Wednesday
November 19, 1980
Part III
Protection  Agency

Hazardous Waste Management System-
Mining and Cement Kiln Wastes
Exemptions; Small Quantity Generator
Standards; Generator Waste
Accumulation Amendment; Hazardous
Waste Spill Response Exemption, and
Clarification of Interim Status
Requirements

-------
   ";,;•£!••;•£v	::;s,,.:	|i u: :„;= / •:•;• =5•::,==., =;.,-	r%^&:-'-v••	• *.i'^^ =::':.;*	:s= =:	-^	.•        "     •     n       t  '"'''""'	1	
;;ygg||'__  federal Register  /  Vol. 4ff, No. 225  / Wednesday, November 19, 1980 / Rules and Regulations
  ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION
  AGENCY

  40CFRPiirt261

  {SWH-FRL 1675-1 j

  Identification and Listing of Hazardous
  Waste

  AGENCY: Environmental Protection
  Agency,
  ACTION: Interim final amendment to rule
  with request for comments.

  SUMMARY: This regulation amends the
  hazardous waste regulations (40 CFR
  i 261.4(b)) to exclude from regulation
  Under Subtitle C of the, Reso,prce
  Conservation and Recovery Act (l) solid
  waste from the extraction, beneficiation
  and processing of ores and minerals
  (including coal), including phosphate
  rock and overburden from the mining of
  uranium ore and (2) cement kiln dust
  wastes, This notion is being  taken to
  bring the regulation into conformance
  with Section 7 of the recently enacted
  Solid Waste Disposal Act Amendments
  of 19BQ, The Agency, for the  time being,
  is interpreting the scope of these
  exclusions broadly but is  unsure that
  this interpretation is consistent with the
  Jntqnt of the Congress. Therefore, over
  the next 90 Says, it intends to carefully
  examine the legislative history of the
  statutory amendment and consider the
  public comments being solicited by this .
  action. Based on this r,gy|ew, the
  Agency, in subsequent rulemaking
  action, may further narrow the exclusion
  being promulgated today.
  DATE: Effective Date: November 19, 1980?
                      ......
. promulgateS as an'interim Una! ruie.'The .....
 Agency will accept comments on it until
 January 19, 1981.
 ADDRESSES: Comments on the
 amendment should be sent to Pocket
 Clerk (Docket No. 3001), Office of Solid
 Waste (WH-565), U.S. Environmental
 Protection Agency, 401 M Street S W.,
 Washington, D.C. 20460.
 FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
 For general information, contact Alfred
 W. Llndpey, Office of Solid Waste, U.S.
 Environmental Protection Agency, 401 M
 Street SW., Washington, D.C. 20460,
 (202) 755-918S. For information on
 Implementation, contact:*
 Region it Dennis Huebner, Chief, Radiation,
   Wqfte Management Branch, John F.
   Kennedy Building, Boston, Massachusetts
   02203, (617) 223-5777
 Region II. Dr. Ernest Regna, Chief, Solid
   Waste Branch, 28 Federal Plaza, New York,
   New Vorli, 10007, (212) 264-0504/5
 Region III. Robert L. Allen, Chief, Hazardous
   Materials Branch, 6th and Walnut Streets,
   Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19106, (215)
   597-0980 	
 Region IV, James Scarbrough, Chief,
   Residuals Management Branch, 345
   Courtland Street NE., Atlanta, Georgia .
   30365, (404) 881-3016
 Region V, Karl J. Klepitsch, Jr., Chief, Waste
   Management Branch, 230 South Dearborn
   Street, Chicago, Illinois 60604, (312) 886-
   6148     	-,,	
 Region VI, R. Stan Jorgensen, Acting Chief,
   Solid Waste Branch, 1201 Elm Street, First
   International Building, Dallas, Texas 75270,
   [214) 787-2645
 Region VII, Robert L. Morby, Chief,
   Hazardous Materials Branch, 324 E. lith
   Street, Kansas City, Missouri 64106, (816)
   374-3307
 Region VIII, Lawrence P. Gazda, Chief,
   Waste Management Branch, 1860 Lincoln
   Street, Denver, Colorado 80203, (303) 837-
   2221
 Region IX, Arnold R. Den, Chief, Hazardous
   Materials Branch, 215'Fremont Street, San
   Francisco, California 94105, (415) 556-4606
 Region X, Kenneth D. Feigner, Chief, Waste
   Management Branch, 1200 Sixth Avenue,
   Seattle, Washington 98101, (206) 442-1260
 SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

 I. Reason and Basis for Today's
 Amendments

   On May 19,1980, EPA promulgated
 regulations implementing Subtitle C of
 the Resource Conservation and
 Recovery Act (RCRA). See 45 FR 33066-
 33588. These regulations define solid
 wastes and hazardous wastes and
 establish requirements applicable to
 generators, transporters, treaters, storers
 and disposers of hazardous wastes.
 These regulations  also require owners
 and operators of hazardous waste
 treatment, storage and disposal facilities
 to obtain ggjRA permits.
   The definition of solid waste is
 provided in § 261.2 of these regulations.
 The definition of hazardous waste is
 provided in § 261.3 of these regulations.
 Both definitions are sufficiently broad to'
 include many solid wastes generated in
 the extraction, beneficiation and
 processing of ores and minerals,
 exclusive of mining overburden returned
 to the mine site (see  § 261.4(b)(3).)
 Specifically, eight mining and mineral
 processing wastes (EPA hazardous
 waste Nos. FO13-FO15 and KO64-
 KO68) were listed as hazardous wastes
 in § § 261.31 and 261.32 of the May 19
 regulations (see 45 FR 33123-33124). In
 addition, other mining and mineral
 processing wastes may be hazardous
 wastes because th'ey exhibit one or
more of the characteristics of hazardous
wastes in Subpart C of Part 261. By
virtue of these definitions, -a number of
mining and mineral processing wastes
Will be subject to the regulations on
November 19,1980, the effective date of
the regulations.
 	Additionally, some cement kiln dust
  waste could be hazardous waste under
  the regulations, if it exhibits any of the
  characteristics of hazardous waste in
  Subpart C of Part 261. Thus, some
  cement kiln dust  waste may be subject
  to the regulations on and after
  November 19,1980.
 ,  -In Section 7 of  the recently enacted
  Solid Waste Disposal Act Amendments
  of 1980 (P.L. 94-482, October 21,1980),
  the Congress amended Section  3001 of
 RCRA to prohibit EPA from regulating
 certain wastes under Subtitle C of
 RCRA until  after  completion of Certain
 studies and certain rulemaking. Among
  these wastes are  (1) "solid waste from
 the extraction, beneficiation and
 processing of ores and minerals,
 including phosphate rock and
 overburden from  the mining of uranium
 ore" and (2) "cement kiln dust waste."
 Accordingly EPA is today amending its
 regulations,  at § 261.4, to incorporate
 this statutory change.
   Several trade associations,
 representing the mining and cement
 industries, have asked EPA to amend its
 regulations by November 19,1980, the
 effective date of these regulations, to
 incorporate the 1980 amendments
 concerning these wastes; In addition
 these associations have sought a
 clarification of the scope of the
 exclusion, particularly regarding the
 types of mining operations that are
 excluded. The statutory exclusion of
 mining wastes in Section 3001(b)(3) is
 limited to "solid waste from the
 extraction, beneficiation and processing
 of ores and minerals." One mining trade
 association has argued that this
 exclusion covers wastes from the
 exploration,  mining, milling, smelting
 and refining  of ores and minerals
 (including  coal.)
   In the interest of providing the mining
 and cement industries clear guidance on
 whether they are subject to the
 regulations, EPA is amending the
 regulations before the November 19
 date. At the same  time EPA questions
 whether the Section 3001(b)(3) was to be
 interpreted as broadly as the trade
• associations  suggest. To resolve these
 questions,  the Agency will have  to
 examine carefully  the legislative history
 and consult with the mining and cement
 industries and the  public. The Agency
 could not accompish this by November
 19,1980, given the  extremely large
 workload with which it is burdened in
 developing the Phase II regulations, in
 responding to other requests for
 regulatory amendments and
 interpretations, and in responding to
 petitions for judicial review of the
 regulations.

-------
        Federal  Register / Vol. 45, No.  225 /Wednesday, November 19, 1.980 / Rules and -Regulations, 76619
  Consequently, the Agency has
decided to provide an immediate but
temporary accommodation of the  •
requests on this matter by promulgating
today interim final amendments to
§ 261.4(b) which provide the requested
exclusion using the language of the
statutory amendments. Until the Agency
takes further rulemaking .action on this
matter, it will interpret the language of
today's-amendments, with respect to the
mining and mineral processing waste
exclusion, to include solid waste from
the exploration, mining, milling, smelting
and refining of ores and minerals.
  This exclusion does not, however,
apply to solid wastes, such as spent
solvents, pesticide wastes, and
discarded commercial chemical
products, that are not uniquely
associated with these mining and allied
processing operations, or cement kiln
operations. Therefore, should either
industry generate any of these non-
indigenous wastes and the waste is
identified or listed as hazardous jmder
Part 261 of the regulations, the Waste is
hazardous and must be managed in
conformance with the Subtitle C
regulations.
II. Intended Reconsideration of Todays
Amendments
  The Agency fully intends to  consider
the appropriate scope of the statutory
exclusion and may well take rulemaking
action to lessen the scope ,of the
exclusion being promulgated today. To
aid in this consideration, the Agency is
 soliciting public comments on this
matter. In particular EPA questions
whether Congress intended to exclude
 (1) wastes generated in the smelting,
 refining and other processing of ores
 and minerals that are further removed
 from, the mining and beneficiation of
 such ores and minerals, (2) wastes
 generated during exploration for mineral
'deposits  and (3) wastewater treatment
 and air emission control sludges
 generated by the mining and mineral
 processing industry. EPA specifically
 seeks comment on whether such wastes
 should be part of the exclusion. EPA   —
 also seeks comment on how it might
 distinguish between excluded and non-
 excluded solid wastes.
   If EPA narrows the scope,of. the
 exclusion being promulgated today in
 future rulemaking,. those who generate,
 transport, 'store, treat or dispose of
 wastes affected,by such a change will
 have  six months to prepare for
 compliance with the regulations. This
•;, six month delay in the effective, date is
 provided under authority of Section
 3Q10(b) of RCRA.        '-.,..
   In addition to the consideration of the
 scope of the exclusion discussed above,
the Agency will be considering
regulatory amendments to implement
other provisions of Seption 3001(b)(3).
Section 3ppl(b)(3j(B) recognizes EPA
authority to issue regulations under
Section 2002 of RCRA to place
requirements on owners and operators
of disposal sites for excluded wastes.
These requirements concern
identification and recording of
information on the location of disposal
sites as well as on the composition of
the wastes that are disposed. EPA also
invites public comment on how it should
formulate such, requirements.

III. Effect of Today's Amendments
  Today's amendments relieve persons
who generate or manage hazardous
wastes produced in, and unique to, the
exploration, mining, milling, smelting or
refining of ores or minerals and persons-
who generate or manage a cement kiln
dust waste from having to comply with
EPA's regulations under Subtitle C of
RCRA with respect to these wastes.
Owners and operators of existing
treatment, storage and disposal facilities
do no t ha ve to submit a Part A, RCRA
permit application by November 19,
1980, or comply with the interim status
standards of Part 265 after November 19,
1980, with respect to _such wastes. Also,
owners and operators of new faciKti.es
for the treatment, storage or disposal of
'the subject wastes will not have to
apply for and obtain a RCRA permit
before constructing or operating such
facilities,.        •"'/-"
   Today's action does not relieve
persons who generate  or manage those
wastes herein discussed from
, compliance with other Federal and State
regulations including State regulations
designed to implement Subtitle D of
RCRA and State regulations being
implemented in lieu of the Federal
Subtitle C regulations where the State
has interim or full authorization under
Section 3006 of RCRA.
IV. Relationship to Final Listing of
Certain Hazardous Waste in § § 261.31
and 261.32
   On November 12,1980, in a separate
rulemaking action [see 45 PR 74884), the
Agency has finalized'the list of most of
the hazardous wastes listed in §§ 261.31
and 261.32. Included hi this action.was
firialization of seven of .the mining and
mineral processing: wastes mentioned
above (EPA hazardous waste nos. F014-
15 and K064--68). One of the wastes
previously mentioned (F013) was
deleted from the list of hazardous waste
(§, 261.31) in that separate action.
Because of the Agency's uncertainty  .
with respect to the scope of the
statutory amendments, as discussed
 above, it has gone ahead with the
 finalizatibn of the aforementioned listed
 wastes. Notwithstanding, the effect qf -
 today's action is to suspend those final
 listings of hazardous wastes,  unless arid
 until the Agency reduces the scope of
 today's .exclusion in subsequent
 rulemaking action.               :

 V. Coal Mining Waste    -
   The Solid Waste Disposal Act
 Amendments of 1980 also included
 special provisions (Sections 1006(c) and
 3005(f)) designed to coordinate
 regulation'of coal mining waste with the
 requirements of tHe Surface Mining
 Control and Reclamation Act, 30 U.S.C.
 § 1201 et seg. EPA believes that the3e,
 provisions present problems of legal
 interpretation which cannot be resolved
 by November 19,1980. The Agency may
 seek public, comment on its
 interpretation of those provisions in .    '
 later rulemaking actions, This interim
 final rule does not attempt to  interpret
 the scope of Sections 1006(c)  and 3005(f).
 However, since coal is arguably a
 "mineral or ore" under Section  .
 3001(b}(3), wastes from "the extraction,
 beneficiation arid processing  of coal are
 excluded from RCRA Subtitle C
 regulation in today's amendment to
 § 26i;4(b). Until EPA'has had an
 opportunity to analyze the intended
 scope of the exclusion, the terms  v
 "extraction, beneficiation and
 processing" will be interpreted broadly
 to include coal exploration, mining,
 cleaning, classification, and other
 processing activities. As with other
 elements of this exclusion, EPA will be:
 examining this exclusion, particularly
 the exclusions for classification, and
 other processing activities', in more
 detail later and may decide to narrow
 its scope.

 VI. Effective Date
   Section 3010(b) of RCRA provides that
 EPA's hazardous waste regulations and
• revisions thereto take effect six months
 after their promulgation. The  purpose of
 this requirement is to allow persons
 handling hazardous wastes sufficient
 lead tune to prepare to comply with -
 major new regulatory requirements. The
 amendments promulgated today,
 however, serve to put in regulatory form
 what is already stated in statute. To
 establish a deferred effective date
 would only serve to confuse the
 regulated community. Consequently, the
 Agency is establishing an immediate,
 effective date for this amendment.
 VII. Request for Comments
             *
   The Agency invites comments on
 these amendments and on the issues
 discussed in this preamble and,

-------
                                                                                             ,              .     ,
                                                                                          Hi   I i  " in1 '        '    ,1 i«'i        • n
                                               ii I ill 11  ,  in  i in i  llll linn i i i 11  In  Hill i in i in                                                    .
                                                 ill 11 ii     iii   in iiinii i n  n IN  n i  i* in in i in i n in  in  iiiiiliiii iiiiiiiiiiliiig|liiiii|iiiiii|iiiiiiii|ii|ii|iiii I n In n n iiiiiii nil n in I in mi iii1 it I iiinii mi mi  in i nun niii|iii|ininiiiinivn|iv iniinnnniiil NHII iiiiinn
                                                                                     i  n    n     n    * i                       i        t
         76620  Federal Register / Vol. 45, No. 225 / Wednesday, November 19, 1980 / Rules and Regulations
HIM1
  »
 * '>'
         therefore, is providing a 60-day comment
         period.
           Dwtcd; November 14,1980.
        1 Miiiii, '"liLi" ••:ii:iiiiai(lili|lliii;|ii!!i;,,	i;:1:	 iii	i'1	INI ,' 'in'Miai, 	in1" ip'jTiii!'1:!!!1 .ji'i1',
         Douglas M, Costle,
           Title 40 of the Code of Federal '
         Regulations is amended by adding the
         following paragraphs to § 261.4(b):
         5261.4  fAmended]
         »'" *	*  	# '"  *   ' "fc "'"  """   ";	   :"
           (b)
           [GJ Solid waste from the extraction, .
         beneficiation and processing of ores and
         minerals (Including coal), including
         phosphate rock and overburden from the
         mlWng^ of uranium ore.	 .
         "" {7J Cement "kiln dust waste.
           Trhese amendments are issued under
         the authority of Sections 1006, 2002(a)
         and 3061 "of the Solid Waste Disposal
         Act, as amended by the Resource
         Conservation and Recovery Act of 1976
         {RCRA), as amended, 42 U.S.C. 6905,
         6§l?(a) and 6921,
         !»* Dot                  '
         40 CFR Parts 261 and 262
'f''';•' Hazaird'ousWaste Management
   System: Identification and Listing of
;>  Hazardous Waste Standards for	
,i'1 i.r:,Gfneralorsip^,ftazardous Waste",_'  ,"""
l .j	', 15', "-|"ll:; 11	iwii'is	iii jii'Sl t'lfrjii > ft!!, ,11 BSi ;'i i* •:«till   •'!. • "
   AGENCY: Environmental Protection
   Agency.
   ACTION: Irjterim ppal rules, and request
 1  : for comments.	 '	•	

   SUMMARY; In regulations promulgated in
   !v|ay, 1980, establishing a federal
   program for the management of
   hazardous wastes, EPA excluded from
   full regufatipn persons handling
   hazardous wastes generated in small
   quantities (40 CFR 261.5.45 fR 33066,
   33120 (May 1Q, 1980)). This amendment
   clarifies the operation of the special
   requirements for hazardous waste
   generated by small quantity generators.
   Part 202 of the regulations has also been
   amended to ensure that these generators
   determine wh'ether their wastes are
  •• hazardous.	
   DATE: Effective Date: November 19,1980.
     Comment Date: EPA will accept
   public comments on this regulation until
   January 19,1981.
   ADDRESSES:  Comments on this
   regulation should be sent to the Docket
   Clerk [Docket Number 3001], Office of
   Solid Waste  (WH-S62), U.S.
   Environmental Protection Agency, 401M
   Street, S.W.,  Washington, D.C. 20460.
   The public docket for this regulation is
 located in Room 2711, U.S.
 Environmental Protection Agency, 401 M
 Street, S.W., Washington, D.C. and is
 available for viewing from 9 a.m. to 4
 p.m. Monday through Friday, excluding
 holidays. Among other, items, the docket
 contains the background document for
 this regulation which has been revised
 to accommodate these amendments.
 FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
 Robert Holloway, Office of Solid Waste,
 U.S.  Environmental Protection Agency,
 401 M Street, S.W., Washington, D.C.
 20460, (202) 755-9200.
 SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

 I. Introduction
   Pursuant to Subtitle C of the Resource
 Conservation and Recovery Act of 1976,
 as amended ("RCRA"), 42 U.S.C. § 6901
 et seq., EPA recently promulgated
 regulations establishing a
 comprehensive regulatory program for
 the management and control of
 hazardous wastes (45 FR 33066  (May 19,
 1980)). The regulations, among other
 things, identify the characteristics of
ii hazardous wastes, list particular wa.stes
 as hazardous, and establish standards
 fpj genera tors and transporters  of
 hazardous waste and owners and '
 operators of hazardous waste    t
 'management  facilities.          '
   The regulations also define special
 requirements for hazardous waste
 generated by generators who produce
i" less than i.bbb kilograms of hazardous
 waste during a calendar month. (See 40
 CFR 261.5, 45 FR 33120). Hazardous
 waste generated by a small quantity
 generator is generally excluded from full
 regulation provided the generator stores,
 treats, or disposes of his hazardous
 waste in facilities specified as
 acceptable or ensures that his
 hazardous waste is delivered to such
 facilities. However, if a small quantity
 generator generates or accumulates
 acutely hazardous waste in quantities
 greater than specified, or if he   .
 accumulates more than a total of 1,000
 kilograms of hazardous waste at any , .
 time, all quantities of hazardous wastes
 for which an exclusion level is exceeded
 are fully regulated.
   Since the publication of the regulation,
 members of the regulated community
 have raised a number of questions    *
 concerning the operation of the  small
 quantity .exclusion. EPA has been
 persuaded that, in certain respects, the \
 regulation is ambiguous and does.not
 clearly address certain situations. In
 addition., the regulation contains certain
 technical errors which would cause the
 exclusion to operate in a manner not
 intended by the Agency or contrary to
the manner explained in the preamble to
the regulation and the supporting
materials. This amendment to the
regulation is intended to clarify the
original regulation and to correct the
errors contained in it.
  The revisions to the small quantity
generator exclusion, principally concern
five aspects of the regulation: the
determination of who is a small quantity
generator; the requirements applicable
to hazardous waste accumulated on-site;
the requirements applicable to acutely
hazardous wastes; the conditions
applicable to wastes excluded from full
regulation; and the requirements
applicable to mixtures. The changes to
the regulation are described in this
preamble. The underlying rationale and
basis for §  261.5 remain unchanged and
are set forth in the preamble to the May
regulation. (See  45 FR at 33102-33105.)
  The background document supporting
the requirements for small  quantity '
generators has been revised to explain
in greater detail the operation of § 261.5.
In addition to describing the-changes
made by today's amendments, the
background document provides
guidance on the  operation of regulations
applicable to the small quantity
generator.              '•
  It should be noted that the Agency has
received a petition from the National
Solid Waste Management Association
("NSWMA") which requests the Agency
to make substantive  revisions to § 261.5.
EPA has noticed and requested
comments on the petition. (45 68409
(October 15, I960).) The amendment to
§ 261.5 published today does not
constitute the Agency's response to' the
NSWMA petition. EPA's action with
regard to that petition will be the subject
to further notice and/or rulemakihg.

II. Amendments to the Regulation

  A. Determination of Small Quantity
Generator Status.
  Section 261.5(a) of the May regulation
set forth the general test for determining
who may qualify as a small quantity
generator:
  *  *  * if a person generates, in a calendar
month, a total of less than 1,000 kilograms of
hazardous wastes, those wastes are not
subject to regulation * * *.

  Since publication of the regulation,
persons have raised two questions basic
to the operation  of this section: (a)     .
should the section be keyed to
generators rather than persons; and (b)
what wastes should be counted in
determining the amount of waste
generated in a calendar month? The
regulation has been revised to resplve
both of these  questions.
  ' '''                '
                                                                                                                                 i!	'"'[I]	»	'ii;	:'!	
                                                        1™.], "iV" «':',, 'ii " ii/l»' ii'i'L WJi^iii" I1Jill,ill? Mvli:1 '''"".." *Vfti'» nil '"'' :i*'i|'iv 1L|^^                        H iii	i^iiiiiii', ni !l/4J^^        i/i'lilill'iniipiljiiiiil
                                                             i.	.,„;'"". ;| l
-------
^Federal Register ./.-Vol. 45, No.  225 / Wednesday, November 19,  1980 /  Rules arid ReguIations^-^6621
       Although it was EPA's intent to key
     the exclusion levels established in
    " §" 261.5 to individual generation sites, the
     May 19,1980 regulation refers to
    ^persons" rather than "generators". As
    1 these terms are defined in § 260.10 of
     this Chapter, a corporation (i.e., &
     person) may comprise numerous ,
     facilities that generate hazardous waste,
     (Le., generators). Read literally,
  -   therefore,  § 261.5 makes the Subtitle C
    • regulations and the notification
     requirements of Section 3010 of RCRA
     fully applicable to a company which   :
 : A ; generates, in; the aggregates- more than
     the quantity exclusion level but each of  .
     whose facilities generates less than that
 •"._,-• amount. The revisep!:regulatipn replaces
     the prior reference, to "persons" with
,. ':.; "generators," making it clear that  . ;   ;
     individual facilities which generate     -.:
  .   hazardous waste in a quantity below the
  :.   exclusion levels may qualify as  small
   .quantity generators.     .  .            ,
       To provide further clarification, the
     amended regulation defines a small
     quantity generator as a generator who
     generates less than 1000 kilograms of
     hazardous waste in a calendar month...
     Thus, this amended regulation makes    ,
     clear that a generator may be a small
     quantity generator in one month and a
     large quantity generator in another
:  .   month. The, recordkeeping and ^reporting
    • requirements of Part 262 apply, however,
 '••'•  . .only-to those periods in whiqh the
    ' generator's hazardous; waste is subject  ;
     to full regulation under Part 262; Thus/,
•'• •'  'for example,; the annual report of a
 "•'   generator whb|e w'aste is subject to-full •;
     regulation under Part 262 for three
     months in a year would cover the .
     generator's activity only for those three
: /   months.            ''.'.''.
       'The second issue resolved.by the  •
     amended regulation concerns which
     hazardous wastes should be counted in
     determining,whether a generator
     generates 1000 kilograms pf hazardous
     waste in a calendar month. One
» -  . question is'how the exclusionbf;
     hazardous wastes that are used, re-used,
  ;  . recycled or reclaimed under § 261.6
,,,4 ., relates.to .the. § 261.5 requirements.
i i ~ v- *,Appth^r se't ,bf questipns fecuses pri the .
,;.",f!'y generator'-wjjq rembves.wastei jirbm.on-
  ;|;.,-';/.' sitejstprage or whosb; pri-siti treatment.  -,'

 .",.."  TliiB small quantitj/;geheratpr'  ^ ''   ' •-.'.'.
 .  ". requirements have been revised by the
     addition pf a new paragraph, § 261.5(c),
     tp.Glarify whiph hazardous, wastes that
  •-,'  ^ are bising used, re-used, recycled or
   .  reclaimed are .included in determining
     small generator sjtatus. Sectipn 261.6(a)
 ;;! ..excludes frpni regulation wastes^ihat are
     hazardous because they meet EPA
                                   characteristics and that are beneficially  :
                                   used or re-used or legitimately recycled
                                   or reclaimed. Wastes that are excluded
                                   under § 261.6(a) are not included.in the.
                                   quantity determination of § 261.5.
                                   Section 261,6(b)i however, makes
                                   sludges, listed hazardous wastes, and
                                   hazardous wastes containing listed   •
                                   hazardous wastes subject to full
                                   regulation during storage and   ,
                                   transportation prior to their use, re-use,
                                   recycling or reclamation. Because these
                                   wastes are subject to Subtitle C
                                   regulation, the revised § 261.5 makes
                                   clear that these wastes must.be included,
                                   in the quantity determination and are\
                                   subject to the other requirements of that;
                                   section. Although, this is a result that a' •
                                  . careful reading pf the May regulation
                                   would support, the revised§  261.5
                                   sHould resolve any ambiguity on this-  ;
                                   issue. '.'..•''   ....           .
                                    A number of persons,stated that use
                                   of the word "generates" in § 261.5  ,' "
                                   creates some uncertainty about what
                                   wastes should be counted in
                                   determining .eligibility for small quantity
                                   generator status. These commenters
                                   believed that, without clarification, the
                                   rule might lead to double-counting of
                                   wastes when they are also treated or;
                                   stored onTsite; If, for example, a   .
                                   generator's manufacturing process   "
                                   generated 600 kilograms of hazardous
                                  • waste" in a mbnth, arid he'placed that  • ;
                                   waste in storage.-persbns were       '' ;
                                  : .uncer.tain whether, when that waste was
                                   removed from storage, the 600 kilograms
                                  : Was to be counted again in the  'quantity "•--:
                                   determination. Counting this quantity a
                                   second time would have the effect of
                                   substantially lowering the exclusion
                                   levels. A new paragraph,  § 261.5(d), has
                                   been added to make it clear that &••.,    -•.
                                  ..generator counts his hazardous waste
                                   only when he first generates  it. He is not
                                   required to count the waste again when
                                   he removes it from on-site accumulation ,
                                   or storage * or when he produces a
                                   hazardous waste from the ori-site  .'.
                                   treatment of his hazardous Waste. The
                                   amendment is intended to avoid double-.,
                                   counting of wastes and therefore
                                   extends only to the on-site treatment or
                                   storage of hazardous wastes generated , i
                                  • by the,small quantity genera'tor. |f the,; ..
                                  : generator.riaceives hazardous .waste.  , ./ .•
                                   from another person  fqr treatment, the  ;-•.
                                  :-, hazardbu's .'lyaste^gerierated by thfe;,,, v--, •';<'
                                  , .,treatinent prac'ess must be counted, in' v;.
                                   the generator's quantity determination.:.;.
                                     B: Requirements Applicable  to      • ,
                                   Hazardous Waste Accumulated On-site.
                                     1 Under the definition of generation, removal from'
                                   otorage is not an act or process that produces a
                                   hazardous waste, although it is an act which may
                                   subject a waste to regulation. The Agency intends
                                   ,to publish regulations on this subjecHn the near •
                                   future.    T -   -          '.  ' ' ' ' • ' * '• r
   Section 261.5(b) of the May regulation '
 states that if a generator accumulates
 more than 1000. kilograms of hazardous  .
 waste, these wastes are subject to full
 Subtitle C regulation. Acutely hazardous
 wastes, when accumulated, are subject
 to the lower exclusion limits specified in
 § 261.5(c) of the May 19,1980, regulation.
 After the publication of the regulation,
 persons questioned how the regulation
 would apply, whether the generator
 wpuld be able to use the provisions of
 §262.34 allowing on-site storage without;
 a permit for 90 days prior  to shipment of
 the wastes to treatment, .storage or
 ^disposal facilities; and, if,so, how the
 provisions of that section .apply-to. small
i quantity genera tors.      .»      .     •;.
   A new paragraph, § 261.5[f), clarifies
 the .manner in which hazardous wastes,
 are regulated w,hen the aqcumulatiph
 limit is exceeded. Because the regulation
 allows indefinite, and unregulated    '  ,
 storage of wastes in quantities less than
 1000 kilograms, the Agency believes it .
 unreasonable to make this 90 day period
 start at the time the waste was first
 generated.' Such a result would place
 generators who exceed the        : .
 accumulation levels but whose  ;
 accumulation began more -than 90 days  .
 prior to exceeding the 10,00 kilogram
.level immediately in violation of the    .
 regulatory requirements .by storiijg.,     .;
 vvaste^ without a: permit or .without .-   •
 interim status under Section 3005(e) of
 RCRA. The revised §  261.5(f) states that;
 at the time the allowable, accumulation 2",
 limit is exceeded, the waste becomes:
 fully regulated and §"262.34 becomes.
 applicable. Section 262.34 provides the
 generator 90 days to remove the waste   <
 from on-site storage without the
 necessity of having either a. permit or
 interim status for thatstorage. To take
 advantage of | 262.34, however, the;
 generator, must satisfy the conditions of.
 that section. This will ensure that the.
 generator handles the waste in a
 satisfactory manner while providing him
 sorhe tiriie to arrange for proper
 treatment, storage or disposal.   ,
   The revised regulation also clarifies
 that, once the accumulated amounts
 fexpe'ed \00p kilograms, all of thosie
 ^wa^tes^rid^ftiose subsequently added to
 that accumulation axe fully-regulated
 until all the waste js sent to a hazardous
 waste treafinent, storage or disposal
 facility, ffris nile means that those
 wastes remain subject to full regulation
 even if the quantity of wastes
 accumulated or stored becomes less
 than 1000 kilograms. In addition, those   •
 wastes remain fully regulated regardless
 of when ft^wastes are removed from r
 storage or accumulation and regardless •.
 of whether the generator is a small ...t j.-;

-------
                       ''''' i'l  £3  ' ffJv'jS™                                           "                                          "     !
                      •''''I' '. tiijl ••>. >*'..;	M.?M: salt /Si	:>,il^*ii«'lH))rtihjfiiftS«j3|	   •           •
                        	!	  ' ""'"' 'iii'l, , 'i  "I	!v' Tll|||h!jri>i:i""	 '', ';, "iljlill''",;,. > |h i, l,n • 	I! iliji! |j|! ||, ,i°', j;' ij V fftgicl" Jl	,, 1|, .Jlif!' i' „ ,i MliiMVU
   76822  federal Register / Vol. 45, No. 225 / Wednesday, November19,  198(5 / Rules and Regulations
   Quantity generator Jn the month they are
 ,,  Htinbvfid frora storage, Certain persons ..
   thought tlwt only the amount exceeding
   ledd Kilograms was subject to
(:  rfgul«ticm,,Thi® position was not,
   however, supported by the language in
   the May regulation which stated that, if
   a person"aeeiiniulates more than 1000
   kuoflrams, !*thoae accumulated wastes",,
   would bg subject to full regulation. The
   revised fanguage should resolve any
   ambiguity mat may have been created
   by the original language. The provisions
   for acutely hazardous waste apply
   similarly,
     C. Requirements Applicable to
  • Acutely tocuanfous Waste.
     Section 281,5{c) of the May regulation
   sels lower exclusion levels for acutely
   hiJMrdotis discarded chemical products,
 •. '. their off-specificattori variants',
   containers and inner liners that held
   these wastes, and residue and debris
   rgsulting from spills of these wastes. The
   revised regulation, § 26l.5(e), clarifies
   two ambiguities ia the regulation: (a)
   whether mfi	exclusionjevelsapply to
 1  the total" amount of acutely" Hazardous
   waste generated and (b) whether the
   exclusion levels apply only to small
   quantity generators.
     Wi& respect to the first question, the
   language of the regulation has been
   revised to state that the exclusion levels
   ppply to the aggregate of all of the
   kmlely hazardous wastes subject to a
   particular exclusion. Thus, if a generator
   discards In a calendar month 0.5
   kilograms, of one commerical chemical
   product listed in § 262.33{e) and 0.5
   kilogram each of two other listed
   commercial chemical products, the total
   1.5 kilograms of acutely hazardous
   Wastes would be subject to full Subtitle
   C regulation. The exclusion thus applies
   to  acutely hazardous wastes in the same
   manner as |t applies to other hazardous
 '"  pastes. The rationale for aggregating
   wastes to determine the amount of
   wastes generated applies with equal
   force to acutely hazardous waste as to
   other hazardous waste. The need for full
   regulatory control of these wastes is the
   same whether the total is comprised of
   one listed substance or three such
   substances.
     Second, the regulation is revised to
   clarify  that the lower exclusion levels
   for acutely hazardous waste apply only
   to generators who otherwise are deemed
   small quantity generators. The Agency
   believes that a generator who produces
   more than 1000 kilograms of hazardous
   waste a month and is therefore subject
   to  full regulation should handle his
   acutely hazardous wastes in the same
   manner a"s his other wastes. The basis
   For the  exclusion levels is the
   administrative Impossibility of EPA
regulating all generators of hazardous
waste. If a generator is subject to
regulation on the basis of generating
more than 1000 kilograms of hazardous
waste, there is no reason to exclude
from regulation his small quantities of
those wastes which the Agency has
identified as acutely hazardous. There
will be no additional drain in the
administrative demands placed on the
Agency and the protection of human
health and the environment will be
significantly increased.
  A final change to 1j 261.5 has been
made with respect to acutely hazardous
wastes. Section 261.5(c) of the May
regulation established exclusion levels
for containers and inner liners that held
acutely hazardous waste. A new
section, 261.7, has been added to the
regulations under separate rulemaking
that excludes "empty" containers from
regulation. If a container or inner liner
that has held acutely hazardous waste is
empty, it is not subject to regulation and
not subject to the exclusion levels set in
§ 261.5. The residues of acutely
hazardous waste in nonempty
containers  or inner liners are subject to
the exclusion levels of § 261.5(g) and the
requirements of the'section. The
reference to containers and inner liners
that appeared in §  261.5(c) of the May
regulations is deleted.
  D. Conditions Applicable to Waste  •
Excluded from Full Regulation.
  Section 261.5(d) of the May regulation
specified the facilities in which
hazardous waste excluded from full
regulation could be managed. The
Agency inadvertently omitted facilities
that beneficially use or re-use, or
legitimately recycle or reclaim waste
from the list of acceptable facilities. The
Congressional policy of promoting
resource recovery, as implemented by
the Subtitle C regulatory program in
§ 261.6, would not be served by denying
to small quantity generators  the same
opportunity to use, re-use, recyle or
reclaim their waste which is provided to
other generators. Accordingly, the
regulation is revised to allow small
quantity generators to treat or dispose of
their waste in such facilities. The
regulation is also redesignated
§261.5(g).
  Section 261.5(g) has also been revised
to state that hazardous waste must be
stored on-site in accordance with
§ 261.5(f). This latter paragraph, as
described above, covers the
accumulation and storage of wastes pn-
site. This revision merely reiterates that
storing or accumulating wastes on-site
under § 261.5(f) is allowed.
  Today's amendments make one
additional technical correction to the
May regulations. Section 261.6(d)
'iii i|iiiiiii!!in; mi1 I,IHIII|III|IIIII ii	i	ii|ii:' mini; mi; 11, in;1 ,111 ^«;;,, ir i	ii'ini > w," ,n'	niiniiri ?' I\KK\H :,,i	'iiiiiiniiiKii vmt 1inn "is ii|iiiiiiiiniii|in
 required generators, as a condition of
 the exclusion from full regulation, to
 determine under § 262.11 whether their
 wastes were hazardous. Section
 262.11(a), however, stated that, if a
 generator determined that he was
 subject only to § 261.5, he did not have
 to determine whether his waste was
 hazardous. The Agency has corrected
 this inconsistency by deleting the
 reference to § 261.5 in § 262.11. The
 generator of solid waste" must determine
 whether his waste is hazardous before
 determining whether his waste is
 conditionally excluded under § 261.5
 from full regulation. Without such a
 determination the generator of
 hazardous wastes would not know
 whether any of the Subtitle C
 requirements, including the reduced
 requirements, apply to the waste nor
 whether, if the exclusion levels were
 exceeded, the full requirements would
 apply.
  . E. Requirements Applicable to
 Mixtures.
   Section 261.5(e) of the May regulation
.established a special mixture provision
 for hazardous wastes which were
 excluded from full regulation by §  261.5.
 This provision is redesignated as
 § 261.5(h) and has not been revised.
   A new paragraph, § 261.5(i), is added
 to make clear that mixtures of solid
 waste and hazardous wastes which
 have exceeded an exclusion level are
 subject to full Subtitle C regulation.
 Pursuant to § 261.3(a)(3)(ii), a mixture of
 solid waste and hazardous wastes is a
 hazardous waste. Members of the
 regulated community have asked what
 exclusion level applies to the mixture;
 for example, whether a mixture
 containing an acutely hazardous waste
 that has exceeded an exclusion level
 remains subject to the lower exclusion
 levels applicable to that waste. This
 new paragraph clarifies that the lower
 exclusion level applies. A contrary
 result would encourage generators to
 mix acutely hazardous wastes subject to
 full regulation (i.e., because they are
 generated or accumulated in quantities
 greater than one kilogram) with other
 hazardous excluded wastes [e.g., those
 generated in quantities of less than 1000
 kilograms a month) and thus escape the
 regulatory controls which the Agency
 has determined are essential for the safe
 handling and management of hazardous
 wastes.
 III. Effective Date
   Section 3010(b) of RCRA provides that
 EPA's hazardous waste regulations and
 revisions thereto take effect six months
 after their promulgation. The purpose of
 this requirement is to allow persons
 handling hazardous wastes sufficient
                                                                            I	iii

-------
        Federal Register /. VoL 45, No.  225 / Wednesday, November 19, 1980 / Rules  and Regulations  76623
lead time to prepare to comply with
major new regulatory requirements. For
the amendment to _§ ,261.5 promulgated
today, however, the Agency believes
that an effective date six months after
promulgation would cause substantial -
and unnecessary disruption in the
implementation .of the .regulations and
would be contrary to the interests ,of the
regulated community and the public.
The amended Jegulation is an integral
part of a regulatory program that
becomes effective on November 19,
1980. In addition, the principal revisions
to the regulation simply clarify and
make technical corrections to the
regulation. The revisions also allow
greater flexibility in the manner in  ,
which small quantity generators .handle
their hazardous waste.
  The Agency believes it makes little
sense to allow the small quantity
generator requirements promulgated on
May 19,1980, to become effective on
November 19,1980, and then to have
them substantially revised on a
subsequent date by this amendment.
Clarification of regulatory requirements
and increasing their flexibility are not
the types of regulation revision that
Congress had in mind when it provided
a six month delay between the
promulgation and the effective .date ;of
revisions to regulations. Consequently,
the Agency is setting an effective date of
November 19,1980, lor the amendments
to §§ 261.5 and 262,11 promulgated in
this rulemaking action.

IV. Promulgation in Interim Final Form
 , These amendments to § 261.5 are
designed principally to clarify the
manner in which the regulations
published in May of 1980 are to operate.
EPA has received many questions on the
regulation. These questions indicated
that there  is substantial confusion on the
part-of the regulated community alxmt
the exclusion of generators of small
quantifies of hazardous waste. Absent
immediate effectuation pf these
clarifying  amendments, EPA believes
that this confusion will persist after the
effective date of the Subtitle C
regulations, November 19,1980. This
confusion will lead, EPA believes, to
real and substantial hardship for
persons subject to the reduced
requirements of § 261.5. If uncertain •
about the rule's application or operation,
many responsible generators ;of
hazardous waste .mayunnecessarily
comply  with the full Subtitle C
regulations. Immediate implementation  •
of the amendment smalt quantity
generator requirements is necessary in
order to avoid inadvertantlylmposing
substantial burdens on literally
thousands of generators who are
uncertain whether they are excluded
from full regulation under § 261.5. Given
the real and substantial :cost that delay
might create, the Agency finds good
cause to promulgate these rules without
prior notice and opportunity for
comment.

V, Request for Comments
  The Agency invites comments on all
aspects of these amendments to the
regulations and on all issues discussed
in this preamble. EPA is hopeful that the
regulations as revised are reasonable,
understandable, and workable. The
Agency will be receptive to comments
which would improve the regulation.
VI. Regulatory Impacts
  The effect of these amendments is to
reduce the overall costs, economic
impact and reporting and recordkeeping
impacts of EPA's hazardous  waste
management regulations. This is      y ' '
achieved by clarifying the operation of
the regulations  and increasing their
flexibility. The Agency is unable to
estimate these reductions.
  Dated: November 14,1980. .
Douglas M. Costle,
Administrator.            •
  Title 40,of the Code of .Federal
Regulations is amended as follows:
  1. Section 261.5 is revised to read as
follows:

§'261.5  Special requirements for
hazardous waste generated by small
quantity generators.
  (a) A generator is a small quantity
generator in a calendar month if he
generates less than 1000 kilograms of
hazardous waste in that month.
  (bj Except for those wastes identified
in paragraphs Je) and (f) of this section,
a small quantity genera tor's ^hazardous '
wastes are not  subject to regulation
under Parts 262 through 265 and Parts
122 and 124 of this chapter, and'the
notification requirements of Section 3010
of RCRA, provided the generator
complies with the requirements of
paragraph (g) of this section.
  (c) Hazardous waste that is
beneficially used or re-used  or
legitimately recycled or reclaimed and
that Is excluded from regulation 'by
§ 261.6(a] is not included in the quantity
determinations of this section, and is.not»
subject to any requirements  of this
section. Hazardous waste that is .subject
to the special requirements of § 261,'6(b)
is included in the quantity
determinations,.of this section and is  «
subject to the requirements .of this
section.
  (d) In determining the quantity of  •
"hazardous waste he generates, a  -
generator need not include:
  .'(I-) His hazardous waste whenit is
• removed from on-'site storage; or
   (2) Hazardous .waste produced by on-
 site treatment of his hazardous waste.
   (e)lf a small quantity generator
 generates acutely hazardous waste in a
 calendar month in quantities greater
 than set forth below, all quantities ,of
 that acutely hazardous waste are
 subject to regulation under Parts 262 -
 through 265 and Parts 122 and 124 of this
 chapter, and the notification
 requirements of Section 3010 of RCRA:
   (1) A total of .one Idlogram of a
 commercial chemical products and
 manufacturing chemical intermediates
 having the generic names listed in
 § '261.33(eJ, and off-specification
 commercial chemical products and
 manufacturing chemical intermediates
 which, if they'met specifications, would
 have the generic names listed in
 § 261.33(e); or
   (2) A total of 100 kilograms of any
 residue or contaminated soil, water or
 other debris resulting from the clean-up
 of a spill, into or on any land or water,
 of any commercial chemical products or
 manufacturing chemical intermediates
 having the generic names listed in
 §261.33(e).
   (f) A small quantity generator may,
 accumulate hazardous waste on-site. Jf
 he accumulates at any time more than a
 total of 1000 kilograms of his hazardous
 waste, or his acutely hazardous wastes
 in quantities greater than 'set forth in
 paragraphs (e}(l) or (e)(2) of this section,
 all of those accumulated wastes for
 which the  accumulation limit was
 exceeded are subject to regulation under
 Parts 262 through 265 and Parts 122 and
 124 of this chapter, and the notification
 requirements of Section 3010 of RCRA.
 The time period of § 262.34 for
 accumulation of wastes on-site begins
 for a small quantity generator when the
 accumulated wastes exceed the
 applicable exclusion level.
   (g) In order for hazardous waste
 generated by a small quantity generator
 to be excluded fromJull regulation
 under this section, the generator must:
   (1) Comply with § 262.11 of this
 chapter;
   (2) If he  stores'his hazardous waste
 on-site, store it in compliance with the
 requirements of paragraph (f) of this
 section; and
  •(3] Either treat or dispose of his
 hazardous waste:in an on-site facility, or
 ensure delivery to an off-site storage',
 treatment or disposal facility, ;either of
 which is;
   :{i) Permitted under Part 122 of this
 chapter;
   (ii) In interim status under Parts 122
 and 265 of this chapter;            ,

-------
1 (J I'll 1 " 111
"l, 1 1 1 1 1 ' 1
1 II II
1 1_»
i|, ''-"'IT " 	
i,, i if 1 1! iii i
III 1 1 1 | III 1 h 1
i
i i nn i i ii l| , ill ii i in II |k| 1 11 ™ I1
" » ',» hit !*'
i 'iii "ii" »i i 'i™
n| * (
ii \
         76624  Federal Register / Vol. 45, No.  225 / Wednesday, November 19, 1980  / Rules  and Regulations
Illl'1 ill ,11!"
ill!	"
    (iii} Authorized to manage hazardous
  waste by a State with a hazardous
'-''' feasie management program approved
  under Part 123 of this chapter;
    (lv) Permitted, licensed or registered
  by a State to manage municipal or
  Industrial solid waste; or
    M A facility which:
    (A) Beneficially uses or re-uses, or
  legitimately recycles or reclaims his
  waste; or
    (B) Treats his waste prior to beneficial
  use or refuse, or legitimate recycling or
  reclamaiion.	'"	'
    (h) Hazardous waste subject to the
  reduced requirements of this section
  may be mixed with non-hazardous
  wafte and remain subject to these
 reduced requirements even though the
 resultant mixture exceeds the quantity
 limitations identified in this section,
 unless the mixture meets any of the
 characteristics of hazardous wastes
  identified in Subpart C.
    (i) If a small quantity generator mixes
 a solid waste with a hazardous waste
  that exceeds a quantity exclusion level
 of this section, the mixture is subject to
  full regulation,
   "€. Section 282.11(a) is revised to read
 as follows:
ill',	I"
ill
         1262.11  Hazardous waste determination,
           fa) He should first determine if the
         waste is excluded from regulation under
                ^	  t  	•;„ iililli, ,1	N	I! '•,'::„	ill,:	U>

    These amendments are issued under
  the authority of Sections 1006, 2002(a)
  and 3002 of the Solid Waste Disposal
  Act, as amended by the Resource
  Conservation and Recovery Act of 1976
  (RCRA), as amended, 42 U.S.C. 6905,
  6812(a), and 6922.
  IKRtte: (10 :01MF.'cdll-lS 80, 640.im]
  BIU.1NC CODE 65W-30-M
   !      "'Ill  'III i    ^     i  ' 'i	I	  i   'I	

  40 CFR Part 262
  (SWH-FRC  1675-4]

  Hazardous Waste Management
  System; Standards Applicable to
  Generators of Hazardous Waste
45 FR 33066, 33143 (May 19,1980)]. One
of these requirements was that a
generator ship all accumulated waste
off-site in 90 days or less. This
amendment eliminates the distinction
between accumulation for on-site and
off-site treatment, storage or disposal,
provided that, within 90 days, the waste
is sent to a hazardous waste
management facility that is either
permitted or in interim status. The other
requirements of § 262.34 are not changed
by this rule.
DATES: Effective Date: This requirement
is effective on November 19,1980.
Comment date: Comments are due
January 19, 1981.
ADDRESSES: Comments should be
addressed to the Docket Clerk (Docket
3002), Office of Solid Waste (WH-562),
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency,
401 M Street SW., Washington, D.C.
20460.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Rolf Hill, Office of Solid Waste, (WH-
563), U.S. Environmental Protection
Agency, 401 M Street SW., Washington,
D.C. 20460, (202) 755-9145.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
I. Introduction
  In regulations promulgated in
February and May, 1980, EPA
established standards applicable to
generators of hazardous waste. 40 CFR
Part 263,"'45"FR'12722"[February 26,	1980)i"
££-££ 3 jj4o""[May" 19," 1980); These
standards, among other things, require
generators to initiate a manifest to track
the  movement of hazardous waste,
maintain records, and provide proper
containers, labels and placards for the
transportation of hazardous waste. Most
of these requirements apply only to
generators who send their hazardous
wagteg gffjhe site,	p| generation fpr,,
treatment, storage or disposal. Some of
these  requirements, however, apply to
generaforS"who treat, store,or dispose of
their wastes on the site of generation.
        AGENCY: Environmental Protection
        Agency.
        ACTION: Interim final rule and request
        for Comments.	"h	

        SUMMARY: In regulations promulgated in
        May, 1080, establishing a federal
        program for the management of
        nasjardou.jwastes^EPA placed
        requiremeriis on generators of
        hazardous waste that accumulated their
        waste on the site of generation prior to
        shipment to off-site hazardous waste
        management facilities [40 CFR § 262.34,
                                         wasletoan off-site hazardous waste
                                         management facility, EPA set special   -
                                         requirements in § 262.34 which, if met by
                                         ihe generator, would allow him to
                                         accumulate the waste on-site without
                                         having to obtain a RCRA permit for a
                                         storage facility under Part 122 of the
                                         regulations or comply with "the
                                         applicable standards under Parts 264
                                         and 265 of the regulations.         :
                                          , The basis, and rationale for, these
                                         special 90-day accumulation rules
                                         appear in the preambles to, and the
                                         background documents supporting, the
                                                                            'idll	IP'li JiilliliT' «' "Ij'hililill Viilill
                                                    i"'1"1 ;„,,", ,.i!!|f'li|i''',,'ij!'ii ,'';''";'". J	HJI|j' "IS'1 ,»""'iii'Hij n .' ''' Hi.'.: '"1'i.l'il, »."'t i; iiK Jlllli+IW
 generator regulations first published in
 Feburary, 1980, and then revised in May,
 1980. See 45 FR 12722, ^2730 (February
 26,1980) and 45 FR 33140, 33141 (May 19,
 1980). By allowing short-term
 accumulation without a permit, the
 regulation reflects the congressional
 intent that the RCRA program not
 interfere with the manufacturing
 process. See H.R. Rep. No. 94-1491, 94th
 Cong: 2d Sess. 26 (Sept. 9,1976).
 Generation of hazardous waste
 necessarily requires  some accumulation
 of that waste prior to taking it to a ^"
 hazardous waste management facility.
 On the basis of information received in
 the comment period, the Agency
 selected ninety days as a period that
 provided sufficient time for such
 accumulation to occur in all reasonable ,
 situations.
  Holding hazardous waste for a short
 period, however, entails many of the
 same risks to human health and
 environment as long-term storage, and
 therefore the Agency imposed specific
 requirements for short-term
 accumulation. The special requirements
•of § 262.34 require the generator to (1)
 ship the wastes off-site within 90 days;
 [2] place the waste in containers or
 tanks meeting specified technical.
 standards; (3) mark the date
 accumulation began on the container or
 tank; (4) properly label and mark the
 containers; and, (5) comply with the Part
 265 regulations concerning preparedness
 and prevention, contingency plans and
 emergency procedures. These
 requirements are designed to ensure that
 short-term accumulation of hazardous
 wastes will be done in a manner that
 ensures protection of human health and
 the environment.
  Since the publication of the
 regulations, members of the regulated
 community have raised two questions
 that are basic to the application and
 operation of this regulation. First, these
persons have stated that the distinction
 between accumulation of hazardous
 waste prior to off-site shipment and
 accumulation prior to on-site treatment,
 storage or disposal is arbitrary and that
 the 90-day accumulation provision
should apply to both  types'of
 accumulation. Second, these persons
have stated that although the special 90-
day accumulation requirements of     '
 § 262.34 may be appropriate for the
more centralized areas and facilities
where hazardous wastes are
accumulated prior to off-site transport or
ultimate on-site disposition, they are
more stringent than necessary for the'
accumulation and very short-term
storage of wastes at areas where the
wastes are generated and initially
                                                                                                    •        	                   I
                                                                               vflSentylTOr.-*!.'^-'!'';	\MfsH*	(.Strtfti**	^>^y:viiiiHf|ii^^|jii!ii|q^]
                                 SBi'l • -i!,;,	

-------
         Federal Register / Vol. 45, No.  225 / Wednesday,. .November.. 19, 1980 /Rules and Regulations.  76S25>
 accumulated—often in small
 containers—prior to movement to the
 more centralized on-site accumulation
 and storage areas.
   The .amendment being promulgated
 today responds to the first of these  .
 concerns. For reasons:dis.cussed below,
 however, EPA believes that more
 information is necessary prior to
 ascertaining the need for amending the
 regulations to respond to the second
 concern.  . -
 II. Onrsite Accumulation Prior to On-site
 Treatment, Storage or Disposal  '
   The effect of the current regulations is
 to allow one class .of generators {Le.,
 those who ship" their wastes off-site) to
 "accumulate" their waste lor up to 90-
 days without having a permit .or interim
 status and to require all other generators
 (i.e., those who treat", store and dispose
 of the wastes on-site) to obtain a RCRA
 permit or interim status for  the same
 activity. The standards applicable to
 both classes, however, are, similar.
 Generators who  accumulate waste on-
 site under § 262.34 .would have to .store
 their wastes incompliance with
 virtually .all .of the technical
 requirements of Part 265 and also satisTy
 many of the general requirements of that
 Part, e.g., prepare contingency plans ^and
 emergency procedures/The principal
 difference ..the Agency had discerned
 between'these two classes of generators
. that was that the areas used for-.
 accumulation by the generator who
 performed such activities on-site would
 be included in their permit covering the
 other on-site treatment,, storage and
 disposal facilities. In addition, certain
 provisions of the Part 265 regulations
 apply to the accumulation areas of
 generators who manage their wastes on-
 site; these include security,  financial
 responsibility, closure and post-closure
 requirements.
    EPA now believes, however, that the
 regulations as .currently written impose
 substantially different requirements for
 generators who .ship .their wastes off-site
 as opposed to those who do not. These
 differences do not.appear warranted.
 The most important of these differences
 concerns eligibility for interim .status if
 short-term accumulation is  considered
 storage for generators who  treat, store
 or dispose of their wastes on-site! To
 obtain interim status a storage facility
 must be "in existence" on November 19,
 1980. Section 3005(e), 42 U.S.C. § 6925(e)
 as amended by the  Solid Waste
 Disposal Act Amendments  of 1980, P.L.
 96-482 (October .21,1980). A generator
 who sends his wastes off-site would be
 able to construct a new loading dock or
 storage .shed for .short-term
 accumulation; ,a  generator who does not
 send his wastes off-site could not
 construct a new'loading dock (Le., a new
 storage facility) without obtaining a
 RCRA permit. Second, although   ""\;
 applying for a permit for these
 accumulation areas may:noi entail
 significant increased burden, the terms
, and conditions .of the permit could
 impose requirements'beyond those
 required for generators who ship their
 wastes off-siterln addition, orffler
 differences between on-~site
 accumulation and on-isite storage may
 emerge as the regulations are
 interpreted and applied.
   EPA believes that there is no basis for
 the distinction and accordingly has
 amended the requirement of
 § 262.34(a)(l) that accumulated wastes
 be shipped off-site within 90  days. The
 requirements of § 262.34 are designed to
 ensure protection of human health and
 the environment during short-term
 accumulation. The destination of the
 waste does not change the protection *
 that this rule ensures. Section 262.34
 requires that wastes that are
 accumulated orPsite still must, within 90
 days, go to treatment, storage or
 disposal facilities which are permitted
 or in interim status. The regulation now
 provides that such facilitiesTnay be on-
 site as well as off-site; the manner TO?
 regulation and the degree of        ,
 environmental control is the  same for
 these facilities. .
   The selection of a'90-day period in the
 original rule reflected the maximum
 accumulation time that the Agency
 thought was necessary prior to
 transporting wastes off-site. The
 generator does not wholly control the
 timing of the transportation because
 arrangements have to be made with the ,
 transporter and the hazardous waste
 management facility. The .situation is
 obviously different if. the generator is
 sending his waste to a treatment,
 storage or disposal facility located on
 the site of generation. In this: situation,
 the generator has greater control over
 the handling of the waste and the timing
 of its shipment. The Agency  solicits
 information on whether given this
 difference whether a shorter period, say
 30 days, should be provided  for
 generators who subsequently .send their .
 wastes  to an on-site treatment, storage
 or disposal facility,

 III. Application of Requirements to All
 Accumulation Areas
  1 In promulgating the regulations
 establishing the  requirements for .on-site
 accumulation, EPA assumed that
 accumulation .generally would occur in
 discrete areas in the manufacturing
 complex where wastes would be held
 prior to shipment to a treatment, storage
  or disposal facility. Technical standards
  for tanks or-containers, the preparation
  of contingencyjplans and similar
  requirements are appropriate lor loading
  docks, storage buildings and sheds, and
  other areas in la manufacturing complex
  where hazardous wastes are collected  '
  and accumulated.
   Members of the regulated community,.
  however, have pointed xmt that, within a
  manufacturing complex, there may be
  dozens of places where hazardous
  wastes are collected during daily
  operations prior to taking ;a container
  containing-hazardous waste to the
  loading dock or other accumulation
  area. These commentersifaave
  questioned the appropriateness of
  applying the Tequirements of § 262.34 to
  each place "where hazardous wastes
  may be initially collected.
   EPA believes, however, that the
  requirments of § 262.34 are^appropriate
  for both centralized.and satellite-
  accumulation areas. The Agency,
  however, is soliciting'information.on
  whether, in some situations, .different
  requirements should govern these
  accumulation activities.
    Whether at satellite nr centralized
  accumulation areas, Jhe hazardous
  waste requires proper management in
  order to minimize the threat to .human
  health and the :environment. The
  requirements of J 262;34 are designed to
  provide such protection. Containers that
  meet DQT specifications and tanks A.ai
  meet Part  265 design and operating
  requirements  appear necessary and
  appropriate for the accumulation of   •
  hazardous waste regardless of whether
  the accumulation occurs at a centralized
  facility or  in different places within a
  plant. The othier requirements of §'262.34
  similarly appear appropriate to :all
  accumulation .activities on the site:of
  generation; these include marking and'
  labeling containers; weekly inspections
  of containers; locating of containers
  holding ignitable and reactive wastes
  away from the property line;
  requirements concerning preparedness
  and prevention, contingency plans and
•  emergency response and personnel
  training. The protection that these
  requirements ensure appear appropriate
  and necessary wherever hazardous  ,
  wastes are accumulated.
    The Agency recognizes that there may
  be. certain situations in which "the
  requirements of § 262.34 might not work
  well for the initial collection and  *
  accumulation of hazardous waste. For
  example,  the Agency,does not expect a
  company to engage in major
  reconstruction of a facility simply to be
  able,to fit a DOT container beneath a
 , hard-to-reach leaky pipe. The Agency
  does, however, want to ensure that all

-------
        76826 Federal Register /  Vol. 45,  No. 225  /Wednesday,  November 19, 1980 /  Rules and Regulations
i III "I
          i waste, once generated, are
 iafgly and properly handled. The
 Agency requests comments on situations
 in which the requirements of § 262.34
 may be inappropriate and on the
 manner in which EPA should handle
 such situations.
 IV. Effective Date
   Section 30io(b) of RCRA provides that
 EPA's hazardous waste regulations and
 revisions thereto take effect six months
 after their promulgation. The purpose of
 this requirement is to allow persons
 handling hazardous wastes sufficient
 lead time to prepare to comply with
 major new regulatory requirements. For
 the amendments to § 262.34 promulgated
 today, however, the Agency believes
 that an effective date six months after
 promulgation would cause substantial
 and unnecessary disruption in the
 implementation of the regulations and
 would be contrary to the interests of the
 regulated community and the public.
 The regulatory provision that this
 amendment modifies takes effect on
 November 19,1980. In the absence of the
 immediate effectuation of this
 amendment, generators who accumulate
 Wastes for on-site treatment, storage or
 disposal must prepare to operate these
 facilities as fully regulated hazardous
 waste storage facilities on and after
 November 19,1980. This would include
 preparation and submission of a Part A
 permit application covering the
 accumulation area.
  The Agency believes it makes little
 sense to allow the requirements
 promulgated on May 19,1980, to become
 effective on November 19,1980, and
 then: hays: them substantially modified
 on a subsequent date, i.e., the six-month
 teffecttve	date, for the.se., amendments.	
 Leasing of regulatory requirements is
 Sot the type of revision to  regulations for
 which Congress intended a six-month
 delay occur between its promulgation
 Mid effective date. Consequently, the
 Agency is setting an effective date of
 November 19,1980, for the amendment
 to § 262.34 promulgated in this
 rulcmaking action.
 V. Interim Final Promulgation
  jThis regulation is being promulgated
 in Interim final form. The reasons for
 taking this exceptional procedure are
 similar to those supporting the
 Immediate effective date. The delay
 involved in Initiating ribrmaTrulemaking
 would cause substantial hardship on
generators who treat, store or dispose of
 their hazardous wastes pn-site. During
 the pendency of rulemaking^these
generators would not be able to
CdnSlrucf'peyir accumulation areas in
 their manufacturing facilities without
 obtaining a RCRA permit. Because such
 areas are intimately tied to the
 manufacturing process itself, such a
 delay might in effect create'a prohibition
 of'redesign and reconstruction of these
 manufacturing units.                ".
   Although the Agency does not adopt
 this procedure lightly, the circumstances
 indicate that the use .of interim final
 promulgation is appropriate. As one
 court has noted "[i]t is an appropriate
 safety valve to be used where delay
 would do real harm." U.S. Steel Corp. v."
 EPA, 595 F.2d:207, 214 [5th Cir., 1979).
 EPA believes that the effect of delaying
 promulgation of this amendment would
 cause substantial, and unnecessary,
 hardship on a large number of
 manufacturing operations. In this
 situation, the use of advance notice and
 comment procedures would be contrary
 to the public interest and therefore good
 cause exists for adopting this
 amendment in interim final fprm. See 5
 U.S.C. § 553(b)(B).

 VII. Request for Comments

  The Agency invites comments on all
 aspects of this amendment to the
 regulation and on all the issues
 discussed in this preamble. The Agency
 has recently requested comments of one
 aspect of § 262.34, its applicability to
 product storage tanks. 45 CFR 72024
 (October 30,1980). The Agency will
 consider all comments received on
 § 262.34 prior to promulgating this rule
 in final form. EPA desires to formulate
 sound and sensible  regulations
 concerning the proper handling of
 hazardous waste. The requirements of
 § 262.34 are. an important aspect of this
 broader concern, and, if commenters
 have suggestions on ways to improve
 this regulation, the Agency would be
 receptive to their suggestions.

 VIII. Regulatory Impacts

  The effect of this amendment is to
 reduce the overall costs, economic
 impact and reporting and recordkeeping
 impacts of EPA's hazardous waste
 management regulations. This is
 achieved by removing accumulation
 areas of generators who send
 accumulated wastes to on-site disposal
 facilities from full regulation as storage
 facilities. The Agency is unable to
 estimate these cost' and impact
 reductions because it does not have an
 estimate of the number of.siich ;areas
 that otherwise would be fully regulated.
For the reasons already discussed,
notwithstanding these cost and impact
reductipns, the Agency believes that   :
human health and environmental
protection will not be reduced by this
action.
   Dated: November 14,1980.
  Douglas M. Costle,
  Administrator.
  • Title 40r of the Code .of Federal
  Regulations is amended as follow.s:

  §262.34  [Amended]
   1. In § 262.34, paragraph (a)(l) is
  revised to read as follows.
   (a) A generator may accumulate
  hazardous waste on-site without a
  permit or without having interim status,
  provided that:
   (1) All such waste  is,.within 90 days,
  shipped off-site to a designated facility
  or placed in an on-site facility that is
  permitted under Part 122 of this Chapter,
 .has interim status under Parts 122 of this
  Chapter, or is authorized to manage
  hazardous waste by a State with a
  hazardous waste management program
  approved under Part  123 of this Chapter.
  *    • *    *.    *    *     •.
   These amendments are issued under
  the authority of Sections 1006, 2002(a),
  3002, 3003, 3004 and 3005 of the Solid
  Waste Disposal Act,  as amended by the
  Resource Conservation and Recovery
 Act of 1976 (RCRA), as amended, 42
 U.S.C. 6905, 6912(a), 6922, 6923, 6924 and
  6925.                         .
  [FR Doc. 80-36131 Filed 11-18-80; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 6560-30-M

 40 CFR Parts 122, 260, 264 and 265

 [SWH-FRL 1675-5]

 Hazardous Waste Management
 System

 AGENCY: Environmental Protection
 Agency.             .    .
 ACTION: Interim final  rule and request
 for comments! .'.       .

 SUMMARY: In regulations promulgated in
 May of 1980, the Environmental
 Protection Agency ("EPA") established
 a comprehensive program for'the
 handling and management of hazardous
 wastes, 45 FR 33066 (May 19,1980): The
 regulations, among other things,  set forth
 substantive requirements for  the
 treatment and storage of hazardous
 wastes and require owners and
 operators of treatment and storage
 facilities to have Resource Conservation
 and Recovery Act (RCRA) permits or
 interim status pursuant to Parts 265 and
 122 of the regulations. Certain activities
 which persons may take  in response  to
 spills of hazardous wastes or materials
 which, when spilled, become' hazardous
 waste might be considered treatment •
 (e.g., absorption, neutralization) or
 storage (e.g.-, diking, containment). In •
. this action EPA makes clear that the
 requirements for treatment and storage
 are not applicable to actions taken to
                                                                          ,: ll-:1,,;!!!111!!,,1!1!',:;1,,,!!11!	ii llhl!1:	ST'iinS.i',';	!!|i .ml	ii:i! 411!HIM!"
                                                                                   	  ]
 	Ii 'i -, lull	*„!#,:,,,,ii:,
                                                          <••[,•':': •	fi.,.,' • i r.:!!': <:'    , <','. •'•'!!	KSfMstfS1 lifKMOINtlf	feW:,;;)'!;.;' .SI	'.:. '•''!.. ill ffSK, JfOtt. tflO14!|!'!AX	              •• I
                                                          .,	°:,,	'...";..,; 	,1.";;i	i.1«• - :;,.•„,::•.i1;:1,;..•	;	;.	': i|	'	miiiiiini*.1.;;;:;.=s^  	r., i'' .11;	 ,	ji°,.1.111.1.1,i.,"	i«r^      	':.;...;;^IU«^
                                                          .' i / :i	i::;». .ji:i"' s:i:,r....i:'. 14 ;n'..'	'	'iniii.«;»,i;,:a,	M	iw.|»IIH;'iiiiigntwiM^    	.':	''<»»	i!'!	'	n'.t	':..'n	>	g	luinr	^	mini	iiiiiijiiiiiu	pii	IIIR	iii|f
                                                         ,;, liii	' H	;gg.; ij... EII muni "HI n ip. ii1:1: ,1. "Hi:	1.1	w;^           	ill Ii	111111*«. .inn ii .iiiri	" .1. .iii'iiiiiiiiiii. I.:!Jf w

                                                             fcfcii&ifo	j;^^^      	i::	as.to*if	'ti	&M-,	:^fe^i	'jAflifflfe	Il

-------
          Federal  Register'/  Vol. 45,; No.  225 / .Wednesday,-November  19,  1980 /-Rules and Regulations ' 76627
  immediately contain and treat spills of
  hazardous wastes and-materials which,
  when spilled, become hazardous waste.
  This action also adds a definition of spill
  in §§260.10 and 122.3.            '

  DATES: Effective date: These
  amendments become effective on .   ,
  November 19,1980.     .      ...".'
  ,  Comment Date: The Agency will
  accept comments on these amendments
  until January 19,1981.

  ADDRESS: Comments oh these
  amendments should, be. addressed to the
  Docket Clerk (Docket 3004, Office of
  Solid Waste (WH-562), U.S.     ,
  Environmental Protection Agency, 401M
  Street,-S.W., Washington, D.Cy 20460.    .

  FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:  >••
  For general hiformation, contact Amy
  Mills, Office of Solid Waste (WH-563),
  U.S. Environmental Protection Agency,
  401 M Street, S.W., Washington, D.C.
 > 20460. For .information on     . - • •
  implementation, contact:
  Region I, Dennis Hueb.er, Chief,
    Radiation,"Waste Management
    Branch, John F. Kennedy Building,
    Boston, Massachusetts 02203, (617)
   ;223-5777
  Region II, Dr. Ernest Regna, Chief, Solid
    Waste Branch, 26 Federal Plaza, New -
 ;   York, New York 10007, {212] 264-0504/
  •  5      •:•-  '      '         '••-".'-.
  Region III, Robert L. Allen, Chief,
    Hazardous Materials Branch, 6th and
    Walnut Streets, Philadelphia,'
    Pennsylvania 19106, (215) 597-C980
  Region IV, James Scarbrough, Chief,
    Residuals Management Branch, 345
    Courtland Street, fi.E., Atlanta,       -
    Georgia 30365, (404) 881-3016
  Region V, Karl J. Klepitsch, Jr., Chief,
 : - ' Waste Management Branch, 230 South
  ' Dearborn Street, Chicago, Illinois
    60604, (312) 886-6148
  Region VI, R. Stan Jprgensen, Acting
  ;  Chief, Solid Waste Branch, 1201 Elm
    Street, First International Building,
  ,  Dallas, Texas 75270, (214) 787-2645
  Region VII, Robert L-Mprby, Chief,  , ,   .
  ^Hazardous' Materials.Branc\324 E. •
  ! llth Street Kansas City, Klis'souri,   -.
                            '' '    " "*;
     CHUUO, ^O-lpJ o*s/—o«jy/  . . _ ^ _^       .
  'Region VIHltawrence P. Gazda.Ch'iif,-  J"
•':"'"'' •'Vy'aste Mjanag^rnent Branch, 1660 '"• . ~
   "'; Linco'iri Street, Dienver,.;5o]oradp ..;•
 *"  80203,^03)837-2221   L  ,.
   RegiPn IX, Arnold R. Den, C^iet,  ;
     Hazardous Materials Branch,ti5  /  ^
v'.  Fremont Street, SanFranciscoi1'    •'.
'•   'California 94105, (415) 55^1606'  ...  ;
   Region X, Kenneth ID.  Feig||f* Chief; ',
  ; .? Waste Man.aigeinent Brangh, 1200"   "'",
, •.'».«Sixth Avenue, .Seattle, ^shipgtpn '."  '
     98101, (206) 442-1260    "
 SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATIONS
 I. Introduction     -  '  '             .''•
   In May of 1980, EPA promulgated
 regulations implementing Subtitle C of  '•
 the Resource Conservation and
 Recovery Act of 1976, as amended
 {"RCRA"). These regulations, among
 other things, identify and list hazardous
 wastes (Part 261), establish standards
 for generators arid transporters of
 hazardous waste (Parts 262 and 263),
 and set standards and permit           ',
 requirements for owners and operators  :
 of facilities that treat, store or. dispose of
 hazardous waste (Parts 264 and 265 and :
 Parts 122 and 124). 45 FR 33066 (May 19, ;
 1980). These regulations are designed to
; ensure the proper handling and
 management of hazardous wastes from  '
 their generation through their ultimate
 disposition.    "                     •  :
   Because wastes may be produced,"
 handled  and disposed of in a large'
 number of ways, the regulations   . :
 necessarily are cast in broad terms. A'
 generator is anyone whose act or     *
 process produces a hazardous waste or
 •whose action first causes a hazardous
 waste to become subject'to regulation.'  '
 Section 260.10(a), 45 FR 72024 (October  '
 30,1980). This acf or process may be the
 manufacture of goods or materials,  •  '
 service operations such as cleaning with
 chemical solvents listed in § 261.31, or  .--•
 the discajd of commercial ^chemical
 products listed § 261.33. Storage is r  ,
 .defined as "the holding of hazardous
 waste fora temporary period  ,J. .",.and.
 treatment as "any method, technique, or
 process,  including neutralization,  : . \
 designed to change the physical,
 chemical, or biological character or
 composition of any hazardous waste so  .
 as to neutralize such waste, or so as to
 render such waste nohhazardpus, or less
 hazardous; safer to transport, store or
 dispose of; or amenable for recpvefy,
 amenable for storage, or reduced in
 volume." Section 260.10(a).   .
   This action concerns how the
; regulations apply to hazardous wastes
 that are created by spills of hazardous
 waste or materials which, when spilled,
 become hazardous,waste. For reasons
 dis.cuslaed below,;the word "spill" is     ;.
 .defined in the amendments published >   ,
• today as, "-the accidental spilling,; ;..     ,,,
 leaking, pumping, pouring, emitting,  '!_'. ,;
 emptying, or dumpingtpf hazardous , •'..-.  ;
 waste or material which, whe'n spilledf-i-i
 becomes hazardous w.as.te into or on ,.:
 any land or water.".This definition..  . ,
 obviously covers spills of those  .:.;  , •
 hazardplis,waste listed, in §§261,31and  ;
 261.32 and those solid, wa'steis-that;''    ,,
^exhibit any-ofthe/charapterisyc^s ,ot,    ..
 hazardous .wastes defined in Subpart G>
 of Part 261i This, definition also covers^--'
 spills of the  commercial chemical
 products and manufacturing chemical • •-•
 intermediates listed in § 261.33 (e) and,
 (f). The Agency interprets spills of these
 materials to constitute discarding of  •-
 such materials (see definitions in § 261.2
 (c) and (d)J. These materials, when
 discarded, are hazardous waste (see
 § 261.33). In addition, other materials,
 when spilled, are considered solid waste
 because spilling constitutes discarding.
 and may exhibit the characteristic of
 hazardpus waste defined in Subpart C of
 Part 261.      . .        ...
   Members of the regulated, community  ,
 have ask'ed whethercertain'activiiies '.•"
 taken in immediate response to such   :
 spills constitute treatment (e.g.,   '
' neutralizing the'hazardpiis waste) or  ;
'storage (e.g., containing the waste in  -
. order to prevent its spread). Thesis'  :  •
 questibns have significant practical
 implications. Treatment and storage of
 hazardous wastes, under the
 regulations, must be carried out in
 facilities that have interim status under ••'
 Section 3005(e) of RCRA .and 40 CFR
 Part 122 or'that have a storage pt   '
 treatment permit from EPA or a State
 authorized to run a hazardous waste
 ipfbgrani under Sectipn 3006.] Spills are :
 sudden,  unplanned events. In many
 cases,'the treatment or storage    ,:  -.
 necessary to respond to spills will not.  •
 be-covered by a RGRA permit or interim
 statusi This is particularly true for '.
 generators who do not treat, store or   . '
 dispose  of hazardpus waste and
 transporters who would have neither a
 "pefmit nor jntferim status. It also;inay be;
' true for owners arid operators of.
 treatment, storage or disposal facilities
 where their permit or interim status may,
 not cover the types of treatment or   \
 storage performed in responding to a '•••
 particular spill. Persons responding to
 the spills would be placed in the-
 iincomfortable position of taking actions
 necessary to protect human health and
 the environment while being in violation
 of RCRA.2      .     '
          ,* '
   ' In addition, Parts 264 and 265 set forth
 the manner in which persons may treat
 ;  ? Under'§ ,122.27 die RegTon'a! Administrator iW   ","
 • authorized to issue emergency^jjerinits if tSere is an':
 imminent and substantial endongermertt to human-  >
; health or the.environment id allow the treatmeril, j  •
 storage or disposal of hazardous waste for.a :•.''.•  ..
 nonpermitteB facility or activities noS covered b^ a  :
". permit/1122127 set fortfi procedures gdverriing the
 • issuance oi emergency permits. EPA'is presently   rJ"
 developing giiidance'for the issuance of these >v ;   *
•' permits.  .  •...,"•  , :.--,.';   . .,'---.'•   ',
,  . * Hazardpus, wastes produced .in small quantities
 are .excluded from full Subtitle G regulation upder 4
 . 1,261.5. A.conditioh of that exclusion, however, Is-  „
-.ihat^wastes subject;to § 261.5 niust be managed in,  "
 , Subtitle 'e/fagiUfie's, facilities approved by the State, •;
 {oriuse, refuse, recycling-or reclamation  facilites.'-.'•',
•f- Thus, byeil for spills by small quantity .generators,
 the same dilemma is posed for persons  whose
 response might constitute treatment or  storage.

-------
                                                                          I

  7gg28Fe|eral[  jRogister / Vol. 45, No.  225/Wednesday,.November 19, 1980 /  Rules and" Regulations
 , ,or 8;tora liassardqus, wa,S|e§.,,With, respect
  to chemical physical'; and biological
 ; tjresttTitirit, for example, the regulations
  prescribe such things as general
 jopertlng requirements, waste analysis
  and trail tests, inspections, and! closure
 .requirements. See 40 CFR 265 Subpart
  Q. 1ft for example, reagents are used to
  ttbsoib or neutralize a chemical product
  Hated in § 281,33 which has spilled in a
 plant, the treatment requirements
 specified in the regulations would
 technically govern the response tot the
 spill.
    This amendment is designed tq allow
 ttpprepriaif responses to spills of
 hazardous wastes without being limited
 by the treatment and storage standards
 and the permit and Interim status
 requirements' of the regulations. It
 should be.nqted that EPA is developing
 fcjpilaUons which will acldress in more
 comprehensive fashion the application
 of the RCJRA regulations to spill
 rtpponsd activities. That rulemaking will
 clarify, among other things, relationship
 of RCRA and other Federal statutes,
 particularly the Clean Water Act and
.•• th* ^azardous	Materiajs Transportation
 Act, which concern spill activities.   ,
 II, What Those Amendments Do
    The amendments published today add
 thf ee new, elements tp	the .regulations
 pitbltstied in May, 1880: they add a
 definition of spill; exempt immediate
 containment jmd treatment activities
 from the Part 264 and 265 regulations
 governing treatment and storage; and,
 amend Part 122 to indicate that such
 activities do not have to be covered by a
 RCRA permit or interim status.
   The definition of "spill" is  the same as
 the definition of "discharge" In
 § 260.10(a), except that the word
 "intentional" has been deleted from the
 definition of spill and the phrase
 "material which, when spilled, becomes
 hazardous waste" has beengd.ded. The
 (tetcfusion from regulation provided in
 today's amendments is designed to
 allow persons to respond immediately to
 sudden, unplanned occurrences, i.e.,
 accidents, which release materials or
 wastes into the environment There does
 not appear to be any basis to extend
 today's action to intentional releases
 which might occur. Releases  which
 occur from burst pipes and ruptured
 containers would be considered spills;
 releases., wh|phrputinely occur from, for
 example, scheduled maintenance of
 machinery would not be. The Agency
 specifically requests comment on
 Whether the deRnitipn 9f, spills provides
 appropriate scope for the substantive
 amendments published today. For
 purposes of the RCRA portions of the
 consolidated permit regulations, a
 corresponding definition of spill has
 been added to § 122.3.
   The amendments to Parts 264 and 265
 state that treatment and.containmenjt
 actions taken in immediate response to
 spills are not considered treatment or
 storage of.hazardous  waste. These
 response activities are not subject:
 therefore, to the detailed requirements
 of those parts governing treatment and
 storage. The amendment to § 122.21
 indicates that these activities do not
 have to be covered by a RCRA permit.
   The amendments only, cower activities
 during the immediate response to a spill..
 As. discussed below, once this response
 is accomplished, other regulatory
 provisiona apply. Section IV of thus
 preamble provides examples of how
 these amendments and the other    '
 regulatory provisions  apply to spill
 situations. These amendments are
 designed to allow persons to respond
 immediately to spills which may pose
 dangers to human health, and the
 environment. If the Agency believes that
 anyone is abusing this provision, it will.
 not hesitate to bring enforcement
 actions, including, under appropriate
 circumstances, criminal prosecutions.

 IH. Regula tions not Affected by This
 Amendment
  The pucno.se of today's, amendments is
 to allow persons to treat and contain.
 spills without" having engaged in
 treatment and storage activities and to
 recognize that spills occur atplaces
 which might otherwise not be treatment
 and storage facilities. These
 amendments do not affect whether the
 spilled substance, residue or debris is a
 hazardous waste or not; Part 261 will
 govern. They do not affect in an way the
 application of the generator and
 transporter requirements; Parts 262 and
 263 will govern these activities. After
 the immediate response activities are
 completed, the hazardous waste is"
 subject to all tte requirements for
 transportation, treatment, storage, or
 disposal.
  The regulations promulgated in May,
 1980,  explicitly place specific
 requirements for certain spills of
 hazardous waste—discharges occurring
 during transportation and releases
 occurring at on-site accumulation areas
 and in treatment, storage and disposal
 facilities. These regulations, described
 briefly below, are unaffected by the
 amendments published today. These
 amendments complement the
regulations by clarifying that actions
taken in response to spills and in
compliance with those regulations are
not subject to the treatment and storage
regulations and do not have to be
carried out at a treatment or storage
 facility with a RCRA permit or in interim
 status.
   Discharges of hazardous waste during
 transportation are subject to the
 provisions of Part 263 concerning
 immediate action, reporting, and
 cleanup. 40 CFR 263.30 and 263.31, 45 PR
 12744 (February 26,1980), repubfished at
 45 FR 33152 (May 19,1980). Discharges
 of hazardous materials during
 transportation are also subject to the
 reporting provisions of DOT regulations
 under the Hazardous Materials
 Transportation Act.49 CFR 171.15,
 171.16. These regulations will apply to
 spills during transportation and these
 requirements are not affected by today's
 amendment.
   The Part 264 and 265 regulations
 contain extensive requirements for
 hazardous waste management facilities
 concerning preparedness and
 prevention, and conHngency plans and
 emergency procedures. 40 CFR Part 265,
 Subparts C and D, 45 FR 33236, 33237
 (May 19,1980). To ensure proper
 response to explosions, fires, and other
 releasesjof hazardous waste, these
 provisions require owners and operators
 of regulated facilities to have safety
 equipment and systems, arrangements
 with relevant local authorities," a
 contingency plan and emergency
 procedures covering response activities.
 These regulations continue to apply to
 releases at hazardous waste
 management facilities which present
 dangers to. human health and the
 environment. For example, § § 264.56
 and 265.56, concerning emergency
 procedures, have  not been exempted.
 The emergencj coordinator must follow
 the procedures set forth in those
 sections. Today's amendment simply
 means that actions taken, for example,
 under § 265.56(e), are not subject to the
 treatment and storage requirements of
 Part 265.
  Regulations promulgated under other
 Federal, state or local laws may apply to
 spills of hazardous* waste and other
 materials. On the  Federal leva!; twa
 examples are Section 311 of the Clean
 Water Act and the Hazardous Materials
 Transportation Act. Under Section 311.
 of the Clean Water Act, discharges of
 oils and, hazardous substances (which
 may also be hazardous wastes) are
 subject to regulation. Hazardous
 materials, as regulated by DOT under
 the Hazardous.Materials Transportation
 Act,  include hazardous wastes. See 45
 FR 3451 (May 22,1980). The
 amendments published today concern
 only RCRA requirements and in no way
 affect a person's obligations or
responsibilities under any other
applicable Federal,, state or local law.
         in	n in in 	in i mi Hi i|ii|ii n	i|i|iii||iiiiiiiii||ii|ii
        	I	Ill	II	l|	Ji"	I	'I	I	HI	III	I HI 11	      	IIIIIII	I	Ill	I	Ill	I	PI	II	I	Hi*	I	I	Illiil	III!	I	Ill	

-------
         Federal Register / Vol. 45, No.  225 / Wednesday, November 19,  1980 / Rules and Regulations  76629
 IV. Examples of How These
 Amendments Operate
   The following examples illustrate the
 manner in which the amendments
 published today operate and tie. in with
 the other RCRA regulations.
   1. A manufacturer spills a comiSercial
 chemical product listed In § 261.33(e) on
 the floor of his plant. He immediately
. uses a reagent to absorb or neutralize
 the spill, whose residue amounts to
 more than 100 kilograms. He places the
 residue in containers for subsequent
 transportation off-site. What regulations
 apply?     .                    -       .
   The manufacturer is a generator of a
 hazardous waste—the spilled chemical
 as well as the resulting residue. He is
 not a small quantity generator because
•he has generated more than 100
 kilograms of § 261.33(e) residue. See 40  ,
 CFR § 261.5(e)(2). His use of the reagent
 is not subject to treatment regulations of
 Parts 264 and 265 and this use does not
 have to be covered by a RCRA permit or .
 interim status. Once the immediate
 response is over, however, he becomes
 subject to the generator requirements of
 Part 262. These include requirements for
 accumulation on-site, use of EPA  .
 identification numbers prior to
 transporting the residue off-site,
 initiation of the manifest, and use of
 appropriate packaging,  labelling,
 marking and placarding.3 Manufacturers
 who anticipate such spills may, as a
 precautionary measure, make necessary
 arrangements to" comply with the Part
 262 regulations in advance. And, the
 transportation and subsequent
 treatment, storage or disposal of the
 spill residue is subject to the
 requirements of Parts 263, 264, 265 and
 122. .      •            '
   2. A tank used to accumulate
 hazardous waste (under the
 requirements of § 262.34) ruptures and
 the wastes spill on to the ground.
 Because the tank does not have a
 secondary containment system, the
 generator immediately builds an
 emergency dike to contain the spilled
 waste. He subsequently pumps the
 spilled waste into drums and, after
   3 EPA recognizes that certain persons, including
 manufacturers and transporters of hazardous
 materials, may not have EPA identification numbers
 prior to a spill which creates hazardous waste. At
 this time EPA has decided not to exempt discharges
 from the requirement of having an EPA ID number.
• Generators do not need an EPA ID number at the
 time of generation but rather at the time of treating,
 storing or disposing of the waste or transporting or
 offering the waste for transportation. Generators
 will have an opportunity to obtain an EPA ID
 number after the spill. And, persons who anticipate.
 that they may generate hazardous waste in the
 future may obtain an EPA ID number in'advance.
 For these reasons, EPA believes that at this time
 there is no reason to exempt these generators from
 this requirement.
 several weeks, ships those drums off-
 site to an incinerator.      -        ...
   The design, construction and
 operation of the emergency containment
 dike is not subject to the RCRA Subtitle
 C regulations (however, the overall
 response to the spill is subject to the
 requirements of Subparts C and D of
 Part 265 which apply by reference
 through § 262.34). The storage of the
 cleaned-up wastes in drums is subject to
 the accumulation requirements of
 § 262.34 if storage in the drums is for
 less than 90-days before off-site
 shipment or  in a on-site. If storage in the
 drums exceeds 90-days, then this must
 be covered by a RCRA permit (an
 existing permit, a new permit, or an
 emergency permit) or be covered by
 interim status, and must be carried out
 in compliance with the applicable  .'
 requirements of Parts 264 or 265. The
 incinerator that the drummed wastes  -
 shipped to, must have a RCRA permit or
 interim status.
   If, as part  of the immediate clean-up
 action, the containment soil of the diked
 containment area is treated (e.g.,
 decontamination of the soil in a mobile
 treatment unit) or the spilled waste is
 treated, such activity also would not be
 subject to regulation. However, if such
 treatment extends beyond the
 immediate-clean-up action, EPA will
 require an emergency RCRA permit to
 be obtained. If contaminated soil is left
 in place, this constitutes disposal and
 will require  a RCRA permit.
   3. A spill of hazardous waste material
 listed in § 261.33(e) occurs in
 transportation. What must the
 transporter do?
   Under § 263.30(a), the transporter
 must take appropriate immediate action
 to protect human health and the
 environment. The spill containment or
 treatment action taken in immediate
 response is exempt from the  treatment
 and storage  requirements of Parts 264
 and 265 and the transporter is not
 required to have a RCRA permit or
 interim status for such action. If he has
 generated hazardous waste, he must
 comply with Part 262 when the
 immediate actions are over. If he
 transports the spill residue from the spill
 site, he must comply with the
 transporter requirements of Part 263 and
 transport the residue to a facility with a
 RCRA permit or interim status.
   If required by DOT regulations (see 49
- CFR 171.15)  or other federal regulations
 (see, e.g., 40  CFR 117.21 and 33 CFR
 153.201), the transporter must notify the
 National Response Center. If an on-
 scene coordinator or other official
 arrives, that official-may undertake
 response activities which are exempted
 by today's amendments from the RCRA
 standards and permit requirements for
 treatment and storage. Under the        |
 present regulations, § 263.30(b), these    |
 officials may authorize the removal of   '$
 the waste by transporters without EPA
 identification numbers and without the .
 preparation of a manifest. The
 hazardous waste residue must be sent to
 a hazardous waste management facility
 with a RCRA permit or interim status. If
 long-term containment or treatment
 occurs at the spill site, the  site must
 have a full RCRA permit, interim status,
 or an emergency permit.
   4. A spill occurs on the site of disposal
 facility which is in interim status. The
 operator of the facility undertakes
 immediate containment and clean up.
 He subsequently disposes of the waste
 at his facility.         ,
   The immediate containment and clean
 up activities are exempted from the
 requirements of Part 264 and storage
 and treatment. The owners and
 operators of the facility must, ;however,
 carry out the provisions  of the
 contingency plan under § 265.51 and
 follow the emergency procedures
 § 265.56. The disposal of the hazardous
 waste is subject to the disposal
 requirements of Part 265. If the disposal
 facility is unable to dispose of the spill
 residue, the owner or operator  of the
 facility, if he has generated a hazardous
 waste, may accumulate the waste on- •
 site under the provisions of § 262.34, and
 must comply with all -the Part 262
 requirements applicable to generators of
 hazardous waste.

 V. Effective Date
   Section 3010(b) of RCRA provides that
 EPA's hazardous waste regulations and
 revisions thereto take effect six months
 after their promulgation. The purpose of
 this requirement is to allow persons
 handling hazardous wastes sufficient
 lead time  to prepare to comply with
 major new regulatory requirements. For
 the amendments promulgated today,
 however,  the Agency believes that an
 effective' date six months after
 promulgation would cause substantial
 and unnecessary disruption in  the
 implementation of the regulations and
 would be  contrary to the public interest.
 The amendments make clear that
 persons responding to spills are not
 engaging in treatment and storage
. activities  and that such activities do not
 have to be done in facilities with a
 RCRA permit or in interim status. The
 effect.of the amendments will be to
 relieve these persons of having to
 comply with a number of impractical
 requirements with respect to spills
 response actions. The Agency believes
 that this is not the type of regulation
 revision that Congress had in mind

-------
i. >' itf": ""»• • ,i	,J! iiii1 JIM	hi1" 'iiiiisffiiirii;, IP?. \4tin	',::	uijjliiiluiiiilii1 iflii illllUEL'aiR'viiiii nti»:i >\<
                                                                     !!!! ;, uii'ljiip
                                                                                                                   ffiiSaiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiisia oililiiiiiisiipiii J
      76630  jFedergl Register  /  Vol. 45,- No. 225  / Wedneisday, November 19,  1980 / Rules and  Regulations
      when it provided a six month delay
      between the promulgation and the
      effective date of revisions to regulations.
      Consequently, the Agency is setting an
      effective date of November 19,1980, for
      these amendments.
      VI, Promulgation in Interim Final Form
       These amendments operate as a
      clarification of the hazardous waste
      regulations published in May of 1980.45
      FR 33Q66 (May 19,1980). With certain
      exceptions,  those regulations did not
      address containment and treatment, of
      spills of hazardous wastes or materials
      Which, when spilled, become hazardous
      wlstes. A literal interpretation of the
      May regulations, however, would mean
      that such actions constitute storage and
      disposal fully subject to regulation.
      These amendments conform the
      regulations to their original intent The
      Agency believes that good cause exists
      for promulgation of this rule in final
      form. §pq Si U,S.p. 553(b}(B}.
       Delaying the application of these rules
      to allow opportunity for public notice
      and comment would work substantial
      hardship on  persons handling hazardous
      waste. The regulatory program goes into
      effect on November 19,1980, Spills are
     everyday occurrences In the real world.
      Without immediate clarification of the
     regulations, all persons who might in the
     future spill a hazardous material or
     hazardous waste wou,ld have tp the
     prepared to be in full compliance with
     the feari 265 regulations governing
     treatment and storage. Without these
     clarifying amendments substantial
     hardship would be imposed, without
     appreciable benefit, on the regulated
     community.
     VII. Requests for Comments
       lire Agency is soliciting comments on
     all aspects of the amendments and pn
     all issues discussed in this preamble. In
     addition, tlje Agency may initiate more
     Comprehensive rulemaking in the near
     future on RCRA's application to spill
     responses. The amendments published
     today will be subject to reconsideration
     at that time. The public may accordingly
     be provided additional opportunity to
     cbmfJicfll on th^ Agency's regulation of
     spills.

    VIII. Regulatory Impacts
      The effecf tof these amendments is to
; ] !''itduje iJie.oyerall^cQsts, economic,	
 I   Impact and reporting and recorSkeeping
    impacts of EPA's hazardous waste
    management regulations. The Agency is
  ,, unable tg estimate these reductions.
    Dated: November 14,1980.
  Douglas M. Costle,
  Administrator. •
    Title 40 of the code of Federal
  Regulations is amended as follows:

  §260.10  [Amended]
    1. Add the following definition to
  § 260.10{a)(64a):
    "Spill" means the accidental spilling,
  leaking, pumping,  pouring, emitting, or
  dumping of hazardous wastes or
  materials which, when spilled, become •
  hazardous wastes into or on any land or
  water.                        . .
  §122.3  [Amended]                   '
    2. Add the following definition to
  §122.3:
    "Spill" fRCRA] means the accidental
  spilling, leaking, pumping, emitting,
  emptying, or dumping of hazardous
  wastes or materials which, when spilled,
  become hazardous wastes into or on
  any land or water.

  §264.1  [Amended]
    3. Add the following paragraph (g)(8) .
  to I 264.1:
  *    *    *    ft    4
    (g)***
    (8) Persons with respect to those
  activities which are carried out to
  immediately contain or'treat a spill of
  hazardous waste or material which,
  when spilled, becomes a hazardous
  waste, except that, with respect to such
  activities, the appropriate requirements
  of Subpart C and D of this Part are
  applicable to owners and operators of
  treatment, storage and disposal facilities
  otherwise subject to this Part.
•  [Comment: This paragraph only applies
  to activities taken in immediate
  response to a spill. After the immediate
  response activities are completed, the
  applicable regulations of this Chapter
  apply fully to the management of any
  spill residue or debris jwhich is a
 hazardous waste under Part 261.]
 § 265.1 [Amended]
   4. Add the following paragraph (c)(ll)
 to § 265.1:
  *****
   (el*'**      .     ....      ,  .   '  . ...
   (11) Persons with respect to  those .. • •, .
 activities which are carried out to    •
 immediately contain or treat a'spill  of  '-..
 hazardous waste or nlaterial which,'-.'/
 when spilled, becomes a hazardous', .. ',i;
 waste, except that, with respect to such
 activities, the appropriate requirements '
 of Subpart C and D of this Part are
 applicable to owners and operators  of
 treatment, storage and disposal facilities
 otherwise subject to this Part.   .
 [Comment: This paragraph only applies  ;
 to'activities taken in immediate
"response to a spill. After the immediate1
                      response activities are completed, the
                      regulations of this Chapter apply fully to
                      the management of any spill residue or
                      debris which is a hazardous waste
                      under Part 261.]

                      § 122.21  [Amended]
                        5. Add the following paragraph (d)(3)
                      to § 122.21:
                        (3) Further exclusions. A person is not
                      required to obtain a RCRA permit for
                      those activities he carries out to
                     .immediately contain or treat a spill of
                     hazardous waste or material which,
                     when spilled, becomes a hazardous  •
                     .waste. [Comments: This exclusion is
                     intended to relieve persons of the
                     necessity of obtaining a RCRA permit
                     where the treatment or storage of
                     hazardous waste is undertaken as part
                     of an immediate response to a spill. Any
                     treatment, storage or disposal of spilled
                     material or spill residue or debris that is
                     undertaken must be covered by a RCRA
                     permit, an emergency RCRA permit or
                     .interim status.]
                       These amendments are issued under
                     the authority of Sections 1006, 2002(a),
                     3004 and 3005 of the Solid Waste
                     Disposal Act, as amended by the
                     Resource Conservation and Recovery
                     Act of 1976 (RCRA), as amended, 42
                     U.S.C. 69dS, 6912(a), 6924 and 6925.
                     !PR Doc. 80-36132 Filed 11-18-80; 8:45 am]
                     BILLING CODE 6560-30-M
                     40 CFR Part 122

                     [SWH-FRL 1675-2]

                     Hazardous Waste Management
                     System: General and EPA
                     Administered Permit Programs: The
                     Hazardous Waste Permit Program

                     AGENCY: United States Environmental
                     Protection Agency.
                     ACTION: Interim final rule and request
                     for Comments.

                     SUMMARY: The Environmental Protection
                    .Agency ("EPA") is today amending its
                     hazardous waste permit regulations to •
                    •clarify the circumstances under which
                     hazardous waste management facilities
                     may qualify for interim status, interim
                     status'is the.-condition under which
                    'certain  facilities would be treated as    :
                     having been issued a permit until such
                     time as  final administrative action was
                    ..taken on their permit application. Thestj
                     amendments have been, prompted by
                     questions from States and  the regulated
                    community concerning the, eligibility of
                     various' types of facilities for interim
                     status.
                                                                                i Ji iiL
                                                                          .lull
                                                            ]	li'.Ji

-------
         Federal Register  / Vol. 45, No. 225  /  Wednesday, November 19, 1980 / Rules and-Regulations  76631
   This notice also solicits comment on
 enforcement and regulatpry policies
 whichjEPA is considering adopfing to ...
 deal w,ith, facilities .which; miss ,the .._.." ;
 notice and application filjng deadlines  ,
 for interim status.        •
 DATES: Effective date: November'19,
. 1980. Comment Date: 'Comments on'the
 amendments and policies discussed in
 this notice are due February 17,1981.
 FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
...John H. Skinner, Director, State
 Programs and Resource Recovery    :
 Division (WH-564), U.S. Environmental
 Protection Agency, 401 M Street, S.W.,
 Washington, D.C. 20460, 202/755-9107.
 ADDRESSES: Comments should be  sent
 to Docket Clerk, Office of Solid Waste
 (WH-562), 401 M Street, S.W.,
 Washjngton,'D.C. The comments should
 refer to'"Docket 3005-4nterim status": •   .
 SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

 I. Introduction .         '•-'?'.  ,
   ; Subtitle C of the Resource
 Conservation and Recovery Act of 1976,
 as amended ("RCRA"), 42 U.S.C.       :
 §§ 6921-6933, requires EPA td establish •
 a comprehensive Federal'regulatory
 program to  assure the proper      :. ': ,  '
 management of hazardous waste.' One of
 the most important features of this:
 program is the'rquirement that facilities *
 which treat, store or.dispose of  "
 hazardous,waste obtain a permit from
 EPA (or a State authorized by EPA to
 conduct a hazardous waste program)
 and that hazardous wastes  only be
 designated  for, delivered to and treated,
 stored or disposed of in these permitted
 facilities (Sections 3002, 3003, 3004 and ,
 3005). Indeed, after the effective date of.
 EPA's regulations identifying hazardous
 wastes, it is'a felony to transport those
 wastes to an unpermitted facility  or to   ,
 treat, store or dispose'of them at an
 unpermifted facility (Sections 3008(d)(l)
 and (2)):.,     ..
    Recognizing that EPA and authorized .
 States would not be able to issue
 permits'to all hazardous waste
 management facilities before the
 Subtitle G program became effective,
 Congress provided in Section 3005(e) of
 RCRA  that certain facilities would be
  treated as having been issued a permit
 until such time as final administrative
  action was taken on their permit
  application. This statutory permit—
  commonly referred ,to. as "interim
  status", the title of Section  3005(e)—is
conditioned.on a facility's meeting the
following three requirements:
  lr The facility must have been in    ...
existence on November 19, 1980.2   :   :
  2. The. facility must have "complied   .
with the requirements of section
3010(aj" of RCRA (notification of
hazardous waste activity).
  3. The facility must have filed an
application for a permit under Section
3005.             -      -
  On May 19,198Q, EPA published
regulations defining when a hazardous'
waste management facility may qualify
for interim status. See 40. CFR
§§ 122.22(a) and 122.23(a), 45 FR 33433-
33434 (May 19,1980).Those regulations
provide that interim status may only be
obtained by an existing facility (defined
in § 122.3) which has "[n]otified,the  .
Administrator within 90 days from the ,
promulgatiph or revision of Part 261 as
required by Section 3010 of RCRA"   "','
(§ 122V23[a)(l)) and submitted aii
application within "six months after the
first promulgation of regulations in 40   ,
CFR Part 261 listing and identifying
hazardous wastes"—i.e., November
19,1980 (§ 122.22(a)).       '   '
  EPA has received numerous questions
about these provisions since their
publication. .Most have focused on two
major issues: whether facilities can
qualify for interim status after
November 19,1980, and whether
facilities which missed statutory or
regulatory filing deadlines can qualify
for iterirn status. We have examined
these issues carefully and have
concluded that § § 122.22(a) and 122.23
need to be amended to better define the
universe of hazardous waste
management facilities which are eligible
for interim status under Section 3005(e).
We have also decided that the Agency  .
needs to establish enforcement and
regulatory policies to deal with facilities
which have failed to meet applicable
deadlines for filing notifications and
permit applications. These amendments,
and policies  are discussed below in the
context .of the three .sta'tutory
prerequisites for interim status.
II. Requirement That Facilities "Comply
With the Requirements of Section
3010(a)"
   Section 3005(e)(2) of RCRA conditions
interim status on a facility's having
 "complied with the requirements of
Section 3010(a)." Section. 3010(a) in turn
requires that:
    1 Throughout this notice. EPA will use the term
  "facility" to .refer to the owner'and operator of a
  hazardous' waste management facility as welt as the
  facility itself. Thus where, for example, the notice
  speaks of a "facility" being issued a_permit, that..  .
  term should be understood to mean the owner and
  operator of the facility.     ,'
   " When RCRA was originally enacted, Section
 3005(e) provided that a facility had to be in .
 existence as of "the date of enactment of this
 Act"—i.e., October :21,1976: Recent amendments tb
 RCRA have changed this date.to November 19,1980:
 See Section 10 df the Solid Waste..Disposai Act
 Amendments of 1980. P.L. 96-482 (October 21,1980).
  Not later than ninety days after
promulgation pf regulations under section
3001 identifying * *  * or listing any '
substance, as a hazardous waste . .  .any
person generating or transporting such      •
substance .or owning or operating a  facility -•.
for the treatment, storage or disposal of .such;:
substance shall file with the Administrator
(or with States having authorized hazardpus
waste permit programs * *  *) a notification
stating the location and general description of
the activity and the identified or listed
hazardous wastes handled by-such  person.
   Three major questions have been
raised concerning the interrelationship
between Sections 3005(e)(2) and 3010(a).
   A. Requirement to notify.
   A number of facilities have pointed
out to EPA that they were not required
to notify under Section,3010(a).  They  •.-.
have asked whether a facility which is
not required to notify under Section
3010(a) (and therefore did hot.submit a .
timely notification) would be eligible for
interim status.
  These facilities are correct in their
observation that Section 3010(a) does
not require all hazardous waste
management facilities to notify. The
notification requirements of Section 3010
are triggered only by the publication of
"regulations under Section 3001 "identify
by its characteristics or listing any ...
substance as  hazardous waste subject to
... subtitle [C]" and apply only to    ,
person's who are handling those
substances at the time the regulations
are published. See also 45 FR 12747-
12748 (February 26,1980). Moreover,
EPA has, by regulation, exempted
several  classes of facilities which would
otherwise be  required to notify  under
Section 3Q10 from having to comply with
any notification requirements (e.g., on-
site storage facilities operated by small
quantity generators (see § 261.5) and
recycling facilities (see § 261.6)).
   If a facility is not required to  file a
Section 3010 notification, it is EPA's
opinion that it has "complied with the
requirements of Section 3010(a)" and.
has met that prerequisite for interim
 status. A contrary construction of
 Section 3005(e)(2)—which would have
eligibility for interim status turn on
 whether a,facility had filed a   "
 notification, irrespective of whether it
 was required to—would condition
 interim status on a facility's meeting.a
 requirement which was not dictated by
 either statute or regulation. Indeed, in
 some cases—e.g., where a facility did
 not begin handling hazardous waste
 until after the ninety-day notification
 deadline—it would condition interim
 status on a facility's meeting a  '
 requirement with which 'it could not, as
 a practical matter; comply. ' '•  • •  •••-•.•  •
  . EPA's;Mayil9,'1980, regulations      •
 defining when a facility may obtain

-------
                             |i	^jiiiijiyi^iiiyiii	
                             Vol.  45,  No. 225 / Wednesday, November 19, 1980  / Rules and Regulations
interim status did not reflect the
distinction between filing a notification
and being required to file a notification
under Section 3010. To correct this error,
EPA is today amending § 122.23(a)(l) to
make It dear that a facility which is not
required to notify under Section 3010
may obtain interim status without filing
a notification if it meets the remaining
two prerequisites set forth in Section
  B, Ninety day filing deadline.
  A number of facilities which were
required to file a notification as a result
of the publication of EPA's May 19,1980,
regulations have advised the Agency
that they did not file a notification
within ninety days. These facilities have
asked whether they will be eligible for   .
interim status if they file a late
notification,	i	
  As noted above, Section 3oio(a)
requires facilities handling wastes listed
In EPA's May 19, I960, regulations not
only lo file a notification, but to file the
notification within ninety days (i.e., by
August 18, I960). It js EPA's opinion that
a facility which was required to notify
as a result of the publication of EPA's
May 19,1980, regulations and did not
file a npUficiition by August 18,1980,
has not ''complied with the requirements
6f section 3010{a)" and is not eligible for
interim status. A contrary interpretation
of Section 3010(a) would essentially
Mad ijip ninety-day deadline out of the
statute.
  EPA recognizes that this literal
construction may have the effect of
preventing some well-managed facilities
from ever qualifying for interim status.
We have developed two policies to
provide relief in these situations. The
first deals with facilities whose failure
to notify is attributable to ambiguities in
EPA's regulations; the second with
facilities whose failure to notify is their
own fault. In our opinion, these policies
will preserve the integrity of the ninety-
day deadline in Section 3010 while at
the same time providing the
administrative flexibility necessary to
deal with late filings on a case-by-case
basis., ..    .    '\
  i. Revised notification requirements.
  Since the publication of EPA's May 19,
1980, regulations, members of the
regulated community, States and
environmental groups have brought to
EPA's attention a number of provisions
in the regulations which were not clear,
or, as applied to specific waste
management situations, did not make
sense. In an August 19,1980, Federal
  ::> •        ^Facilities which nave not submitted a
I;!;*"'; ,  ,   no(ltIe h	L 'ink	H.i'ill'Ullr	L'll'jlfluillll, ihlPjIiili'iilii1 llliliii
                                           ' If an amendment deals with the issue whether a
                                         material is a hazardous waste, EPA may at the
                                         same time "trigger a new opportunity far notification
                                         under Section 3010..
       I i  1-nliiUI	i	s'ji1;1;  	I";1!;	,i;	:.'; i i  II  »  n    IN I        i
    II | III  | 	„»'!,,	,	i	I	i	I	|lli	,	| 	|	II |	Illllllln	Ill	I	II	| I	lull
    clerical errors, oversight or other factors.
    Some may be well-managed facilities
    whose continued operation is in the
    public interest.
      Although EPA cannot grant interim
    status to facilities which failed to file a
    timely Section 3010 notification, we are
    prepared to exercise our enforcement
    discretion to allow such facilities to
    continue operating after November 19,
    where their continued operation would
    be in the public interest. To provide
    formal assurances to these facilities that
    they will not be prosecuted for operating
    without a permit, EPA is considering
    issuing Interim Status Compliance
    Letters ("ISCLs") to qualifying facilities   ,
    stating that the Government will not
    prosecute  them for operating without a
    permit if they file a permit application
    and comply with all applicable Part 265
    standards. The ISCL would contain
    similar provisions shielding generators
    and transporters using these facilities
    from Federal prosecution for sending
    wastes to an unpermitted facility.
    Compliance orders issued under Section
    3008 of RCRA (with or without a civil
    penalty assessment) could also be used
    to achieve essentially the same result.
      Although a facility operating under an
    ISCL or compliance order and complying
    with EPA's Part 265 regulations would
    not be immune from citizen suits under
    Section 7002 of RCRA because it was
    technically operating without a permit,
    we doubt that such suits would ever be
    successful. Federal courts sitting in
    equity are not likely to close down
    facilities which have failed to submit  a
    timely notification under Section 3010 if
    they are otherwise fully complying with
    all applicable.substantive
    environmental standards.
      An ISCL or compliance order would
    also assist facilities which must file
    under Section 13 of the Securities and
    Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, in
    making a full disclosure of the extent  of
    their potential liability under RCRA. As
    noted above, for a facility which is
    complying with its ISCL or compliance
    order, potential liability under Section
    3008 or 7002 should be negligible.
      EPA expressly solicits comment on
    these approaches. A similar
    enforcement policy was successfully
    used by EPA under the Clean Water Act
    ("CWA") to deal with an inflexible
    statutory deadline much like the ninety-
    day deadline in Section 3010.5 The main
     "Section 301(b) of the Clean Water Act, 33 U.S.C.'
    § 1331(b), requires all point source dischargers to
   practicable control technology by July 1,1977. When
   it became apparent that some dischargers would not
   be able to meet July 1,1977 deadline, EPA began
   issuing letters and orders to these facilities stating,
            Footnotes continued on next page
                                                                                                                     •!  ' '.
                                                                                                               Illli',»;„	iLr'lllli'ltll'iillilllii.ihJullillinl'J
                                                                  .'^or^H^Pifl	M
^•to^Wi/.^^jija:.
                                                                                                                                 I
                                                                                                Ir'll lllliiilllilllllll 'I il, llilln '< li'lllllllllhllil'ylllllii, lliiili! I "II1IIILI	IIVIBII'I i1
                                                                                                               ,< , 'i "in  it      r  i" i  I
                                                                                                               :...<' in':'!,;,	'ii^i	N'jilii"	!	.:::.i|iiNi	!iiii|i	!:;<;	Ill' I
                        Li'

-------
        Federal Register / Vol.  45,  No. "225 / Wednesday, November 19,  1980 / Rules and Regulations  76633
difference between the CWA policy and
the policy announced above is that
under the latter EPA would generally
not extend deadlines for complying with
applicable regulatory requirements. In
this respect, we think it is an even more
judicious and e'nvionmentally sound  .
exercise of EPA's enforcement
discretion.
  3. A Caveat.
  Facilities should not construe the
announcement of the foregoing policies
(or the amendments discussed in
Section III, below) as an invitation to
miss applicable statutory or regulatory
filing deadlines. These policies are
designed to address situations where
facilities have acted reasonably and in
good faith or where well-operated
facilities have through clerical error or
oversight failed to submit a timely
notification date. They are not intended
for facilities which have made little or
no effort to comply with-EPA's
regulations.         _
   C. 1980 Amendments to Section
3010(a).
   The Solid Waste Disposal Act
Amendments of 1980, P.L. 96-482
(October 21,1980), amend Section
3010(a) of RCRA to make notifications
triggered by amendments to EPA's
Section 3001 regulations after October
21,1980, discretionary'with the
Administrator. EPA has been asked   —
what effect these amendments will have
on facilities' eligibility for interim status.
   We see two important consequences
for interim status flowing from the
enactment of,these amendments. First,
facilities which handle wastes listed or
identified as hazardous wastes by EPA
after October.21,1980, are no longer
automatically required to notify under
Section 3010. Only if EPA expressly
requires facilities to notify will
notification under Section 301p(a).be
required.
   Second, there is no longer any
statutory deadline for filing
. notifications. In the future,  all
notification deadlines will be -set by
regulation. This will give EPA the same
administrative flexibility to deal with -••
late notifications that it currently has
with respect to late permit  applications,
See Section III, below.               "  •
III. Requirement that a Facility Have
"Filed an Application Under this
Section"                     ,      '
   A second statutory prerequisite of
interim status is that the owner and
operator of a facility have "filed an
 Footnotes continued from last page
 that the Agency would not prosecute them for
 failing to meet the July 1,1977, date if they met an
 alternative deadline and accompanying compliance
 schedule set forth in the letter or order.
application under * * * section [3005]".
Section 3005(e)(3) EPA's regulations
implementing Section 3005 condition
eligibility for interim status on a
facility's having "complied with the
requirements of § 122.22(a) * *  *
governing submissions of Part A '
applications." See § 122.23[a}(2). Section
122.22(a)(2) in turn requires that a Part A
application be submitted by November
19,1980.
•   EPA has been asked whether, in light
of these requirements, an existing
hazardous waste management fa'cility
which is not now subject to EPA's'
hazardous waste regulations will be
able to obtain interim status by filing an
application after November 19,1980, if
EPA amends its regulations to bring ,
them into the hazardous waste
management system. The answer to this
question is yes, if the owner and
operator of the facility file a permit
application within six months of the
amendment to EPA's regulations which
first subjects the facility to the
requirements of Part 265 or 266. EPA is
today amending § 122.23(a) to clarify  ,
this point. As noted in the "comment" to
this amendment, EPA will make every
effort to identify permit filing deadlines
in the Federal Register publications
announcing amendments to its
regulations to avoid future confusion
about when Part A permit applications
must be submitted. See, e.g., 45 FR 47832
(July 16,1980], 45 FR 74884-74885
(November 12,1980).
   EPA is also adding a paragraph to
 § 122.22(a) to make it clear that a facility
which submits a permit application by a
revised filing deadline announced by
EPA  in a Federal Register notice
, clarifying its regulations (see discussion
in Section II.B.l, above) has met the
prerequisites of Section 3005(e){3) and is
 eligible for interim status.
   Some existing hazardous waste
management facilities may need to-
 qualify for interim status in the future,
 not as a result of EPA regulatory action,
 but because of changes in their own
 operations. For example, a small
 quantity generator may start generating
 over 1,000 kg of hazardous waste a
 month and need to obtain interim status
 for an exisitng on-site treatment, storage
 or disposal facility. Or a facility which
 properly determmed_on August 1,1980,
 that the solid waste it was treating did
 not exhibit any of the characteristics of
 hazardous waste may retest it after
 November 19,1980, and find that it
 exhibits the characteristic of extraction
 procedure toxicity; We have been asked
 whether the facilities will be able to
 qualify for interim status if they do not
 submit a permit application by
 November 19,1980.
 •  EPA believes these facilities should be
 eligible for interim status if they
 promptly file a permit application.
 Accordingly, we are today amending
 § 122.22(a) to allow these facilities to
 qualify for interim status if they file a
 permit application within 30 days after'
 they lose their regulatory exemption or
 begin handling hazardous waste.
   Readers should note that the'se
 facilities will technically be operating
 without a permit until they submit their
 permit application. EPA  will not initiate
 any enforcement action against them,
 however, if they contact their EPA
 Regional Office immediately and file an
 application within the thirty-day period.
   EPA believes these amendments will
 cover most situations where facilities
 which are eligible for interim status
 under Sections 3005(e) (1) and (2) must
 file a permit application. In the event
. they do not, and in the event some
 facilities inadvertently miss the filing
 deadlines set forth in § 122.23(a), EPA is
 adding another new provision to that
 section which allows a facility to obtain
 interim status if it files a permit
 application by the deadline set forth in a
 compliance order issued by EPA under
 Section 3008.   .
 IV. Requirement that a Facility Be "in
 Existence on November 19,1980"
   The final statutory prerequisite for
 obtaining interim status is that a facility
 have been "in existence on November
 19,1980". EPA regulations define
 "existing facility" as a "facility in
 operation," (i.e., 'a facility "receiving
 hazardous waste for treatment, storage
 or disposal") or "facility for which
 construction has commenced." 40 CFR
 § 122.3 (definitions of "existing HWM    '
 facility" and "in .operation"). EPA has
 been asked if a facility which was
 handling a solid waste on November 19,
 1980, that was not identified or listed as
 a hazardous waste in EPA's Part 261:
 regulations prior to November 19,1980, •
 but was identified or listed in a
 subsequent amendment to those
 regulations could qualify as an existing
 hazardous waste management facility
 for purposes of obtaining interim status.
   In EPA's opinion, if a facility was
 receiving for treatment,  storage or
 disposal on ofbefore November 19,
 1980, a solid waste which is
 subsequently listed or identified as a
 hazardous waste by EPA,  the facility
 was "in existence on November 19,  ..
 1980" and is eligible for interim status if
 it files a timely permit application and
 Section 3010 notification (if required).
 Limiting eligibility for interim status
 only to those facilities which were

-------
 	'	'"''	J\, "itrint',' JLjitafjij:'liuIN,lilJsFiplu!";*;1 ""'Iim""!'"i''!!!1!!!!!?!!:!!!!''"'!!!!!;'''?''llii'iir'il1!!!! !»|l!'!!!!!1?!!!"!!"!"!!^"''''!"!!!'!'"''!!"!!!!!' ;i!!ii:|;;!!;*!J!^                      TJs£,«S	'	!"	
     !	;•!'' jtffHBiP.	i	u	; '•*:	: ']w\ .jniiiggiiiiiii •• in:	i^wratf i;•:,:	1,11,," IHIW	nil:11:!1!,, «i,;;,' •        •     	ii'i^iif'iiiiKiiVi
    i'	v	   •        •   	niii	i^ii^iiiE'iiniVi;!!?!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!;!	iii!	iiiiiini!iiip!ii;;;:;iiii:iiiii!iiii!iii!        	   •     	I'Liiiilj'iiiiLiiiiiifii	    '        .
     	 i	i:	 'mill1 >.	nil	"	|i|	'	ji1 i.i'U.11 ml	n iiiiu	,»	i	I" .in:. ill	«"»..,«	|nn	jPiijiinlp iilJHlni.1	MP' i ''i n	. i|i jpp: HI,!!"*!' in i	ill	":, r	n»• nn fliiiiip1;1!	n	.rnnllivl	llliiiiHPi.nni'	Lijliuuiiijiillliilijiii
                                                               .;	;s::,i	;.:	:,
   B634  Federal Register / Vol. 45. No.  225 / Wednesday, November  19, 1980 / Rules and Regulations
  handling a solid waste on November 19,
  19J5Q, that had beenlisted or identified
  as a hazardous waste prior to that date,
  would attach too much regulatory
  significance to the order in which EPA
  promulgates its hazardous waste
  listings. It would also prevent any
  facility which was handling a solid
  waste ROW Jemporarfly exempted from
  Subtitle C controls as a "special waste"
  from ever obtaining interim status.*
    Readers should note, however, that
  for a facility to qualify as an "existing'
  facility" in this situation, the solid waste
  which the facility was handling on or
  before November 19,1980, must be the
  same waste which is later identified or
  listed in EPA's hazardous waste
  regulations. A facility which is handling
  frash on November 19,1980, for
  example, would not qualify as an
  existing facility simply because after
  November 19,1980, it began handling a
  solid waste which was subsequently
  listed as a hazardous waste m EPA's
  Part 2G1 regulations.
    EPA recognizes that it may be difficult
  for some facilities to establish a precise
  correlation between solid wastes
  handled prior to and after November 19,
  1980, because of changes in
  manufacturing processes, wastewater
  treatment processes, air emission
  controls, raw materials or other similar
  Components of the manufacturing and
  waste treatment process. The Agency
  solicits comment on what types of
  guidelines it should follow in these
  situations to determine if the wastes
  being handled prior to and after
  November 19, I960, are the "same
  waste."        p| ""  	  ,.'	~	.r,i!'i ,.	,'^	
        II ii  I       	mill,: „ i1 „ in. ;' :.| nib . IIP" \ i.'iuil: , .h  ">i,.:	nil'.	.,
  V. Practical application
    To assist readers hi understanding the
  amendments and policies which have
  been oiitlined aboyeA EPA believes it
  would be useful to discuss hpw they
  would apply in concrete factual
  situations.
    1. The ABQ Company completed
  construction of a hazardous waste
" incineratorjin October 1,^9,80. On	
  October 2,1980, the facility begins
  incinerating a number of hazardous
  wastes listed in EPA's May 19,1980
  regulations. The facility submitted a
  permit application on November 1,1980,
  but did not notify on August 18,1980.
  Docs the facility have interim status?
    Yos. The facility was not required to
  file a Section 3010 notification because
  it was not handling hazardous waste at
  the lime of promulgation of EPA's May
  19,1880, regulations. Thus, although it
  has not jpOfied, it has nevertheless
 "complied with section 3010(aj" within
 the meaning of Section 3005(e).
   The facility also meets the other two
 prerequisites for interim status.
   2. The ABC Company owns a landfill
 which, since 1978, has been used
 continuously and exclusively for the
 disposal of sludges from the treatment of
 wastewater from widgit production. On
 January 1,1982, EPA adds wastewater
 treatment sludge from the production of
 widgits to its hazardous waste list, The
 preamble to the Federal Register
 publication announcing the new listing
 does not expressly require facilities
 handling wastewater treatment sludges
 from widgit production to notify. It does
 state, however, that such facilities must
 file a permit application and begin
 complying with all applicable iterim
 status standards by July 1,1982. The
 ABC Company files a complete permit
 application by July 1,1982. Does it have
 interim status?
   Yes. Section 3010(a) Of RCRA was
 amended by the Solid Waste Disposal
 Act Amendments of 1980 on October 21,
 1980, to make Section"3010(3)
 notifications based on revisions .to
 EPA's hazardous waste list and
 characteristics discretionary with the
 Agency. Thus, in the absence of an
 explicit EPA directive to notify, a
 company handling a hazardous waste
 listed in a revision to EPA's Part 261
 regulations which was published after
 October 21,1980, would not be required
 to submit a new Section 3010
 notification.
  The ABC Company landfill also meets
 the two remaining prerequisites for
 interim status. Because it was handling
 a solid waste on November 19,1980,
 which was subsequently listed as a
 hazardous waste by EPA, it was  a
 hazardous waste management facility
 which was "in existence on November
   •Tim same masoning applies to facilities which
 bommirteed con«traetion by November 19,1980.
'19,1980." If also filed a timely permit"
application.
  3. The ABC Company owns an on-site
landfill which was handling garbage on
November 19,1980. On January 1,1981,
the company goes into the widgit
production business and begins using
the landfill to dispose of sludges from
'the treatment of wastewater generated
by the widgit production process. On
January 1,1982, EPA lists wastewater
treatment sludges from the production of
widgits as a hazardous waste. The
preamble to the Federal Register
publication announcing the new listing
requires facilities handling widgit
wastewater treatment sludges to notify
by March 30,1982, and submit a permit
application by July 1,1982. The ABC
Company files a timely notification and
permit application. Does its landfill have
interim status?
   No. On."November 19,1980, the landfTll
 was not handling a hazardous waste (as
 defined by EPA in its May 19, or July 16,
 1980, regulations) or a solid waste which
 was subsequently identified or listed as
 a hazardous waste by EPA. It was
 therefore not "in existence" as  a
 hazardous waste management facility
 on November 19,1980, and cannot
 qualify for interim status.
   4. The ABC Company generates 500 kg
 per month of a waste listed in EPA's
 May 19,1980, regulations. Since 1975,
 the company has disposed of this waste
 in an unlicensed on-site landfill. Starting
 on November 19,1980, the company
 starts sending its waste to a state
 approved industrial landfill in order to
 take advantage of EPA's small quantity
 generator, regulations. Later, EPA lowers
 the small quantity generator exemption
 to 100 kg  per monthrThe ABC Company
 cannot find a nearby hazardous waste
 management facility to take its  waste
 and would like to reactivate its on-site
 landfill. Is the landfill eligible for interim
 status?
   Yes. The landfill can meet all three
 prerequisites  for interim status  if it
 submits complete permit application
 within six months after EPA amends
 Part 261 to lower the small quantity
 generator exemption.
   5. The ABC Company treats a waste
 which it believes is exempted as
 hazardous waste under § 261.4 of EPA's
 May 19,1980, regulations. It does not
 notify on  August 18,1980, or submit a
 permit application by November 19,
 1980. On March 1,1981, EPA issues an
 interpretation of § 261.4 which makes it
 clear that the waste treated by the
 company is not exempt.'The company
 tests the waste against the
 characteristics of hazardous waste
 identifed  in Subpart C of Part 261 and
 the waste exhibits several of the
 characteristics. Can the company's
 treatment facility qualify.for interim
 status?
   This will depend on the content of the
 Federal Register notice announcing
 EPA's regulatory interpretation. If the
 Agency decides that the exemption in
i.§ 261.4 was so vague or ambiguous that
 facilities in the position of the ABC
 Company could not reasonably  have
 been expected to know that they were
 required to notify and submit a permit
 application, it will (1) include as part of
 its interpretation a formal Agency
 determination that those facilities were
 not required to notify and (2) set a new
 deadline by which those facilities must
 submit a complete permit application if
 they wish to qualify for interim status.
 Thus, if the ABC Company submits a
 complete  application by the.new

                                                                                                                .Z;!";::!


-------
         Federal Register / Vol. 45, No. 225 ./ Wednesday, November 19. Ig80  /
 deadline, Its treatment facility will have
 qualified for interim status.
   On the other hand, if EPA decides that
 the regulation was not vague or
 ambiguous or that Agency's resolution
 of ambiguities in the regulation does not
 affect facilities in the position of the
 ABC Company, it will not modify
 existing filing and compliance dates for
 those facilities. In this situation, the
 treatment  facility cannot'qualify for
 interim status because it has not
 submitted a timely notification and
 permit application.

 VI. Miscellaneous Issues

 A. Protective filings.
   We have been advised that a number
 of facilities which are riot now subject to
 EPA's hazardous-waste regulations have'
 filed "protective" notifications and
 permit applications to comply with
 EPA's May 19,1980, Part 122 regulations
 and thus assure that they will be able to
 obtain interim status in the future (if
 necessary). Many of these filings may
 not be necessary under today's revised
 regulations.
  . We urge facilities which have filed
 unnecessary notifications  or permit
 applications to advise the EPA Regional
 Office. This will help assure that our list
 of existing hazardous waste
 management facilities is accurate for
 enforcement and other purposes.
 B. Units within existing facilities.
    Section 122.3 of EPA's May 19,1980,  \
 regulations  defines the term "hazardous
 waste management facility" to include
 sites consisting of several operational
 units which handle hazardous waste. A
• facility, for example, may consist of two
 hazardous waste storage facilities, a
 hazardous waste landfill and a
 hazardous waste incinerator.
    Section 122.23(c) restricts the
 modifications which may be made
 during interim status to the design
 capacity of an existing facility and to
 the processes used by the facility to
 treat, store or dispose of hazardous
 waste. EPA has been asked whether,
 when an individual unit in an interim  .
 status facility later qualifies for interim
 status, that constitutes a "change" in
 existing design capacity or processes
 and, if so, whether that change would be
  subject to the restrictions set forth in
  §122.23(c).
    The restrictions on modifications in
  § 123.23(c) are intended to prevent
  interim status facilities from making
  major changes in their existing
  operations which either would be
  tantamount to the construction of a new
  facility or should ideally be made after
  an individual permit is issued. See 45 FR
33324 (May 19,1980). They are not
intended to restrict the number of
individual units,within those facilities ,
which can qualify for interim status.
Thus, EPA would not consider the fact •
that an individual unit within a facility
has independently qualified for interim
status (or is operating under an ISCL or
compliance order, as discussed above)
to be  a "change" to the facility subject
to the restrictions of  § 122.23(c). The
individual unit-would, of course, be
subject to those restrictions if the
facility sought to enlarge the design
capacity of the unit or modify the
processes used by the unit to handle
hazardous waste.'
VIL Interim Final Regulations and
Effective Date
A. Interim final regulations.
  EPA has determined under Section
553 of the Administrative Procedure Act,
5 U.S.C.  § 553, that there is good cause
for promulgating these amendments
without prior notice and comment. As
discussed above, EPA's regulations
defining when a facility can obtain
interim status have erroneoulsy led
many facilities to believe that unless
they file a permit application by
November 19,1980, they will-never be
able to obtain interim status. We think it
is essential to correct this error before
November 19,1980, or else a significant
number of facilities will be filing
unnecessary permit applications on
November 19,1980. Readers will have
ample opportunity (ninety days) to
comment on these amendments before
they  are issued in "JFinal final" form.

B. Effective date.
  Section 3010(b) of RCRA requires that
revisions to "regulations *   *  *
respecting *   *  * requirements [for]
permits  *  *   * shall take  effect on the
date  six months after the date of *   *  *
revision." We do not think a literal
application of this requirement would
make sense in this case. The purpose of
 Section  3010(b) is to allow persons
handling hazardous  waste sufficient
 lead time to prepare to comply with
 major new regulatory requirements.
 Delaying the effective date of
 amendments which reduce existing
 regulatory requirements is not necessary
 to carry out this objective. Furthermore,
 for the reasons stated above, EPA
 believes an effective date of six months
 after promulgation would be
 counterproductive since much of the
 unnecessary regulatory burden which
 these amendments seek to avert will
 already have been imposed. We are
 therefore making these amendments
 effective on November 19,1980, the
effective date of the remainder of EPA's
May 19,1980, hazardous waste
regulations.
  Dated: November 14,1980.
Douglas M. Costle,
Administrator.
  Title 40 of the Code of Federal  -
Regulations is amended as follows:
  1. Section 122.22 is amended by
redesignating paragraphs (a)(2) and
(a)(3) as paragraphs (a)(4) and (a)(5)
respectively, and revising paragraph ,
(a)(l) and adding new paragraphs (a)(2)
and (a)(3) to read as follows:

§122.22  Application for a permit.
*     *    *     *    *       .
  (a) Existing HWMfacilities. (1)
Owners and operators of existing
hazardous waste management facilities.
must submit Part A of their permit .
application to the Regional
Administrator no later than (i) six
months after the date of publication of
regulations which first require them to
comply with the standards set forth in
40 CFR Parts 265 or 266, or (ii) thirty
days after the date they first become
subject to the standards set forth in 40
CFR Parts 265 or 266, whichever first
occurs. [Comment: For facilities which
must comply with Part 265 because they
handle a waste listed in EPA's May 19,
1980, Part 261 regulations (45 FR 33006 et
 seq.), the deadline for submitting an
 application is November 19,1980. Where
 other existing facilities must begin
 complying with Parts 265 or 266 at a
 later, date because of revisions to Parts
 260, 261, 265, or 266, the Administrator
 will specify in  the preamble to those
 revisions when those facilities must
 submit a permit application.]
   (2) The Administrator may by
 publication in the Federal Register
• extend the date by which owners'
• operators of specified classes of existing
 hazardous waste management facilities
 must submit Part A of their permit
 application if he finds that (i) there has
 been substantial confusion as to
 whether the owners and operators of
 such facilites were required to file a
 permit application and (ii) such
 confusion is attributable to ambiguities
 in EPA's Parts 260, 261, 265, or 266
 regulations.    ,
   (3) The Administrator may by
 compliance order issued under Section
 3008 of RCRA extend the date by which
 the owner and operator or an existing
 hazardous waste management facility
 must submit Part A  of their permit
 application.
 *     *    *   *    *
   2.  Section 122.23 is amended by
 revising paragraph (a)(l) to read as
 follows:         '

-------
                                                                                                                  l"  III"
                                                                             I     II
 76636 Federal Register /.Vol.  45, No. 225 / Wednesday, November 19, 1980 / Rules and Regulations
 §122.23  Interim status.
   (a)***    •
   (1) Complied with the requirements of
 Section 3010(a) of RCRA pertaining to
 notification of hazardous waste activity.
 [Comment: Some  existing facilities may
 not be required to file a notification
 under Section 3010(a) of RCRA. These
 facilities may qualify for interim status
 by meeting paragraph (a)(2) of this
 Section.}
*    »    *
  These amendments are issued under
the authority of Sections 1006,2002(a)
and 3005 of the Solid Waste Disposal
Act, as amended by the Resource
Conservation and Recovery Act of 1976
(RCRA), as amended, 42 U.S.C. 6905,
6912(a) and 8925.
|FK Dot W-JSttJ FJkd 11-1MO; &45 ans]
BHJ.HHJ CODE 6MQ-30-M
                                                                                                               I!*: illlii.in .'"t'l. ,!ip:"iiP,'"»,'', :,li;iii'lli-i'iii! I
                        ,i	
"*   '  {"'
                                                                                                       ,
                                                                               ,l '  I  i' *i 1 1 I  ii •  I I I  ! > .  I,
                                                                                                                 \t> , '. *'»)•
                                                                                                                ]*n»'  11 i I
                                                                     II  ll
                             I   ll  I I llllll
                                                                                                                 I 1 I  |H I

                                                                                                                    '

-------

-------
             ' i i	flpm jpl	i	|	i'i|	f\	1	i	i" i	f	«	»	;	||"j	I	\	"i	i|	in J|	''	n	i	'	i    	'   '  '  	-	'!    "i1,	i	„,
             |||  '{in"'11|'| I1 II ||l  II  II  III  11 II  III      I      I    I   HI  l|  I               III       n III 11         I II 11   HI     V        n                  I  I                 	I	i in
                 L   , I                                                                                    1
|                   -
    I           i  i«ii
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  	I
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  'til!,,
      	   111	i
 I   	
                                                                                           i            'I

-------

-------
iii.;^;	'l,,	,	p;	ij,;	;_	,	;	;	,,	;	:	IE,	:,,;;,„;	:	:,:	:„,;:,:	-	>;	„,	L^I	;	ii1^	fii^^	;^

lililii!!1!!:	' ','  ''"< „  ,i	i!i,i :' IP'	"i! 	„, I	i' : !,;:> \ ;; j'	!	i"1!!	  j!nn|!|!lll!l,	IIMI, 1"\ III:'; ii'Li	:': 'nilll!;1I'll 'i: Uiniiiliii!	il M''M ' I	JWW' Jl'i'Uj	f''illlillll'lli^i iiiiin    lililW^   ill A^	i|iiilii UIH^ '!!!*!l"^
                                                                                lik®
                                                                                 if any changes have been made in
                                                                                      certain titles of the CODE OF
                                                                                 FEDERAL REGULATIONS without
                                                                               reading the Federal Register every
                                                                              day? If so, you may wish to subscribe
                                                                                            to the LSA (List of CFR
                                                                                  Sections Affected), the "Federal
                                                                                        ' Register Index," or both.

                                                                                  LSA (List of CFR Sections Affected)
                                                                                                            $10.00
                                                                                                            per year
                                                                                      The LSA (List of CFR Sections
                                                                               Affected) is designed to lead users of
                                                                                  the Code of Federal Regulations to
                                                                                amendatory actions published in the
                                                                                     Federal Register, and is issued
                                                                                ^monthly in cumulative form. Entries
                                                                                  indicate the nature of the changes.

                                                                                    Federal Register Index   $8.00
                                                                                                            per year
                                                                                               Indexes covering the
                                                                           contents of the daily Federal Register are
                                                                                 issued monthly in cumulative form.
                                                                              Entries are carried primarily under the
                                                                          names of the issuing agencies. Significant
                                                                           subjects are carried as cross-references.
                                                                      A finding aid  is included in each publication which lists •
                                                                   Federal Register  page numbers with the date of publication
                                                                                               in the Federal Register.
                                                                               Note to FR Subscribers: FR Indexes and the
                                                                           LSA (List of CFR Sactions Affected) will continue
                                                                       to be mailed free of charge to regular FR subscribers.
                          Milt order form to:
3   Superintendent of Documents, U.S. Government Printing Office, Washington, D.C.  20402
••              *"                                                1
*•
S   Thtr* Is enclosed $	.for	subscription^) to the publications checked below:
     	LSA (LIST OF CFR SECTIONS AFFECTED) ($10.00 a year domestic; $12.50 foreign)
     ..,„.„.„. FEDERAL REGISTER INDEX ($8.00 a year domestic; $IO.OO foreign)
                          Name .
                       •  Strett Address

                       5  City.
                                                                   State .
                                                                                                 ZIP .
                      jj  Mafte check payable to the Superintendent of Documents
                                                                                                                     §


                                                                                                                     I

                                                                             "... !	'M'hi 	 )	ilij' J'!1	!	'i	 ,,:"'iil!
                                                                                                                              ,;5	    .            I
                                                                                                                                        '
                                                                                 ?#W i^'Hsfrtf*5&ii*>*( J'fVy 'ilt'^i'B

-------