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Dioxin / Furans

Stakeholders Minutes - November 4, 2003
Draft Workgroup Conference Call Minutes

Workgroup Leaders:
Anita Wong, EC
Erin Newman, EPA

Introduction and Meeting Objectives

Erin Newman (USEPA) welcomed the participants and reviewed the agenda. The objectives of the conference call were to discuss the minutes from the July 31st meeting, review and possibly finalize the Burn Barrel Strategy and Dioxin/Furan Workplan, and develop an agenda for the stakeholders meeting scheduled for December 16 and 17, 2003. 

July 31 Meeting Minutes Review 

Erin confirmed that all workgroup members received minutes from the previous meeting and asked if anyone had corrections or comments. No one had comments at this time.

Burn Barrel Strategy: Review and Comments

Erin opened the discussion to comments on the Burn Barrel Strategy so that any significant changes could be made before the document is finalized. Comments on the document were solicited at several stakeholder meetings, but very few have been received so far. 

Dwain Winters (USEPA) commented that the strategic portion of the document is current, but timeline and references need to be updated. Erin suggested that the timeline be removed from the main document and updated every year. Dwain agreed and suggested that the timeline be presented as an attachment, highlighting progress to date.

A workgroup participant raised a separate issue involving technical information contained in the strategy. The latest version of the strategy states that there is no discernible correlation between PVC in waste and the amount of dioxin released though burning. The commenter contested the statement and maintained that it should be corrected in the strategy, since that assumption would impact potential strategies to minimize dioxin emissions (e.g., limiting burning of PVC). Dwain disagreed with the commenter’s technical points but agreed that the issue was an important subject for discussion by the Burn Barrel group.

General comments on the strategy were then provided by the workgroup. One commenter felt that the document should suggest federal regulatory action as an option for both the U.S. and Canada, despite reluctance from governments on both sides. The workgroup debated the efficacy of federal restrictions on barrel burning, which is not currently being considered by either country. A commenter indicated that intermediate actions could be proposed in the strategy that go beyond education but stop short of an outright ban. Dwain responded that the Education, Infrastructure, and Enforcement section of the strategy already covers such actions.

The workgroup tentatively agreed to present regulatory action as a policy option, and it was proposed that language be presented to the Burn Barrel group for review.

Dioxin/Furan Workplan: Review and Comments

Erin and Anita Wong (EC) requested comments from the group on the latest version of the Workplan; they had already made changes to the previous draft based on comments received at the July meeting and input from other workgroup co-chairs. Anita then elaborated on the plan, indicating that the main focus of work will still be source characterization but that two other important issues have been added. First, the plan sets out to collect and inform the group of available scientific information, fostering awareness of the status of substances in the environment. Also, Anita has added a paragraph on exploring pathways of exposure to dioxins and furans. This exploration is still in the initial stages of development.

Dwain commented on the “Engage Sectors of Interest” section of the plan, stating that the terminology may need to be revised to avoid confusion. Most of the items listed in this section are sources, but agriculture and food production are not. Dwain maintained that a distinction needs to be made between source categories and pathways. The group discussed various options for placement of source and pathway information, considering that certain elements may be targeted for outreach activities. A group member suggested replacing “Engage Sectors of Interest” with a separate section titled, “Continue Outreach Efforts,” followed by two subcategories: “Burn Barrels” and “New Sources.” The characterization section, then, will contain sources of interest; and the outreach section will discuss sectors of interest.

Anita raised the issue of including a section on wood preservers. Canada has developed an SOP for treated wood, and the U.S. has been moving towards a more formal program for life cycle management of waste wood. The workgroup then discussed whether utilities should be included, as well. Anita suggested adding a very general paragraph on what is being done nationally, just to incorporate the wood preserver issue in the plan. Since the group participating in the conference call was small, Erin and Anita decided to circulate a revised draft of the Dioxin/Furan Workplan at the next meeting, at which point it could be formally adopted if approved by the Workgroup.

December Stakeholder Meeting: Agenda Development

Erin started discussion by detailing the schedule for the stakeholder meeting. The large group will meet on the morning of the first day (12/16), followed by workgroup breakout sessions in the afternoon. From 8 a.m. to 10 a.m. on 12/17, space has been reserved for a joint meeting with one of the other workgroups. Some workgroup members expressed concern over whether anyone would spend an extra night just to be able to attend the morning session on the second day. An alternative would be to meet during lunch and extend the afternoon session by one hour know if the venue (a hotel) would be able or willing to allow use of the room(s) beyond the contracted hours. Erin will check to see if a time extension is possible.

Discussion then turned to which workgroup should be invited to a joint meeting. Members decided that it would be most beneficial to invite the PCB group regarding coplanar PCBs. However, the dioxin/furan workgroup needs to learn more about coplanar PCBs, including general background information and how the compounds are handled. Dwain will deliver a generic presentation on coplanar PCBs to the workgroup on the first day of the stakeholder meeting, either during a luncheon or at the end of the day.

Erin summarized the items on the agenda for the December meeting. Tentatively, these items include the Burn Barrel Strategy and Dioxin/Furan Workplan. Workgroup members can submit other topics by e-mail to Erin and Anita, who will propose an agenda and send it by e-mail for review prior to the stakeholder meeting.

Action Items

Participants Roster

Todd Abel, Chlorine Chemistry Council
Dave Ailor, National Oilseed Processors Association
Bob Collette, National Fisheries Institute
John Estenik, Ohio EPA
Doug Fairchild, Western Lake Superior Sanitary District
Bruce Gillies, Environment Canada
Tom Hornshaw, Illinois EPA
Chris Neurath, Burnbarrel.org
Erin Newman, USEPA
Dale Phenicie, Council of Great Lakes Industry
Rob Simon, Chlorine Chemistry Council
Dwain Winters, USEPA
Anita Wong, Environment Canada
Jennifer Zewatsky, Battelle

 

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