Tuesday
 November 17, 1981
 Part
-..Protection Agency

 Interim Status Standards for Owners and
 Operators of Hazardous Waste
 Treatment* Storage and DfsposaF
 Faculties .   "       , -  :    -,'. :

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56592     Federal Register  /  Vol. 46, No. 221 / Tuesday, November 17,1981 / Rules and Regulations
ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION
AGENCY

40 CFB Part 265

ISWH-FRL1960-5]

interim Status Standards for Owners
and Operators of Hazardous Waste
Treatment, Storage, and Disposal
Facilities
          \
AGENCY: Environmental Protection
Agency.
ACTION: Interim final rule and interim
final amendments to rules and request
for comments.	

SUMMARY: The Environmental Protection
Agency (EPA) hasi issued standards
applicable to owners and operators of
hazardous waste management facilities
as required by the Resource
Conservation and Recovery Act
(RCRA). One of these standards bans
the disposal of most containerized liquid
hazardous waste in landfills, effective
November 19,1981. As a result of
reconsideration of this restriction, EPA
is today promulgating an interim final
rule to allow the disposal of small
containers of liquid and solid hazardous
waste in landfills provided that the
wastes are placed in overpacked drums
(lab packs) in the manner specified in
today's rule. The purpose of today's rule
is to provide an environmentally sound
disposal option for generators of small
containers of hazardous wastes, such as
laboratories.
DATES: Interim final rule and interim
final amendments effective November
17,1981.
COMMENT DATE: The Agency will accept
comments on this rule and amendments
until January 18,1982.

ADDRESSES: Comments should be
addressed to Deneen M. Shrader,
Docket Clerk, Office of Solid Waste,
(WH-582), U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency. 401M Street, S..W.,
Washington, D.C. 20480, telephone (202)
755-9173. Comments on today's interim
final rule and amendments should
identify the regulatory docket as
follows: "Section 3004—Lab packs."
FOB FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
The RCRA hazardous waste hotline, toll
free  at (800) 424-9346 (544-1404 in'
Washington, D.C,). For technical
information contact Kenneth Shuster,
Program Manager,  Land Disposal
Branch, Office of Solid Waste (WH-
504), U.S. Environmental Protection
Agency,*401 M Street, S.W.,
Washington. D.C, 20460, telephone (202)
755-9125.
 SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
 I. Introduction
   On May 19, .1980, EPA promulgated
 hazardous waste regulations in 40 CFR
 Parts 260-265 (45 FR 33066 et seq.) which
 established, in conjunction with earlier '
 regulations promulgated on February 26,
 1980 (45 FR 12721 et seq.), the principal
"elements of the hazardous waste
 management program under Subtitle C
 of the Resource Conservation and
 Recovery Act-of 1976, as amended (42
 U.S.C. 6921, et seq.). Since that time, the
 Agency has received numerous requests
 to promulgate regulations tailored to the
 special problems involved in the
 management of smaller quantities of
 different hazardous wastes. In
 particular, some commenters have
 stated that some of the interim status
 hazardous waste standards for landfills
 are geared towards large, homogeneous
 waste streams but are inappropriate for
 generators, such as laboratories, who
 produce smaller quantities of many,
 different wastes. For reasons discussed
 in Sections II and III of this preamble,
 many of these commenters have
 requested that the Agency allow these
 smaller quantities of waste to be
 disposed of in landfills when packaged
 in "lab packs."
,  Laboratory wastes are commonly
 collected in small containers ranging in
 size from an  ampule to 5 gallon pails.
. These containers are surrounded by
 some type of absorbent material such as
 vermiculite and overpacked in large
 drums (usually 55 gallon) prior to
 disposal in a secure landfill. The entire
 package is commonly called a lab pack.
   Although the term lab pack is
 generally used to refer to a method of
 disposing of laboratory wastes,  today's
 rule is not limited to the disposal of such
 wastes, The disposal option authorized
 by today's rule may be utilized by any.
 type of generator. It is designed to
 accommodate generators who produce
 smaller quantities of many different
 wastes.
   Today's amendments are designed to
 relax two separate prohibitions against
 the landfilling of lab packs which would
 otherwise have become effective on
 November 19,1981. Section 265.312
 allows the burial of containerized liquid
 ignitable waste in landfills until
 November 19,1981. After that date,
 liquid ignitable waste may not be placed
 in landfills. Section 265.314 prohibits,
 after November 19,1981, the burial of •
 containerized liquid hazardous wastes
 except very small containers, such as an
 ampule, or containers designed to hold
 liquids for a  use other than storage, such
 as a battery  or capacitor. (See 45 FR
 33213 (May 19,1980) and 45 FR 33502
 (June 29,1981) for explanations of these
 prohibitions.) The Agency has received
 numerous requests to allow lab packs
 containing liquid and liquid ignitable
 hazardous wastes to be disposed of in
 secure landfills after November 19,1981,
 the effective date of the prohibitions.
   The disposal of hazardous wastes in
' lab packs is a common practice for
 many small volume generators (not
 necessarily small quantity generators as
 defined in 40 CFR 261.5) including,
 .particularly, commercial research
 laboratories, school laboratories, and
 large Governmental laboratories. This
 represents a general trend away from
 previous  improper disposal methods for
 these types of wastes, such as mixing
 these wastes in dumpsters with
 municipal waste  or pouring the wastes
 down the drain.
   Preliminarily, it should be noted that
 many high school, college and
 university, or other sinall laboratories
 may be small quantity generators and,
 therefore, need not comply with the full
 RCRA hazardous waste management
 regulations provided that the wastes are
 managed in accordance«with § 261.5(g).
 If generators are  small quantity
 generators  as defined in 40 CFR 261.5,
 their wastes, including those placed in
 lab packs, are not subject to the RCRA
 regulations contained in Parts 262
 through 267 and Parts 122 through 124, or
 'to the notification requirements of
 section 3010 of RCRA, provided that the
 generator complies with § 261.5(g).
 Hazardous wastes_subject to the
 reduced requirements of §  261.5 may be
 mixed with non-hazardous wastes and
 remain subject to these reduced
 requirements, even though the resultant
 mixture exceeds the quantity limitations
 identified in § 261.5, unless the mixture
 meets any of the characteristics of
 hazardous waste identified in Subpart C
 of Part 261.
   Several commenters representing
 laboratories have stated that although
 they qualify for the small quantity
 generator exemption, they would prefer
 to dispose of their hazardous wastes at
 a RCRA-permitted or interim status
 hazardous waste landfill. By allowing
 the disposal of lab packs in hazardous
 waste landfills,, the Agency is providing
 a practical disposal option for these
 generators, as vyell as for the generators
 who do not qualify for the  small',
 quantity generator exemption. ;     '' •
 II. Summary of Comments
    Most of the comments that the Agency
 has received on the subject of lab packs
 have been in responses to the February
 20,1981 amendment to 40 CFR 265.312,
 which concerns the disposal of ignitable
 wastes in landfills. These commenters

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          Federal Register  ./ Vol. 46,, No. 221 /Tuesday,  November 17, 1981  / Rules  and Regulations   56593
 stated that disposal of lab packs in
 secure landfills is environmentally
 sound, provided that certain packaging
 and pretreatment conditions are ,
 followed. The qonimentersi in general,
 requested that small containers—    ,
 ampule to 5-gallon pails—should be
 allowed to be disposed of in lab packs
 in landfills. One commenter specifically
 requested that small containers (one
 gallon and smaller, approved for DOT
 shipment) be permanently allowed to be
 landfilled since these non-leaking, small
 containers, in cartons and palletized, do
 not pose a substantial risk to human
 health and the environment. However,
 the commenter further stated the EPA
 could require that small containers be
 placed in 55-gallon steel drums with the
 voids packed with absorbent materials
 before landfilling.     ...
   The commenters stated that the
 techniques for handling lab packs
 prevent the potential for escape of
 liquids. Additionally, they stated that.
 the quantity of such waste is small and
 will not burden landfills that are
 capable of handling chemical waste.
 Even if the bottles or cans break or leak,
 the packing will absorb the liquids.
 Commenters also stated that isolating
 materials that may be incompatible is
 very important (i.e., incompatible   .
 materials should not be placed in the
 same lab pack),' since chemicals must
 not be allowed to react to cause fires or
 other hazards. Further, one commenter
 provided a list of substances that he felt
 should not be allowed to be'lab-packed
 for disposal in landfills because, even in
 small quantities, these substances
 present too great a hazard for land
 disposal.

 III. Discussion of the Problem    .
   Many thousands of generators
 currently generate a variety of
 hazardous "wastes in smaller quantities.
 Most of these generators are           ,
 laboratories, including chemistry and
 biology'laboratories in junior and senior
 high schools, colleges and universities,
 hospitals and clinics, Governmental
 agencies with laboratories, large and
 small research firms; and chemical,
 pharmaceutical and other manufacturing
 firms.
  Although the number of generators
 fitting this description is not known, the
 15th edition of Industrial Research
Laboratories of the United States
 contains information on 10,028 research -
 and development facilities belonging to
6,947 organizations engaged in ,
fundamental and applied research,
including development of products and
processes. Most of the facilities are
owned and operated by industrial firms
but some foundations and cooperatively
  supported units are also covered, as
  well as university laboratories having  •
  research facilities separate from -
  .university control. The American
  Chemical Society's Directory of College
  Chemistry Faculties (which covers two-
  and four-year colleges and universities)
  lists approximately 3,200 college
  department of chemistry, bio*    -     .
  chemistry, chemical engineering, or .:.
  medical-pharmaceutical chemistry, each
.  of which can be expected to have at
  least one laboratory.        .
    The Agency has received several
  examples indicating the magnitude 'of
  laboratory waste generation. One large
  university stated that it has more, than
  2,000 laboratories, each or which
  generates a' wide variety of waste  -
  chemicals in small quantities, One
  company that picks up small quantities
  of laboratory wastes from generators
  and then packs and transports the
  wastes in lab packs for disposal
  commented.that it handled over 25,000  '
  different chemicals in approximately
  500,000 small containers in 1980. The
  containers varied generally from
  ampules of a few grams to 5-gallon pails."
  One research laboratory stated  that it
  typically generates well over a thousand
  such small containers-fseVeral milliliters
  up to about one gallon in size) for
  disposal each month.  .
    The availability of commercial
  treatment options for small quantities of
  hazardous waste is greatly limited. A
  typical laboratory produces small
  quantities; of many different wastes. The.
  variety and quantity of compounds
  discarded are often.unpredictable. Often
  the specific waste characteristics are  -
  unknown and the cost to characterize.
  such wastes is prohibitive. Commercial
  treatment facilities (e.g., incinerators
•  and solvent recovery operations)
  typically accept only reasonably sized
  lot's of well-characterized liquid  wastes   -
  delivered in a form which makes them
  readily suitable for treatment. Diverse
•laboratory wastes in small containers
  are not considered to be readily  suitable
 for treatment by operators of these .
 facilities.
   Because in many cases the contents of
  each small container of laboratory or
 hazardous waste cannot be precisely
 defined, commercial waste handlers are
 reluctant to incinerate them. Proper
 incineration requires analysis of waste
 feeds for identification and designation
 of principal organic hazardous
 constituents, a very difficult task with
 respect to diverse drummed wastes.   .
 IV. Solutions             '
   Based on the lack of available
 treatment or disposal options for
 laboratory wastes and on the Agency's
 conclusion that landfill disposal of small
 containers of hazardous wastes in
 overpacked drums is environmentally
 sound, the Agency has decided to allow
 lab packs to be disposed of in hazardous
 waste landfills.
   The Agency believes that the disposal
 of lab packs in landfills is an
 environmentally sound practice.
 Although the drums in which the
 laboratory wastes are overpacked will
 eventually degrade, the Agency believes
 that by having, at a minimum, sufficient
 absorbent material in each.drum to  %
 completely absorb all of the liquid
 content of the inside containers, lab
 packs will not .contribute substantial
 volumes of liquids to landfill leachate.
 Today's requirement that the outside
 container be full  (i.e., absorbent material
 to the top of the drum with-np void
 space), will assure'that no breakage or >
 rupture of,the inside containers will
 occur, during handling and placement.  ,,
   One disposal alternative, other than* :.,
 disposal in lab packs, is to mix liquid  •
 wastes with an absorbent material
 before placement in a drum, "or to pour.
 liquid wastes directly into, drums with
 sufficient absorbent material to' solidify
 the liquid-wastes. Provided that the     '
 liquids are sufficiently absorbed or  •
 solidified to remove free liquids, full
 drums of such treated wastes are
 already allowed to be landfilled under
 the regulations, even after the" § 265.314
 Ban on containerized liquids in landfills
 takes effect. This method differs from
 packaging jn lab packs in that liquid
 wastes are absorbed prior to disposal '
 rather than contained in inside
 containers. The effectiveness of the
 absorption is therefore observable.
 While the option  of mixing before  .
 disposal may be viable for some
 generators, based on the chemical
 handling procedures of many
 laboratories, disposal in overpacked
 inside containers may be much more -
 practical and often safer for small
 quantities of wastes,  '         ,
 V. DOT and EPA Coordination ,

   The Department of Transportation
 (DOT) has issued regulations .governing T
 the transport of hazardous materials at
 49 CFR Parts 171-179. Those regulations
 specify packaging requirements
 applicable to the transport of hazardous
 materials in commerce within the United
 States. However,  the DOT regulations
 do not cover all hazardous wastes and,
.are not applicable to all lab-packs (e.g.,
 lab packs disposed of on-sitej.    :
   It should be noted that EPA has     ;
 previously adopted certain DOT
 regulations in its Standards Applicable
 to Generators of Hazardous Waste (40

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 56594   Federal Register  / Vol. 46, No. 221 / T^^fyj^°Jf"^^HL^^(^i^l-^l
 CFR Purl 262). Pursuant to § 262.30, a
 generator who transports hazardous
 •waste or offers hazardous waste for
 transport off-site, ::nust package the
 waste in accordance with applicable
 DOT regulations on packaging under 49
 CFR Parts 173,178, and 179. Therefore,
 any generator transporting lab packs for
 off-site disposal is already required to
 conform with all applicable DOT
 requirements for packaging.
   The objective of the DOT regulations
 is to insure the safe transport of
 hazardous materials. EPA's concern in
 promulgating today's regulation is to
 insure the safe  disposal of hazardous
 wastes. To the  extent possible, EPA has
 adopted DOT specifications for the
 packaging of lab packs for disposal.
 However, because the objective of the
 DOT regulations varies, somewhat from
 the purpose of today's rule, in some
 cases the requirements of § 265.316 are
 different, or stricter than the DOT
 requirements. However, the Agency has
 attempted to ensure consistency with
 the requirements of DOT and to avoid
 the imposition of conflicting
 requirements wherever possible.
   Today's rule applies certain DOT
 specifications to some situations which
 are outside of DOTs jurisdiction and
 thus are not directly covered by the
 DOT regulations (e.g., lab packs being
 disposed of on-site). On the other hand,
 generators or transporters who are
 already covered by the DOT regulations
 must still comply with all applicable
 sections of those regulations. Thus lab
 packs offered for transportation may,  as
 in the past, be subject to additional DOT
 requirements such as weight and
 container size limitations. In addition,
 DOT prohibits the shipment of corrosive
 liquids in metal outside drums or barrels
 (see 49 CFR 173.25) unless an exemption
 is obtained in accordance with 49 CFR
 Part 107 Subpart B. Since EPA is
 requiring metal outside containers for
 purposes of disposal (§ 265.316(b)),
 persons subject to the DOT regulations
 wishing to dispose of corrosive liquids
 in lab packs must first obtain an
 exemption from DOT.
, VI. Content of the Regulation
   To achieve the objectives discussed
 above, today's regulation adds a new
 section to Part 265 (§ 265.316) and makes
 conforming amendments to §§ 265.312
 and 265.314. In accordance with today's
 regulation, wastes to be disposed of in
 lab packs must be packaged in sealed
 inside containers. The inside containers
 must be of a design and constructed of a
 material that will  not react dangerously
 with, be decomposedjby, or be ignited
 by, the waste heldytherein. In addition,
 the inside containers must be of the size
 and type specified in the DOT
 hazardous materials regulations (49 CFR
 Parts 173,178 and 179), if those
 regulations specify a particular inside  ,
 container for that waste. The
 requirement of using DOT-specified
 inside containers for purposes of
 packaging wastes for dispmaLin lab
 packs Is applicable whether or not the
 lab pack will be regulated by DOT for
• purposes of transportation. The reason
 that EPA is adopting DOT's
 specifications for inside containers is
 that EPA seeks to achieve the same
 objective that DOT has defined in its
 regulations, namely  that the inside
 containers safely and effectively hold a
 material without leakage. Based on the
 fact that EPA seeks  to achieve the same
 objective, the Agency has decided to
 employ the DOT specificatiohsffor
 inside containers.
   The DOT hazardous materials
 regulations do  not specify inside
 containers for all hazardous wastes,
 however. Therefore, for any waste not
 addressed in the DOT regulations,
 inside containers must meet only the
 general performance standard (i.e., be of
 a design and constructed of a material
 that will not react dangerously with, be
 decomposed-by, or be ignited by, the
 waste held therein).
   In'addition to the  requirement that
 the inside containers be non-leaking, the
 Agency has also included a requirement
 in § 265.316(a) that all inside containers
 be tightly and securely sealed. This
 requirement is intended to help insure
 that no waste leaks  from the inside
 containers before the lab pack is  placed
 in the landfill.
   Section 265.316(d) prohibits the
 placement of incompatible Wastes in the
 same outside container. The purpose of
 this restriction is to  prevent any
 potentially dangerous reaction between
 wastes packaged in the same lab pack.
 The DOT hazardous materials
 regulations contain  a similar provision.
 Those regulations state that the offering
 of packages of hazardous materials in
 the same packaging, freight container, or
 overpack, with other hazardous
 materials, the mixture of contents of
 which would be liable to cause a
 dangerous evolution of heat or gas or
 produce corrosive materials, is
 forbidden except as specified (see 49
 CFR 173.21). EPA has included a  similar
 provision, however, because not  all .,.-.'
 hazardous wastes and thus not all lab
 packs  will be covered by the DOT
 regulations.
    In addition to the prohibition against
 co-packaging incompatible wastes
 contained in § 265.316, it should be
 noted  that § 265.313 already prohibits
 the placement of incompatible wastes or
 incompatible wastes and materials in
 the same landfill cell unless § 265.17(b)
 is complied with. Section 265.17{b)
 states that: the mixture or commingling
 of incompatible wastes or incompatible
 wastes and materials must be conducted
 so that it does not: (1) Generate extreme
 heat or pressure, fire or explosion, or
 violent reaction; (2) Produce -
 uncontrolled toxic mists, fumes, dusts,
 or gases in sufficient quantities to
 threaten human health; (3) Produce
 uncontrolled flammable fumes or gases
 in sufficient quantities to pose a risk of
 fire or explosions; (4) Damage the
 structural integrity of the device or
 facility containing the waste; or (5)
• Through other like means threaten
 human health or the environment.
 Section 265.313 is, of course, applicable
 to the placement of lab packs in
 landfills.
   Section 265.316(b) deals with the
 outside container and the type of
 absorbent material required. EPA is
 requiring that the inside containers be
 overpacked in DOT specification open-
 head metal drums no larger than 110
 gallons in capacity and surrounded by,
 at a minimum,  a sufficient quantity of
 absorbent material to completely absorb
 all of the liquid contents of the inside •
 containers. DOT specifications for
 containers are  contained in 49 CFR Parts
 178 and 179.
   All lab packs must be in DOT
 specification outside  drums, whether or
 not the wastes contained in the lab pack
 are covered by the DOT regulations. The
 reason for this is that these drums have
 already been determined by DOT to be
 sturdy enough to safely hold hazardous
 materials. The 110-gallon capacity
. limitation coincides with  the maximum
 size DOT specification container. In
 addition, this capacity limitation is
 designed to ensure that lab packs will
 be used for their intended purpose, i.e.,
 the disposal of smaller quantities of .
 many different wastes.
   Commenters have stated that many
 off-site landfill operators  will accept
 containerized wastes only in 55-gallon
 drums. Comments are specifically
 solicited on whether a capacity
 limitation for outside containers is
 appropriate and if so, what this
 limitation should be. Based on the
 volume and content of comments
 received on this issue, the.Agency will
 consider amending the 110-gallon
 limitation.
   In many cases, the DOT regulations
 allow a variety of acceptable packaging
 options including metal, fiberboard,
 plastic or wooden containers. However,
 for purposes of disposal,  EPA is

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         Federal Register  / Vol. 46, No. 221 / Tuesday,'
requiring that all outside containers be
metal. The need for metal drums is due
,to the nature of disposal. Allowing fiber
or wooden containers to be used as an
outside containerjwould increase the
risk of breaking or rupturing the inside
containers because fiber or wooden   .,
containers are more likely to be:
ruptured or crushed during handling and
after placement in a landfill than are
metal drums. The drums must be of the
open head variety to allow the proper
placement of the inside containers and
absorbent.
  The inside containers must be
overpacked and surrounded, at a
minimum, by a sufficient quantity of
absorbent material to completely absorb
all the liquid contents, of the inside  .,  ,
containers. In addition, the outside
container must be full after packing with
Jhe inside containers and absorbent
material to prevent breakage of inside
containers. The absorbent material used
must not be capable of reacting ,
dangerously with, being decomposed by,
or being ignited by the contents 'of the
inside containers in accordance with
§ 265.17(b). The Agency has not    ;
specified the type of absorbent that
must be used in a lab pack. However,
based on comments received, it appears
that vermiculite and fuller's earth are
commonly used because of their price,
availability, and the fact that they will •
not.react dangerously with most wastes.
  The Agency has not specified^
maximum limit on the size of the inside
containers except where the DOT
regulations impose a specific
requirement. However, the total amount
of liquid whioh may be placed in the lab
pack will be limited by the amount of
absorbent material required. Of course,'
the higher the absorptive capacity of the
absorbent material used for
overpacking, the more liquid the lab
pack may contain.
VII. Ban on Certain Reactive Wastes
   Section 265.312 bans the disposal of
reactive waste in landfills unless the   .
waste is treated or rendered non-
reactive prior  to or immediately after
placement in the landfill. However, as a
.result of comments  received, the Agency
recognizes that cyanide- or sulfide-
bearing wastes, which are deemed
reactive because they meet the
characteristic of reactivity set forth in 40
CFR 261.23(a}(5), may be  safely
landfilled in lab packs provided they are
properly handled so as to avoid contact
with incompatible wastes, as required
by'i 265.316(d).
   By definition cyanide- and sulfide-
bearing wastes are  those which will
 generate toxic gases, vapors, or fumes
 when exposed to acidic or basic.
 conditions characterized by a pH
 between 2 and 12.5. All other 'reactive
 wastes will-explode or release toxic    '
 gases, Vapors, or fumes, when they are
 at standard pressure and temperature;
 when they are mixed with or exposed to
 water; when they are subject to a strong
 initiating force; or when, they are heated
 under"confinement, or else are DOT-
 forbidderi, Class A, or Class B
 explosives. While it is possible to isolate
 cyariide- and sulfide-bearingwastes in a
 lab pack from wastes or conditions that
 would cause them to generate toxic
 gases, vapors, or fumes, it is much more
 difficult to protect other reactive wastes
 from conditions which would cause  :
 them to explodS or otherwise  .
 dangerously react,.even when packaged
 in a lab pack. Therefore, today's
 regulation contains a ban'on the landfill
 disposal of reactive wastes,  other than
• cyanide- and sulfide-bearing wastes, in-
 lab packs unless the-waste is rendered
 non-reactive prior to packaging^
   It should be noted that some wastes,
 such as oxidizers, may meet a
 characteristic of reactivity,as well as the
 characteristic of ignitability. Although,
 pursuant to today's rule, ignitable
 wastes may be landfilled in lab packs,
 any ignitable waste that also meets a
 characteristic of reactivity other than
 § 261.23(a)(5), may not be  disposed of in".;
 a lab pack unless it is treated or
 rendered non-reactive prior to
 packaging.     '
 VIH. Effective Date
   Section 3010(b) of RCRA provides that
 EPA's hazardous waste regulations and
 revisions to the regulations take effect  ,
 six months after promulgation. The
 purpose of this requirement is  to allow
 persons handling hazardous wastes
 sufficient lead time to prepare and to   . .
 comply with major new regulatory
 requirements. Today's amendments are
 designed to reduce burdens.imposed by
 existing regulations. Therefore, an
 effective date of six months after
 promulgation would be  contrary to the
 .purpose of section 3010(b). For this
 reason, this rule and amendments take
 effect immediately.
 IX. Interim Final Rule and Amendments
 and Request'for Comment       '..-..'
 .  EPA is promulgating today's rule and
 amendments as interim final and is
 providing a 60-day comment period. The
 Agency believes that the public should —
 have an opportunity to comment on the
 rule and amendments and, indeed, has
 sp'ecifically requested comments.
- However, the Agency believes that the
 rule and amendments should be put into
 effect during the comment period. To do
 otherwise would be contrary to the
 public interest by causing the regulated
 community, to comply with requirements
 which this rule and amendments are  ,
 designed to change. Therefore, the
 Agency finds that there is a "good
 cause" to allow today's rule and
 amendment to take effect prior to notice
 and public participation under Section
 553(b) of the Administrative Procedures
 'Act.'  ' :~  '. -  '..,".   ••-' ;.'-.; :> '
 X. Regulatory Impact

   UnderjExecutive Order 12291, EPA .   "
 must judge whether a regulation is
 "major" and therefore subject to the
 requirement of a Regulatory Impact
 Analysis/This interim final regulation is
 not major since its effect is to reduce the
 overall costs and economic impact of ,-
 EPA's hazardous waste management
 regulations. This reduction is achieved
 by allowing the landfill disposal in lab
 packs of certain hazardous wastes
 which would otherwise be.banned from
 landfills. This being the case, the
 present rule and amendments are not a
 major regulation and no Regulatory  ..   ;
 Impact Analysis need be conducted.
   This amendment was submitted to the
 "Office of Management and Budget
 (OMB) for review as required by  ".'  ,
 Executive Order 12291.        ,.
 XI. Regulatory Flexibility Act

   Pursuant to the Regulatory Flexibility
 Act, 5U.S.G. 601 etseq., whenever'an .
 agency is required to publish a general
 notice of rulemaking for any proposed or
 final rule, it must prepare and make '..''•
 available for public comment a
 regulatory flexibility analysis which
 describes the impact of the rule on small
_ entities (i.e., small businesses, small
 organizations, and small governmental
 jurisdictions). The Administrator may
 instead certify,  however, that the rule
 will not have a  significant economic
 impact on a substantial number of small
 entities.
   This, amendment will generally have
 no adverse economic impact on small
 entities in that it merely provides
 another disposal option to entities
 already subject to regulation under
 RCRA. Accordingly, I%hereby certify that
 this final regulation will not have a
 significant economic impact on a
 substantial number of small entities.  ;
 This regulation therefore ddes not
 require a regulatory flexibility analysis.

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56596   Federal Register  '•'/ Vol. 46. No. 221 / Tuesday,  November 17, 1981 / Rules
  Dated: November 12,1981.
Anno M. Gorsuch,
Administrator.

PART 265— INTERIM STATUS
STANDARDS FOR OWNERS AND
OPERATORS OF HAZARDOUS WASTE
TREATMENT, STORAGE, AND ,
DISPOSAL FACILITIES
  For the reasons set out in the
preamble, 40 CFR Part 265 is amended
as follows:
  1. The authority citation for Part 265
reads as follows:
  Authority: Sees. 1006,2002[a), and 3004,
Solid Waste Disposal Act, as amended by  the
Resource Conservation and Recovery Act of
1070, as amended (42 U.S.C. 6905, 6912fa),
and 0924).
  2, Section 265,312 is amended by
revising paragraph (a) to read as
follows:
§ 265.312  Special requirements for
Ignltabla or reactive waste.
  (a) Except as provided in paragraphs
(b) and (c) of this section and in
§ 285,318,  ignitable or reactive waste
must not be placed in a landfill, unless
the waste  is treated, rendered, or mixed
before or immediately after placement in
the landfill so that:
  (1) Tbe resulting waste, mixture, or
dissolution of material no longer meets  —
the definition of ignitable or reactive
waste under § 281.21 or 261.23 of this
chapter, and
  (2) Section 265.17(b) is complied with.
*    *   " *    *     *       .
  3. Section 265.314 is amended by
revising paragraph (b)(2) and by adding
paragraph (b)(3) to read as follows:

§ 265.314 Special requirements for liquid
waste.
*    *  ~  *    *     *
  (b) * * *
  [2) The container is very small, such
as an ampule; or
  (3) The container is disposed of in
accordance with § 265.316.
*****
  4. A new § 265.316 is added to read as
follows:

§ 265.316 Disposal of small containers of
hazardous waste in overpacked drums (lab
packs).
  Small containers of hazardous waste
in overpacked drums (lab packs) may be
placed in a landfall if the following
requirements are met:
  (a) Hazardous waste must be
packaged in non-leaking inside ;
containers. The inside containers must
be of a design and constructed of a  ,
material that will not react dangerously-
with, be decomposed by, or be ignited
by the waste held therein. Inside
containers must be tightly and securely
sealed. The inside containers must be of
the size  and type specified in the
Department of Transportation (DOT)
hazardous materials regulations (49 CFR
Parts 173,178 and 179), if those
regulations specify a particular inside
container for the waste.'
  (b) The inside containers must be
overpacked in an open head DOT-
specification metal shipping container
(49 CFR Parts 178 and 179) of no more
than 416-liter (110 gallon) capacity and
surrounded by, at a minimum, a
sufficient quantity of absorbent material
to completely absorb all of the liquid
contents of the inside containers. The
metal outer container must be full after
packing with inside containers and
absorbent material.
  (c) The absorbent material used must
not be capable of reacting dangerously
with, being decomposed by, or being
ignited by the contents of the inside
containers, in accordance with
§ 265.17(b).
  (d) Incompatible wastes, as defined in -
§ 260.10(a) of this chapter, must not be
placed in the same outside container.
  (e) Reactive waste, other than
cyanide- or sulBde-bearing waste as
defined  in § 26l.23(a][5) of this chapter,
must be treated or rendered non-
reactive prior to packaging in
accordance with paragraphs (a) through
(d) of this section. Cyanide- and sulfide-
bearing  reactive waste may be packaged
in accordance with paragraphs (a)
through {d) of this section without first
being treated or rendered non-reactive.
[FR Doc. 81-33192 Filed 11-16-61; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6560-30-K

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United States
Environmental Protection
Agency
Washington DC 20460
Official Business
Penalty for Private Use $300
Postage and
Fees paid
Environmental
Protection
Agency
EPA 335
                                                                                       Third-Class'

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