Great Lakes Binational Toxics Strategy

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Dioxin / Furans

Stakeholders Minutes - May 30, 2002
Workgroup Meeting Minutes
Windsor, Ontario

WORKGROUP LEADERS:
ANITA WONG, EC
ERIN WHITE, EPA

Introduction

The meeting agenda was distributed to the workgroup. Anita Wong (EC), Canadian Co-chair of the Dioxin Workgroup, welcomed Erin White as the U.S. Co-Chair of the Dioxin Workgroup. Anita also announced that the National Pollutant Release Inventory (NPRI) is now available on the EC website at www.ec.gc.ca/pdb/npri/ .

Update on the U.S. Dioxin Inventory

Dwain Winters (EPA) discussed the status of the U.S. Dioxin Reassessment. The Reassessment is currently finalizing inter-agency coordination which should take approximately 2-3 months to complete. Dwain also mentioned that there have been no new major scientific issues uncovered to date and that there probably will not be anything new before the end of the summer. The Reassessment is moving ahead with risk management options. In regards to the new data available from the Toxics Release Inventory (TRI), Dwain noted there were some interesting results including more variability in coal-fired power plants and the general recognition that land transfers may need more detail.

In response to questions, Dwain noted that incinerators do not report to TRI, and also that TRI reports include total grams of dioxin / furans only (but not congener distribution, and not Toxicity Equivalents (TEQ) of PCDD and PCDF congeners). In response to a question about whether clean up guidance might change with a change in the cancer slope factor. Dwain’s sense was that the change in slope factor would not lead to a direct proportional change in clean-up standards, but the whole issue of clean-up standards is continuing to be assessed.

Dwain also discussed some information needs:

More data on uncontrolled burning sources
More data on metal smelting
Better understanding of waste disposal - what constitutes releases, where dioxin containing wastes are going and how they are being managed.

Anita mentioned NPRI concern with foundries, copper wire recyclers, and non-smelting copper recycling.

There was discussion about dioxin in sediments and reservoir sources and the probability of linking gull eggs data with sediment and water. Dwain then mentioned the need to get existing data compiled and into a database of information on sediments and soil, but noted the difficulty of getting the data from people’s cabinets into a public database.

Anita and Tom committed to checking into coordinating environmental data on dioxin and Erin raised the possibility of using the Regional Air Pollutant Inventory Development System (RAPID) database and Region 5 database.

Bruce raised the issue of whether the Binational Toxics Strategy (BTS) Workgroup would be a repository for soil and sediment data. Dwain mentioned the Reassessment is compiling soil and sediment data, and that the need is for a short paper summarizing the data from Superfund sites.

Rich Anderson mentioned a source in the Netherlands who may have good test data on wood stoves.

Workgroup Progress Updates

Burn Barrel Subgroup Progress

Bruce Gillies provided a written summary of Burn Barrel subgroup activities (see Attachment A), gave a presentation on the subgroup’s work, and demonstrated the Burn Barrel website.

Katie mentioned the Conference of Mayors or Solid Waste Association of America’s outreach potential. Katie also offered to help with outreach. She expressed concern that the open burning subgroup make clear that it is uncontrolled burning, not burning of garbage itself, that is the problem. The Conference of Mayors is meeting in June in Madison, WI and there is a subgroup on Municipal Waste Management Association. Evelyn raised the issue of highlighting key issues on the website.

Pentachlorophenol (PCP)-Treated Wood Update

Shawn Michajluk of EC gave a presentation with a focus on manufacturers, treaters, and the Canadian actions (see Attachment B).

In discussion after Shawn’s presentation, it was noted that in the U.S., after 2004, selling Chromated Copper Arsenate (CCA) treated wood for residential use will be prohibited but selling for industrial uses will still be allowed.

Tex raised an issue about getting word out to builders and renovators so they could look at liability issues, etc. He also inquired about recommendations for people who have these products already.

It was also noted that pentachlorophenol (PCP) is a joint issue with benzo(a)pyrene (B(a)P) and hexachlorobenzene (HCB), and that Virginia Selaris (CMHC: Canada Mortgage House Corporation) has prepared some sort of report on how consumers should use Materials Safety Data Sheets (MSDS).

Ash Management Update

Rich Anderson gave a presentation (see Attachment C), which started off with the research question: Is there evidence in the literature and/or unpublished data that indicates dioxin leaches from combined ash that has been disposed in a cofill?

He discussed the properties of combined ash, which contains the lime and additives in fly ash to control acid gases.

There is a transfer mechanism that would move some dioxin from air to ash.
Temperature controls are in place to both destroy dioxins and prevent formation
Therefore, while there is a shift from air to ash, there should also be a reduction in formation.
When ash, lime and scrubber reagents are mixed, it has an effect on the combined ash and causes it to solidify quickly and turn into something like cement. This leads to a reduced surface area for leaching.

The study Rich presented concluded that the literature doesn’t provide evidence that ash leads to leaching.

It was noted that industry and municipalities would like to go to re-use, ultimately to get to zero disposal. Regulations for re-use are state based. Cement, road-bed aggregate, and coral rebuilding are examples.

Katie noted that incinerator ash has a major perception problem.

Data Gaps

With time running short, Anita gave a brief presentation on data gaps (see Attachment D) and the meeting adjourned.

Action Item List

Anita and Tom will check into coordinating environmental data on dioxins/furans in soils and sediments
A conference call will be scheduled to continue discussions on ash
A joint conference call with the HCB/B(a)P group will be scheduled to discuss PCP-treated wood
A joint conference call with the HCB/B(a)P group will be scheduled to discuss new sources/inventory gaps

Participants Roster

Rich Anderson, Consultant
Keith Christman, Chlorine Chemistry Council
Katie Cullen, IWSA
Tom Dann, Environment Canada
Bruce Gillies, Environment Canada
Darryl Hogg, Contractor (Environment Canada)
Tom Hornshaw, Illinois EPA
Tex McLeod, HPBA - Canada
John Menkedick, Battelle
Shawn Michajluk, Environment Canada
Steve Rosenthal, USEPA
Evelyn Strader, CGLI
Tom Tseng, Environment Canada
Erin White, USEPA
Dwain Winters, USEPA
Anita Wong, Environment Canada