United States Office of Solid Waste
Environmental Protection and Emergency Response EPA/530-SW-91-064
Agency (OS-305) August 1991
Office of Solid Waste
SEPA Environmental
Fact Sheet
COKE OVENS TEMPORARILY
EXEMPTED FROM BIF RULE
PROVISIONS
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has issued an administrative
stay of the permitting standards for boilers and industrial furnaces (BIFs)
as they apply to the 34 coke ovens recycling hazardous wastes. The
primary effect of the stay is to allow the coke and coke by-products
industries to continue recycling certain production wastes without having
to comply with the BIF regulations, until EPA can evaluate comments on a
pending regulatory proposal concerning this practice.
Background
On February 21, 1991, EPA promulgated a final rule that estab-
lished permitting standards for boilers and industrial furnaces burning
hazardous waste. Coke ovens were included on the list of devices
considered to be industrial furnaces in the BIF rule, yet the rule ex-
cluded one of the several wastes generated by, and typically inserted
back into, the coking process.
On July 26, 1991, EPA published a proposed rule that would ex-
clude from the definition of "solid waste" additional coke by-product
wastes (K141-145, K147, K148) when they are recycled into the coke
oven or mixed with coal tar. Once excluded from the definition of "solid
waste," the coke ovens recycling them would in turn no longer be sub-
ject to the BIF permitting standards. EPA will soon evaluate comments
received on the proposed rule and will make a final determination for
the recycling of these wastes by October 1991.
Action
On August 21, 1991 (also the effective date of the BIF rule), EPA
issued an administrative stay of the BIF permitting standards as they
apply to coke ovens in order to ensure that current recycling practices
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are not disrupted, pending completion of the rulemaking process con-
cerning such practices.
Given the complex nature of industrial production, waste recycling,
and various regulations affecting this industry, EPA believes an admin-
istrative stay is warranted until all the issues are sorted out under the
different regulatory schemes. EPA further believes that this stay will
prevent disruption of environmentally beneficial practices and that the
absence of a stay will cause unnecessary harm to the coke, coke by-
products, and steel industries.
Contact
For further information, or to order a copy of the Federal Register
notice, please call the RCRA Hotline Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m.
to 7:30 p.m., EST. The national toll-free number is (800) 424-9346; for
the hearing impaired, it is (TDD) (800) 553-7672. In Washington, D.C.,
the number is (703) 920-9810 or TDD(703) 486-3323. Or write to:
RCRA Information Center, Office of Solid Waste (OS-305), U.S. EPA,
401 M Street, S.W., Washington, D.C. 20460.
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