Announcement of a Public Stakeholder Meeting on Management of
Hazardous Waste in Research and/or Academic Laboratories
[Federal Register: June 3, 2003 (Volume 68, Number 106)]
[Notices]
[Page 33121-33123]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr03jn03-68]
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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
[Docket No. RCRA-2003-0012; FRL-7506-9]
Announcement of a Public Stakeholder Meeting on Management of
Hazardous Waste in Research and/or Academic Laboratories
AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
ACTION: Notice of a public stakeholder meeting.
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SUMMARY: EPA's Office of Solid Waste is holding a public meeting on
Wednesday, June 18, 2003, to discuss issues associated with hazardous
waste management in research and/or academic laboratories. The purpose
of this meeting is to present our progress to date on issues specific
to waste management in research and academic laboratories and solicit
input from individual stakeholders on approaches to addressing these
issues. A tentative agenda is available upon request. The following
topics are planned for discussion: when/where to make a hazardous waste
determination, waste labeling requirements, personnel training
requirements, satellite accumulation, and types of treatment that are
performed in laboratories. Interested parties may choose to attend the
meeting or submit written comment. The Agency's goal is to improve the
program to better protect human health and the environment through
standards that are harmonious with the way laboratories operate.
DATES: The stakeholder meeting is scheduled for Wednesday, June 18 from
12 p.m. to 5 p.m. eastern time. Submit written comments on or before
July 18.
ADDRESSES: EPA will hold the meeting in Washington, DC at EPA East
(Conference Room 1153), 1201 Constitution Ave., NW. Interested parties
also may participate via videoconferencing at the following locations:
1. North Chelmsford--EPA Region I Laboratory (Kennebunkport Room),
11 Technology Drive, North Chelmsford, MA 01863.
2. Chicago--EPA Region V Office (Lake Erie Conference Room), 77 W.
Jackson Blvd., Chicago, IL 60604.
3. San Francisco--EPA Region IX Office (Conference Room R1915), 75
Hawthorne Street, San Francisco, CA 94105.
Comments may be submitted electronically, by mail, by facsimile, or
through hand delivery/courier. Follow the detailed instructions as
provided in Unit I.C. of the SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION section.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Kate Davis, Office of Solid Waste
(5304W), Environmental Protection Agency, 1200 Pennsylvania Avenue,
NW., Washington, DC 20460; telephone number: (703) 308-0091; fax
number: (703) 308-0514; e-mail address: davis.kate@epa.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
I. General Information
A. Does This Meeting Apply To Me?
While the meeting is open to the public in general, the identified
topics may be of particular interest to persons who work in research
and/or academic laboratory settings or persons who are concerned about
the implementation of the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA)
in these settings. Potentially interested parties may include but are
not limited to: Government laboratories; research and development
laboratories; academic laboratories; Federal, State and local
regulators; academic institutions; non-governmental organizations; and
trade associations representing environmental health and safety
professionals at research and/or academic laboratories. If you have any
questions regarding the applicability of this meeting to a particular
entity, consult the person listed under FOR FURTHER INFORMATION
CONTACT.
B. How Can I Get Electronic Access to This Document and Other Related
Information?
1. Docket. EPA has established an official public docket for this
action under Docket ID No. RCRA-2003-0012. The official public docket
consists of the documents specifically referenced in this action, any
public comments received, and other information related to this action.
Although a part of the official docket, the public docket does not
include Confidential Business Information (CBI) or other information
whose disclosure is restricted by statute. The official public docket
is the collection of materials that is available for public viewing at
the EPA Docket Center, (EPA/DC) EPA West, Room B102, 1301 Constitution
Ave., NW., Washington, DC. The EPA Docket Center Public Reading Room is
open from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday, excluding
legal holidays. The telephone number for the Reading Room is (202) 566-
1742, and the telephone number for the EPA Docket Center is (202) 566-
0270.
2. Electronic Access. You may access this Federal Register document
electronically through the EPA Internet under the ``Federal Register''
listings at http://www.epa.gov/fedrgstr/. An electronic version of the
public docket is available through EPA's electronic public docket and
comment system, EPA Dockets. You may use EPA Dockets at http://www.
epa.gov/edocket/ to submit or view public comments, access the
index listing of the contents of the official public docket, and to
access those documents in the public docket that are available
electronically. Once in the system, select ``search,'' then key in the
appropriate docket identification number.
Certain types of information will not be placed in the EPA Dockets.
Information claimed as CBI and other information whose disclosure is
restricted by statute, which is not included in the official public
docket, will not be available for public viewing in EPA's electronic
public docket. EPA's policy is that copyrighted material will not be
placed in EPA's electronic public docket but will be available only in
printed, paper form in the official public docket. To the extent
feasible, publicly available docket materials will be made available in
EPA's electronic public docket. When a document is selected from the
index list in EPA Dockets, the system will identify whether the
document is available for viewing in EPA's electronic public docket.
Although not all docket materials may be available electronically, you
may still access any of the publicly available docket materials through
the docket facility identified in Unit I.B. EPA intends to work towards
providing electronic access to all of the publicly available docket
materials through EPA's electronic public docket.
For public commenters, it is important to note that EPA's policy is
that public comments, whether submitted electronically or in paper,
will be made available for public viewing in EPA's electronic public
docket as EPA receives them and without change, unless the comment
contains copyrighted material, CBI, or other information whose
disclosure is restricted by statute. When EPA identifies a comment
containing copyrighted material, EPA will provide a reference to that
material in the version of the comment that is placed in EPA's
electronic public docket. The
[[Page 33122]]
entire printed comment, including the copyrighted material, will be
available in the public docket.
Public comments submitted on computer disks that are mailed or
delivered to the docket will be transferred to EPA's electronic public
docket. Public comments that are mailed or delivered to the Docket will
be scanned and placed in EPA's electronic public docket. Where
practical, physical objects will be photographed, and the photograph
will be placed in EPA's electronic public docket along with a brief
description written by the docket staff.
For additional information about EPA's electronic public docket
visit EPA Dockets online or see 67 FR 38102, May 31, 2002.
C. How and to Whom Do I Submit Comments?
You may submit comments electronically, by mail, by facsimile, or
through hand delivery/courier. To ensure proper receipt by EPA,
identify the appropriate docket identification number in the subject
line on the first page of your comment. Please ensure that your
comments are submitted within the specified comment period. Comments
received after the close of the comment period will be marked ``late.''
EPA is not required to consider these late comments. However, late
comments may be considered if time permits.
1. Electronically. If you submit an electronic comment as
prescribed below, EPA recommends that you include your name, mailing
address, and an e-mail address or other contact information in the body
of your comment. Also include this contact information on the outside
of any disk or CD ROM you submit, and in any cover letter accompanying
the disk or CD ROM. This ensures that you can be identified as the
submitter of the comment and allows EPA to contact you in case EPA
cannot read your comment due to technical difficulties or needs further
information on the substance of your comment. EPA's policy is that EPA
will not edit your comment, and any identifying or contact information
provided in the body of a comment will be included as part of the
comment that is placed in the official public docket, and made
available in EPA's electronic public docket. If EPA cannot read your
comment due to technical difficulties and cannot contact you for
clarification, EPA may not be able to consider your comment.
i. EPA Dockets. Your use of EPA's electronic public docket to
submit comments to EPA electronically is EPA's preferred method for
receiving comments. Go directly to EPA Dockets at http://www.epa.gov/
edocket, and follow the online instructions for submitting comments.
To access EPA's electronic public docket from the EPA Internet Home Page,
select ``Information Sources,'' ``Dockets,'' and ``EPA Dockets.'' Once
in the system, select ``search,'' and then key in Docket ID No. RCRA-
2003-0012. The system is an ``anonymous access'' system, which means
EPA will not know your identity, e-mail address, or other contact
information unless you provide it in the body of your comment.
ii. E-mail. Comments may be sent by electronic mail (e-mail) to
rcra-docket@epa.gov, Attention Docket ID No. RCRA 2003-0012. In
contrast to EPA's electronic public docket, EPA's e-mail system is not
an ``anonymous access'' system. If you send an e-mail comment directly
to the Docket without going through EPA's electronic public docket,
EPA's e-mail system automatically captures your e-mail address. E-mail
addresses that are automatically captured by EPA's e-mail system are
included as part of the comment that is placed in the official public
docket, and made available in EPA's electronic public docket.
iii. Disk or CD ROM. You may submit comments on a disk or CD ROM
that you mail to the mailing address identified in Unit 1.C.2. These
electronic submissions will be accepted in WordPerfect or ASCII file
format. Avoid the use of special characters and any form of encryption.
2. By Mail. Send your comments to: OSWER Docket, EPA Docket Center,
Environmental Protection Agency, Mailcode: 5305T, 1200 Pennsylvania
Ave., NW., Washington, DC 20460, Attention Docket ID No. RCRA-2003-
0012.
3. By Hand Delivery or Courier. Deliver your comments to: OSWER
Docket, EPA Docket Center, 1301 Constitution Avenue, NW., EPA West
Building, Room B-102, Washington, DC, 20004, Attention Docket ID No.
RCRA-2003-0012. Such deliveries are only accepted during the Docket's
normal hours of operation as identified in Unit I.B.1.
4. By Facsimile. Fax your comments to: (202) 566-0224, Attention
Docket ID. No. RCRA-2003-0012.
II. Background
EPA recognizes the unique aspects of research and academic
laboratories compared with large manufacturing processes. For example,
research and academic laboratories generate small amounts of many
different wastes while large manufacturing processes tend to generate
large amounts of a few wastes. EPA supports developing environmentally
safe management alternatives for hazardous wastes in research and
academic laboratories. The Agency has participated in several efforts
to explore alternatives that may help target the unique lab practices
and wastes more effectively. Recent efforts include the New England
Labs XL project and the Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI) Best
Management Practices. NE Labs XL is testing the development and
implementation of an Environmental Management Plan designed to minimize
and more effectively manage hazardous laboratory wastes (http://
www.epa.gov/projectxl/nelabs/index.htm). HHMI partnered with EPA to
identify best practices for managing hazardous wastes in academic
research institutions (http://www.epa.gov/epaoswer/osw/specials/
labwaste/r02008.pdf). The June public stakeholder meeting builds on
these efforts.
III. Tentative Agenda
Copies of the tentative agenda for this meeting are available via
mail, fax, or e-mail. If you would like a copy, please contact the
person listed under FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT.
IV. How Can I Participate in This Meeting?
You may attend this meeting in person or submit a written comment.
The meeting locations have the following capacities: Washington DC, 100
people; North Chelmsford, 50 people; Chicago, 30 people; San Francisco,
17 people. Members of the public wishing to have access to the
Headquarters or Regional conference rooms on the day of the meeting
should register by June 11 by contacting Kate Davis, Office of Solid
Waste (5304W), Environmental Protection Agency, 1200 Pennsylvania
Avenue, NW., Washington, DC 20460; telephone number: (703) 308-0091;
fax number: (703) 308-0514; e-mail address: davis.kate@epa.gov. A photo
ID will be required to gain access to Headquarters and Regional
conference rooms. Any person needing special accessibility
accommodations at this meeting should contact the person identified
above at least five business days before the meeting so we can make the
appropriate arrangements.
Any person who wishes to file a written statement may do so before
July 18. EPA has established an official public docket for this action
under Docket ID No. RCRA-2003-0012. Please see Unit I.C. for
instructions on how to submit written comments.
[[Page 33123]]
V. On What Issues Will EPA Be Soliciting Input?
Stakeholders repeatedly have identified three issues: hazardous
waste determination, satellite accumulation, and treatment in satellite
accumulation areas.
Hazardous Waste Determination: Currently, you must make a hazardous
waste determination at the ``point of generation'' of a waste.
1. When should the hazardous waste determination be made in a
laboratory setting?
2. What training is needed for lab personnel concerning hazardous
waste determinations (e.g., full RCRA training or training that is made
specific to chemical management duties)?
3. How should waste be labeled so it can be appropriately managed
as hazardous waste (e.g., the words ``hazardous waste'' or a detailed
chemical description)?
4. Where should the hazardous waste determination be made (e.g., on
the bench or in the 90 to 180 day storage area)?
Satellite Accumulation Area (SAA) Accumulation Time: If more than
55 gallons of hazardous waste or more than 1 quart of acute hazardous
waste is accumulated at a SAA, the excess must be removed within three
days.
1. How should these requirements be applied in a laboratory
context?
2. How often do laboratories accumulate more than 55 gallons of
waste in their SAA?
3. What, if any, difficulties do environmental health and safety
personnel have responding to waste pick-up calls, e.g., within the
three day time limit?
4. How would a longer time-frame for removal impact the cost of
waste management and the ability to protect human health and the
environment?
Treatment in SAAs: We have heard from numerous stakeholders that
they would like to perform certain types of treatment.
1. What types of treatment, other than neutralization, are
laboratory personnel currently performing or would like to perform?
2. What would be the benefits of the desired types of treatment?
Other Issues: The Agency also solicits your thoughts on other
issues specific to research and academic laboratories. In reviewing
issues raised by hazardous waste identification and management in
laboratories, we will particularly focus on the way laboratories
operate, and we will also take into account factors such as regulatory
burden, cost, and protection of human health and the environment.
Matt Hale,
Acting Director, Office of Solid Waste.
[FR Doc. 03-13886 Filed 6-2-03; 8:45 am]
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