September 26, 2003. For more information, email or call Marsha_A_Beery@rl.gov at (360) 709-0664 with Fluor Hanford's Olympia Office.

From Olympia:

WASHINGTON STATE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH PUBLISHES PROPOSED RULE TO AMEND THE RADIATION PROTECTION AIR EMISSION RULES

On August 6, 2003, the Washington State Department of Health (WDOH) published a proposed rule (WSR 03-15-104) in the Washington State Register (WSR) to amend Chapter 246-247 WAC, the Radiation Protection Air Emission rule. WDOH is amending the rule to conform with EPA regulations, 40 CFR Part 61, that were amended in October 1, 2000 (67 FR 57159). These EPA amendments replaced the American National Standard Institute (ANSI) standard ANSI N13.1 - 1969 with the ANSI N13.1 - 1999 for the design of emission monitoring systems for facilities that emit radioactive material. WDOH's proposed rule amendment will:

incorporate the federal rule by reference as it applies to federal facilities;
expand the applicability of the updated standards and practices to non-federal facilities not covered by the federal rule; and
update references to EPA guidance regarding quality assurance to be consistent with current EPA practices.

WDOH held a public hearing on the proposed rule on August 29, 2003. DOE and Fluor Hanford provided oral testimony. WDOH announced at the hearing that it was extending the comment period on the proposed rule for two weeks or until September 12, 2003. DOE submitted comments to WDOH. Comments on the proposed rule must be received by WDOH on or before September 12, 2003. For more information, email or call John Bates @rl.gov.at (509) 376-2088 with Fluor Hanford's Program Services.

EPA PUBLISHES INFORMATION COLLECTION REQUESTS

In August, 2003, EPA published several Information Collection Requests (ICRs) in the Federal Register that may be of interest to Hanford including:

On August 19, 2003, EPA published a notice (68 FR 49772) announcing that an ICR on Environmental Radiation Ambient Monitoring System (ERAMS), which is a national network of monitoring stations for collecting sampling media for air precipitation, drinking water, surface water, and milk, has been forwarded to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review and approval. The ICR is scheduled to expire on August 31, 2003. Comments on the ICR must be received by EPA on or before September 18, 2003.
On August 20, 2003, EPA published a notice (68 FR 50131) announcing that it was planning to submit an ICR on Hazardous Waste Specific Unit Requirements and Special Waste Processes and Types to OMB for review and approval. Under RCRA, EPA is required to develop standards for hazardous waste treatment, storage, and disposal facilities (TSDs). The standards include requirements: to maintain records of all hazardous wastes identified and listed under RCRA and the manner they are treated, stored, or disposed of; on the location, design and construction of TSDs; on contingency plans to minimize damage from wastes; on maintenance or operation of TSDs; and for additional qualifications such as to ownership, continuity of operation, training of personnel and financial responsibility. The ICR is scheduled to expire on December 31, 2003. Comments on the ICR must be received by EPA on or before October 20, 2003
On August 28, 2003, EPA published a notice (68 FR 51773) announcing that it was planning to submit an ICR on Land Disposal Restrictions - Base ICR to OMB for review and approval. Under RCRA, EPA requires that treatment, storage and disposal facilities maintain data as described in the ICR so that the Agency can ensure that land disposed waste meets the treatment standards. The ICR is scheduled to expire on February 29, 2003. Comments on the ICR must be received by EPA on or before October 27, 2003.

EPA is evaluating whether or not the proposed collection of information is necessary. For more information on these ICRs, email or call Marsha_A_Beery@rl.gov at (360) 709-0664 with Fluor Hanford's Olympia Office.

Briefly:

On August 4, 2003, EPA published an amendment (68 FR 45788) in the Federal Register to the proposed Civil Monetary Penalty Inflation Adjustment rule that was published in the Federal Register on July 3, 2003. The amendment corrects the effective date of the proposed rule which will be the date that the final rule is published in the Federal Register. Comments on the proposed rule must be received by EPA on or before August 4, 2003.
On August 6, 2003, The National Conference of Commissioners on Uniform State Laws (NCCUSL), a national organization of state-appointed attorneys, judges, and law professors, adopted a model uniform state law, known as the Environmental Covenants Act, under which land-use and other restrictions on contaminated property would be enforceable when ownership is transferred. The NCCUSL is currently attempting to get support for this model state law from states and has indicated that it is up to individual state legislatures to enact the model into law. This model uniform law would allow federal and state agencies, plus owners of property to enforce existing institutional controls on the properties as they change ownership. The ECA can be found on the internet at http://www.law.upenn.edu/bll/ulc/ueca/2003act.pdf.
On August 12, 2003, EPA published a notice (68 FR 47887) in the Federal Register announcing that the DOE documents entitled "Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Laboratory (INEEL) Advanced Mixed Waste Treatment Project Certification Plan for Contact-Handled Transuranic Waste, MP-TRUW-8.1, Revisions2A" and "INEEL Advance Mixed Waste Treatment Project Quality Assurance Project Plan, MP-TRUW-8.2, Revisions 2" are available for public review and comment. EPA inspected INEEL the week of August 18, 2003 in accordance with the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) Compliance Criteria. Comments on the documents must be received by EPA on or before September 11, 2003.
On August 20, 2003, Ecology published a final rule (WSR 03-16-067) in the Washington State Register amending the State Environmental Policy Act (SEPA) to be consistent with legislation set forth in Chapter 43.21C RCW statutorily exempting specific proposed actions from the SEPA review. The final rule became effective on September 1, 2003.
On August 21, 2003, EPA published a notice of acceptability (NOA) (68 FR 50533) in the Federal Register to expand the list of acceptable substitutes for ozone-depleting substances under EPA's Significant New Alternatives Policy (SNAP) program. The substitutes are for use in the refrigeration, air conditioning, solvents cleaning, foam blowing, fire suppression, explosion protection and aerosols sectors. The list of substitutes can be found on the Internet at http://www.epa.gov/ozone/snap/lists/index.html. The NOA became effective on August 21, 2003.
On August 25, 2003, EPA published a notice (68 FR 51011) in the Federal Register announcing that the document entitled "Draft Guidance on Watershed-Based National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System Permitting Implementation" is available for review and comment. The purpose of the guidance is to describe the concept of and the process for watershed-based permitting under the National Pollution Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit program. This approach provides a process for considering all stressors within a hydrologically defined drainage basin or other geographic area, rather than addressing individual pollutant sources on a discharge-by-discharge basis. The draft guidance can be found on the Internet at http://cfpub.epa.gov/npdes/wqbasedpermitting/wspermitting.cfm. Comments must be received by EPA on or before September 24, 2003.
On August 28, 2003, EPA published a notice (68 FR 51774) in the Federal Register announcing that the document entitled "First Draft Staff Paper for Particulate Matter (PM)" is available for review and comment. The purpose of the document is to evaluate the policy implications of the key scientific and technical information contained in a related document entitled "Air Quality Criteria for Particulate Matter", required under Sections 108 and 109 of the Clean Air Act (CAA) for use in the periodic review of the National Ambient Air Quality Standards for PM. The documents can be found on the Internet at http://www.epa.gov/ttn/naaqs/standards/pm/s_pm_index.html. Comments on the draft document must be received by EPA on or before October 28, 2003.

*FEDERAL/STATE*
	*REGISTER REVIEW*

68 FR 45788: On August 4, 2003, EPA published an amendment to the proposed rule on Civil Monetary Penalty Inflation Adjustment that was published in the Federal Register on July 3, 2003 (see briefly, this edition). Comments on the proposed rule must be received by EPA on or before August 4, 2003.

68 FR 46536: On August 6, 2003, EPA published a notice announcing that draft regulatory text that accompanies the proposed rule to implement the 8-Hour Ozone National Ambient Air Quality Standard published in the Federal Register on June 2, 2003, (68 FR 32802) is available for public review and comment. Comments on the draft regulatory text must be received by EPA on or before September 5, 2003.

68 FR 47917: On August 7, 2003, DOE published a notice announcing that its draft Strategic Plan (Plan) is available for public review and comment (see article, this edition). Comments on the draft Plan must be received by DOE on or before September 11, 2003.

68 FR 47639: On August 11, 2003, EPA published a proposed rule to establish National Primary Drinking Water Regulations that require the use of treatment techniques for all public water systems that use surface water sources. Comments on the proposed rule must be received by EPA on or before November 10, 2003.

68 FR 48359: On August 11, 2003, EPA published a notice announcing that an additional six chemicals have been put into the Integrated Risk Information System (IRIS) database to be assessed for their human health effects. The chemicals include: acrylonitrile, beryllium, n-hexane, methylene chloride, trichloroacetic acid, and 1,2,3-trichloropropane. EPA is also soliciting public nominations for chemicals the Agency should consider in 2004. The IRIS database can be found on the Internet at http://www.epa.gov/iris/index.html.

68 FR 47887: On August 12, 2003, EPA published a notice announcing that the DOE documents entitled "Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Laboratory (INEEL) Advanced Mixed Waste Treatment Project Certification Plan for Contact-Handled Transuranic Waste, MP-TRUW-8.1, Revisions2A" and "INEEL Advance Mixed Waste Treatment Project Quality Assurance Project Plan, MP-TRUW-8.2, Revisions 2" are available for public review and comment (see briefly, this edition). Comments on the documents must be received by EPA on or before September 11, 2003.

68 FR 48359: On August 13, 2003, EPA published a notice requesting public nominations for chemical substances for its 2004 agenda and announcing additional assessments for 2003 on the Integrated Risk Information System (IRIS). Comments on IRIS agenda and assessments must be received by EPA on or before October 14, 2003.

68 FR 49547: On August 18, 2003, EPA published a proposed rule to amend the national primary drinking water regulations to adopt maximum contaminant level goals (MCGLs) for chloroform, monochloroacetic; to notification, reporting and monitoring requirements for total trihalomethanes and revisions to reduce monitoring for bromate. Comments on the proposed rule must be received by EPA on or before November 17, 2003.

68 FR 49768: On August 19, 2003, EPA published a notice announcing that an Information Collection Request (ICR) on Recordkeeping and Reporting for 40 CFR Part 258 - Solid Waste Disposal Facilities and Practices has been forwarded to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review and approval. Comments on the ICR must be received by EPA on or before September 18, 2003.

68 FR 49772: On August 19, 2003, EPA published a notice announcing that an ICR on Environmental Radiation Ambient Monitoring System (ERAMS) has been forwarded to the OMB for review and approval (see article, this edition). Comments on the ICR must be received by EPA on or before September 18, 2003.

68 FR 50131: On August 20, 2003, EPA published a notice announcing that it was planning to submit an ICR on Hazardous Waste Specific Unit Requirements and Special Waste Processes and Types to OMB for review and approval (see article, this edition). Comments on the ICR must be received by EPA on or before October 20, 2003.

68 FR 50533: On August 21, 2003, EPA published a notice of acceptability to expand the list of acceptable substitutes for ozone-depleting substances under EPA's Significant New Alternatives Policy program (see briefly, this edition). The notice became effective on August 21, 2003.

68 FR 51011: On August 25, 2003, EPA published a notice announcing that the document entitled "Draft Guidance on Watershed-Based National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System Permitting Implementation" is available for review and comment (see briefly, this edition). Comments must be received by EPA on or before September 24, 2003.

68 FR 51429: On August 27, 2003, DOE published a final rule revising its floodplain and wetland environmental review requirements (see article, this edition). The final rule becomes effective on September 26, 2003.

68 FR 51773: On August 28, 2003, EPA published a notice announcing that it was planning to submit an ICR on Land Disposal Restrictions - Base ICR to OMB for review and approval (see article, this edition). Comments on the ICR must be received by EPA on or before October 27, 2003.

68 FR 51774: On August 28, 2003, EPA published a notice announcing that the document entitled "First Draft Staff Paper for Particulate Matter" is available for review and comment (see briefly, this edition). Comments on the draft must be received by EPA on or before October 28, 2003.

WSR 03-15-104: On August 6, 2003, WDOH published a proposed rule to amend Chapter 246-247 WAC, the Radiation Protection -Air Emission rule (see article, this edition). Comments on the proposed rule must be received by WDOH on or before August 29, 2003.

WSR 03-15-091: On August 6, 2003, Ecology published a policy statement on the limitations and proper use of the Stormwater Management Manual for Western Washington issued August 2001.

WSR 03-16-067: On August 20, 2003, Ecology published a final rule amending the State Environmental Policy Act (SEPA) to be consistent with legislation set forth in Chapter 43.21C RCW statutorily exempting specific proposed actions from SEPA review (see briefly, this edition). The final rule became effective on September 1, 2003.

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