United States Office of Water and SW 755
Environmental Protection Waste Management March 1979
Agency Washington DC 20460
Solid Waste
£EPA EPA Activities
Under the Resource
Conservation and Recovery Act
Fiscal Year 1978
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EPA ACTIVITIES UNDER THE RESOURCE CONSERVATION
AND RECOVERY ACT OF 1976
Annual Report to the President and the Congress
Fiscal Year 1978
This report (SW-755) was compiled by the Office of Solid
Waste as required by Section 2005 of the Solid Waste
Disposal Act as amended by the Resource Conservation and
Recovery Act of 1976 (Public Law 94-580) and was
delivered March 21, 1979, to the President and the Congress
U S Environmental Protection Agency
Region 5, Library (PL-12J)
77 West Jackson Boulevard, 12tn Hoof
Chicago, IL 60604-3590
U.S. ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY 1979
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UNITED STATES ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
WASHINGTON, D.C. 20460
MAR 2 1 1979
THE ADMINISTRATOR
To the President and to the Congress of the United States:
I am submitting herewith the Environmental Protection
Agency's second annual report on its activities under the
Resource Conservation and Recovery Act of 1976 (RCRA),
Public Law 94-580. As required in Section 2005, this report
summarizes in detail the programs for Fiscal Year 1978 and
outlines solid waste problems, program objectives, legislative
considerations, and plans for Fiscal Year 1979.
Enclosure
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CONTENTS
Page
I. OVERVIEW 1-1
Solid Waste Problems 1-2
Effects of improper disposal 1-2
Siting of waste management facilities 1-6
Costs of solid waste management 1-6
Levels of resource recovery and conservation 1-7
Other problems affecting implementation of RCRA 1-9
Summary of Activities ., 1-10
Hazardous Waste Management 1-10
Planning and development of State and local programs 1-13
Land disposal 1-16
Resource recovery and conservation 1-18
Public participation and education 1-21
Budget 1-23
Legislation 1-23
Conclusions 1-26
II. HAZARDOUS WASTE MANAGEMENT 2-1
Objectives 2-3
Programs 2-4
Hazardous waste management regulations 2-4
Identifying and listing hazardous wastes 2-6
Standards for generators 2-9
Standards for transporters , 2-12
Standards for treatment, storage, and disposal 2-13
Permit System 2-15
Notification ... 2-16
Environmental and economic impact assessments 2-18
State hazardous waste programs 2-19
Enforcement activities 2-22
Data base development 2-25
Technical assistance 2-28
Problems 2-29
Resources for implementation 2-29
Insufficient waste management capacity and public opposition2-30
Plans for fiscal year 1979 2-32
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III. PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT OF STATE AND LOCAL PROGRAMS 3-1
Obj ectives 3-2
Programs 3-2
Identification of regions and agencies 3-2
Guidelines for State plans 3-6
Technical assistance 3-8
Financial assistance 3-11
Training 3-11
Problem: resources for program development 3-12
Plans for fiscal year 1979 3-12
IV. LAND DISPOSAL 4-1
Objectives 4-2
Programs 4-3
Criteria for the Classification of Solid Waste Disposal
Facilities 4-3
Section 1008 guidelines 4-5
Inventory of open dumps 4-6
Municipal sludge management 4-7
Siting problem 4-8
Research, studies, demonstrations 4-8
Plans for fiscal year 1979 4-15
V. RESOURCE RECOVERY AND CONSERVATION 5-1
Objectives 5-2
Programs 5-3
Urban policy resource recovery program 5-3
Technical assistance 5-5
Guidelines 5-9
Source separation 5-9
Beverage containers 5-10
Resource recovery facilities 5-11
Procurement , 5-11
Resource Conservation Committee 5-14
Research, evaluations, demonstrations, studies 5-17
Coordination with other Federal agencies 5-24
Problems 5-26
Federal procurement program 5-26
Source separation guidelines 5-27
Plans for fiscal year 1979 5-28
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VI. PUBLIC PARTICIPATION AND EDUCATION 6-1
Objectives 6-2
Programs , 6-2
Public participation , 6-2
Citizen education grants 6-7
Information program ,. 6-8
Plans for fiscal year 1979 6-9
VII. BRIEF REPORTS FROM THE REGIONAL OFFICES 7-1
APPENDIX: EPA Publications on RCRA and Solid Waste
Management, Fiscal Year 1978 A-l
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I . OVERVIEW
The basic goals of the Resource Conservation and
Recovery Act of 1976 are to (1) improve solid waste management
in order to protect public health and the environment and (2)
conserve valuable material and energy resources. More
specifically, the chief objectives are:
Regulation of the management of hazardous wastes
from point of generation through disposal, by
EPA or by State programs authorized by EPA.
Regulation of the disposal on land of all other
solid wastes* by the States in accordance with
minimum Federal criteria.
Establishment of resource recovery and conservation
as the preferred solid waste management approach.
The Act requires or authorizes a number of activities
directed toward achieving these objectives: Federal regulations
and guidelines; financial and technical assistance to State
and local governments; research, demonstrations, and studies;
and public participation and education.
This second annual report is prepared as required by Section
*The Act defines"solid waste" as follows: "Any garbage,
refuse, sludge from a waste treatment plant, water supply
treatment plant, or air pollution control facility and other
discarded material, including solid, liquid, semisolid, or
contained gaseous material resulting from industrial, commercial,
mining, and agricultural operations, and from community acti-
vities, but does not include solid or dissolved material in
domestic sewage, or solid or dissolved materials in irrigation
return flows or industrial discharges which are point sources
subject to permits under section 402 of the Federal Water
Pollution Control Act, as amended (86 Stat. 880), or source,
special nuclear, or byproduct material as defined by the
Atomic Energy Act of 1954, as amended (68 Stat. 923)."
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2005 of the Act. Following an overview of current solid
waste problems and the EPA program, Chapters 2-6 give a more
detailed account of the year's activities and plans for 1979
in the areas of hazardous waste management, State and local
program development, land disposal provisions, resource
recovery and conservation, and public participation and
education. Brief summaries from the EPA Regional Offices
are compiled in Chapter 7 to indicate the activities in the
different parts of the country. Reports and publications
issued during the year are listed in the Appendix.
SOLID WASTE PROBLEMS
Annually the United States generates about 344 million
metric tons of industrial wastes (including 30 to 40 million
tons of hazardous wastes), 130 million metric tons of municipal
refuse, 5 million metric tons (dry weight) of sewage sludge,
430 million metric tons (dry weight) of agricultural wastes,
and over 3 billion tons of mining waste. The amounts tend
to grow with increasing population, consumption, and production,
and the greater amounts of pollutants being held back from
discharge into rivers, lakes, oceans, and the air. Serious
environmental, public health, economic, and administrative
problems and issues are associated with the management of
these wastes.
Effects of Improper Disposal
General. Most solid wastes are disposed of on the
land, a practice that is as yet largely unregulated. It is
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roughly estimated that there are 100,000 industrial impoundments
(pits, ponds, and lagoons), 20,000 municipal refuse landfills,
and 23,000 municipal sludge disposal sites in the nation.
Improper disposal practices have led to direct exposure of
humans to toxic wastes, contamination of ground waters and
surface waters, air pollution, damage to wetlands and other
environmentally sensitive areas, explosions of landfill gas,
contamination of croplands with heavy metals, and other effects
Potentially the most widely significant effect is contamination
of ground water. Probably well over half of all disposal
facilities leak contaminants into ground water. Yet ground
water is the water supply for half the U .S .population, and
its use is growing rapidly. Once seriously contaminated, an
aquifer is no longer usable as a drinking water source.
Hazardous Waste Incidents. Numerous severe cases of
damage from inadequate management of hazardous wastes came
to national attention in fiscal year 1978. Perhaps the
most serious of these was at Love Canal in Niagara Falls,
New York. The area was declared eligible for Federal disaster
relief in August 1978 because of the danger from toxic
chemicals seeping into basements and backyards. The former
canal site had long been used for burial of industrial
chemical wastes prior to 1953. The State identified 82
chemical compounds at the site, including 1 known carcinogen
(benzene) and 11 suspected carcinogens. The incidence rates
for miscarriages and birth defects are elevated among families
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living adjacent to the canal. The costs of relocating over
200 families, purchasing property, remedial construction,
and additional testing and monitoring may exceed $20 million.
Federal assistance allocated thus far totals $6 million:
disaster relief amounting to $2 million, and a $4 million
grant as part of the RCRA appropriation for fiscal year
1979.
Other hazardous waste incidents during the year included:
An explosion that killed 6 workers and injured
12 at a hazardous waste treatment and disposal
facility in New Jersey.
Numerous cases of illegal dumping of hazardous
wastes in marshes, streets, vacant lots, and
sewers in New Jersey, Rhode Island, and Connecticut.
Dumping of PCB wastes along 200 miles of North
Carolina's roads.
Severe contamination of wells near a chemical
waste disposal site in Tennessee.
Asphyxiation of a worker in Louisiana by hydrogen
sulfide produced when incompatible chemica-1
wastes were mixed.
An explosion of hazardous wastes at an Army
base in California, killing one worker and
severely burning another.
Such events underscored the need for the hazardous
waste regulatory controls required by RCRA and added greatly
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to the sense of urgency in developing the Federal regulations.
The Love Canal incident brought out more clearly than ever
before the potential seriousness of effects from hazardous
wastes, even those buried long ago, and led the Office of
Management and Budget to establish a task force consisting
of EPA, the Federal Disaster Assistance Administration, and
the Council on Environmental Quality to assess the potential
magnitude of Love-Canal-type incidents and to develop and
assess various options for Federal policy with respect to
such incidents. To assist the task force, information on
hazardous waste disposal sites was requested from the EPA
Regional Offices in October 1978. The Regional Offices
roughly estimated that there were about 32,000 landfill,
storage, and other sites containing hazardous waste which
may cause adverse impacts on public health or the environment,
and that over 800 of them may contain "significant" quantities
of hazardous wastes which could cause "significant" imminent
hazard to public health.
While the forthcoming RCRA regulations will apply to
hazardous waste management facilities in operation, Federal
authority to clean up those sites which are inactive or
abandoned is quite limited. EPA can take enforcement action
against the owner to require cleanup if the site causes
imminent and substantial danger to human health or the
environment. Owners often do not possess adequate assets to
pay for the cleanup, however, and they may not be responsible
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for the disposal operation. Many States have more authority
than the Federal government to deal with these problems.
The work of the OMB task force will help to indicate what
the Federal role should be and what legislative measures
should be proposed.
Siting of Waste Management Facilities
Partly as a result of poor past practices in waste
management, proposed sites for waste processing or disposal
facilities are commonly rejected following storms of local
protest. From the national perspective, this appears to be
the major problem confronting efforts to improve solid waste
management. Such opposition is likely to develop against
any proposed waste management facility but has been especially
vehement against hazardous waste facilities. For example,
strong public protests resulted in the termination in the
past year of a project to establish a chemical waste landfill
in Minnesota. This was to be a demonstration project of the
Minnesota Pollution Control Agency aided by an EPA grant.
Costs of Solid Waste Management
Cost is obviously a major factor to contend with in
improving solid waste management. Available cost estimates
are rough but indicative of the magnitudes involved. Estimated
costs of municipal solid waste management, including collection,
transfer stations, incineration, and landfilling but excluding
resource recovery, average $43 a ton and total more than
$5.5 billion a year nationally, according to 1978 EPA estimates.
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Municipal sludge management costs about $635 million a year
(1977). The manufacturing industries spent approximately
$962 million in 1976 for solid waste management, according
to Bureau of the Census data. These costs are climbing with
increased waste generation, inflation, and shortage of
disposal space in many areas.
The environmental requirements under RCRA will add to
waste management costs. Compliance with State programs
based on RCRA land disposal provisions under Subtitle D may
require expenditures by industries and governments of over
$1.6 billion a year, according to preliminary estimates.
The economic impact of the hazardous waste regulations
(Subtitle C) on 17 industries that are expected to be most
affected was studied; the cost of compliance by these industries
was estimated to total $750 million, or 0.3 percent of gross
sales. The cost of inaction or ineffectual action, in terms
of health effects, ruining of ground water supplies, and
other serious human, environmental, and economic damage is
undoubtedly greater. The economic impacts are being closely
considered in the weighing of RCRA regulatory alternatives.
Levels of Resource Recovery and Conservation
The levels of recycling and other forms cf waste utilization
have been low in this country compared with potential recovery
and levels achieved by some other industrialized nations.
EPA estimates that about 8 percent of the municipal solid
waste stream was being recovered in 1977—about 7 percent
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through source separation, that is, the setting aside of
recyclable materials (mostly paper) at the point of generation,
and 1 percent through mixed waste processing, which is
generally based on energy recovery. Several West European
countries (Germany, Sweden, Netherlands, Switzerland, and
Denmark) process 20 to 60 percent of their municipal solid
waste for energy recovery. A number of interrelated factors
have held back more rapid expansion of resource recovery:
The traditional forms of waste disposal, dumping or landfilling,
have generally been cheap in this country, at least in terms
of direct costs—environmental damage has been ignored and,
compared with many European countries, land has been plentiful.
Most communities lack the experience, expertise, and organization
required to plan effectively for resource recovery. There are
technological uncertainties. Markets for recovered materials
have been limited and highly unstable. National policies
have encouraged use of virgin resources. Until recently,
fossil fuels have been plentiful and cheap, dampening interest
in wastes as fuels.
As land disposal becomes more difficult and resources
more costly, however, many U.S. communities are now turning
to resource recovery systems, which can greatly reduce the
amount of wastes requiring land disposal while contributing
to resource supplies. EPA projects that by 1985, 10 to 15
percent of municipal solid waste may be processed for energy
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recovery. Wastepaper collection and other recycling programs
are also on the increase at present, particularly in the
northeast and California.
To help cities overcome the problem of inadequate
planning and consultation, a new grant program in EPA resulting
from the President's Urban Policy Message of March 1978
will begin making funds available in fiscal year 1979 for
feasibility studies and other critical preparatory steps in
resource recovery.
Industries are increasingly interested in finding uses
for waste materials. Twenty or more "waste exchanges" have
been set up around the country to make known the availability
and promote the use of industrial wastes. EPA provides
technical assistance in establishing such systems.
Federal programs and policy changes that might result
in stronger economic incentives for resource recovery and
conservation are being examined by the interagency Resource
Conservation Committee.
Other Problems Affecting Implementation of RCRA
Other problems more strictly related to the implementation
of RCRA provisions are noted in the fo]lowing chapters in
relation to the activities affected. Such problems include
the need for capacity expansion in the hazardous waste manage-
ment industry and difficulties in complying with the require—
ment for procurement of recycled products.
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SUMMARY OF ACTIVITIES
Hazardous Waste Management
Of highest priority among EPA activities under RCRA was
development of the regulations on hazardous waste management
required under Subtitle C. Several of the regulations reached
the stage of formal proposal during the fiscal year: the
standards for transporters (Section 3003) , the regulations
governing notification of hazardous waste management activities
to EPA or authorized States (Section 3010), and the guidelines
for authorized State programs (Section 3006). The State
guidelines will be reproposed, however, because they are
being integrated with similar requirements under the Clean
Water Act and the Safe Drinking Water Act, By the end of
calendar year 1978 most of the regulations had been proposed
(see table).
The requirement that the regulations be promulgated
within 18 months of enactment of the law (that is, by April
1978) unfortunately could not be met due to the complexity
of the task, which has involved numerous administrative,
technical, and legal decisions, data development, extensive
public participation, and integration with other environmental
programs. Beginning September 7, 1978, environmental organizations
and the Stcte of Illinois brought suit against EPA for
failure to promulgate hazardous waste and other regulations
by the dates required in RCRA. In response EPA issued a
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RCRA FEGUIATIONS AND GUIDELINES ISSUED OR IN PREPARATION
AS OF JANUARY 31, 1979
Section
of the Act Description
Statutory
Deadline
Status*
1008
3001
3002
3003
3004
3005
3006
3010
4002(a)
4002(b)
4004
6002
7002
7004
Solid waste management
guidelines
Identification and listing
of hazardous waste
Standards for generators
of hazardous waste
Standards for transporters
of hazardous waste
Standards for hazardous
waste treatment, storage,
and disposal facilities
Permits for treatment,
storage, or disposal of
hazardous waste
Guidelines for development
of State hazardous waste
programs
Notification system
regulations
Guidelines for identi-
fication of regions and
agencies for solid waste
management
October 1977
and time to time
thereafter
April 1978
April 1978
April 1978
April 1978
April 1978
April 1978
April 1978
Guidelines for State plans April 1978
Criteria for classification October 1977
of disposal facilities
Guidelines for procurement
practices
Prior notice of citizen suits
Public participation guidelines
Guidelines on landfill disposal
are scheduled for proposal in
March 1979, with final issuance
in Jan. 1980.
Proposed Dec. 18, 1978.
Final scheduled for Dec. 1979.
Proposed Dec. 18, 1978.
Final scheduled for Dec. 1979.
Proposed April 28, 1978.
Final scheduled for Dec. 1979.
Proposed Dec. 18, 1978.
Final scheduled for Dec. 1979.
Proposal scheduled for Mar. 1979.
Final scheduled for Dec. 1979.
Proposed Feb. 1, 1978.
Reproposal scheduled for Mar. 1979.
Final scheduled for Oct. 1979.
Proposed July 11, 1978.
Final scheduled for Aug. 1979.
Interim guidelines published
May 16, 1977.
Proposed Aug. 28, 1978.
Final scheduled for June 1979.
Proposed Feb. 6, 1978.
Final scheduled for July 1979.
Proposal of the first guidelines,
on cement and concrete, scheduled
for April 1979.
Final regulations published
October 21, 1977.
Interim guidelines published
Jan. 12, 1978.
Proposed August 7, 1978.
Final scheduled for Feb. 1979.
Public participation guidelines
for programs under RCRA, Clean
Water Act, and Safe Drinking
Water Act
(will supersede previous guidelines)
+ Regulations to implement the
Resource Conservation and Recovery
Act of 1976; Grants and other
financial assistance
*Schedules for issuance of guidelines and regulations in preparation are subject to change.
•ffinancial assistance provisions.
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Interim regulations published
October 20, 1977. Amendments
published Sept. 25, 1978.
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proposed schedule for development of the regulations and
held a public meeting on September 15 to inform the public
of the schedule and receive comments on it. On January 3,
1979, the U .S . District Court of the District of Columbia
found that expediting the present schedule did not appear to
be in the public interest but ordered the Agency to keep the
Court informed regarding any departures from the schedule
filed with the Court.
The number of States likely to apply for and receive at
least interim authorization to conduct hazardous waste
regulatory programs was estimated to be about 40 at the end
of fiscal year. Federal funds ($3.4 million in fiscal 1978)
and EPA technical assistance were provided to States in
support of hazardous waste program development.
EPA's Office of Enforcement is developing alternatives
for enforcement policy and management in concert with the
development of the regulations. The Office of Enforcement
prepared and distributed guidance for the Regional Offices
in dealing with Section 7003 "Imminent Hazard" action which
can be initiated when an iirminent and substantial endangerment
to health or the environment exists.
Studies, research projects, and demonstrations of the
Office of Research and Development and the Office of Solid
Waste concentrated on mechanisms of damage caused by hazardous
wastes, technology for control, and economic analyses,.
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In fiscal year 1979, development of the regulations
will continue to be the main focus of efforts; promulgation
of all seven regulations is scheduled to be completed by
December 1979. Various preparations for implementation of
the regulatory program will continue, including planning of
the management system, writing of manuals, and presentation
of seminars on requirements of the program. Grants to
States for hazardous waste regulatory development will total
$15 million. A demonstration of remedial construction will
begin at Love Canal.
Two main problem areas are foreseen in implementing the
regulatory program. The first is citizen opposition to the
siting of new hazardous waste management facilities, as
discussed above under "Solid Waste Problems." Studies and a
public education program are being planned in response to
this problem. A second problem may develop from the magnitude
of the task of administering the regulatory program—some
380,000 waste generators, transporters, disposers, etc.,
will be brought into the system, and staffing and funding
may not be adequate to implement the program within the
expected 2-year period.
Planning and Development of State and Local Programs
Subtitle D of RCRA includes provisions for promoting
the development of State and local solid waste programs that
will achieve environmentally sound disposal practices and
expand resource recovery and conservation.
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In 1978 an important task was the implementation of
guidelines issued in 1977 on identification of regions and
agencies for solid waste management. Such identifications
were made in every State, although some were on an interim
basis pending further development of the State plans.
Guidelines for State plans were proposed in August
1978. They establish the requirements for State plans and
recommend methods for meeting those requirements. The
following major areas are covered: the identification of
State, local, and regional responsibilities and the distribution
of Federal funds; the development of the State disposal
program; the development of the State resource conservation
and recovery program; facility planning and development;
coordination with other environmental programs; and public
participation in the development and implementation of State
and substate plans.
The new program of Technical Assistance Panels required
under Section 2003 began operating out of the Regional
Offices in January 1978. The panels are made up of Federal,
State, and local government employees and consultants. By
the end of July, 186 requests for assistance from State and
local governments had been filled. A unique part of the
panels program is "peer matching," whereby a State or local
official faced with a particular waste management problem
can receive first-hand advice from one or more other officials
who have been successful in dealing with that problem.
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Apart from the panels program, thousands of routine
requests for information and advice were handled by the
Office of Solid Waste and the Regional Offices. Planning
systems, manuals, technical reports, slide presentations,
and seminars were made available.
Federal financial assistance to the States for programs
under RCRA totaled $14.2 million in 1978 (including the $3.4
million used for hazardous waste regulatory activities),
compared with $3 million in 1977. Regulations governing
grants under RCRA were published in October 1977 and amended
in September 1978.
A study of manpower and training needs in State and
local solid waste programs is required under Section 7007; a
contract for such a study was let in 1978. Preparation of
an orientation course on the RCRA programs for Federal,
State, and local employees was begun.
Plans for 1979 include promulgation of the State plan
guidelines, development of an annual report on State solid
waste programs, expanded activity in the Technical Assistance
Panels program, and completion of the manpower and training
study. Federal financial assistance will include $15.2
million in State grants for planning under Subtitle D. A
major question for the years ahead is the adequacy of resources
for State and local program development, particularly imple-
mentation of the land disposal provisions.
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Land Disposal
Development of the criteria for acceptable land disposal
of solid wastes, as required in Section 4004, was of highest
priority among EPA activities in implementing the land
disposal provisions under Subtitle D. Proposed criteria
were published in February 1978 and covered a wide range of
potential effects of land disposal on public health and the
environment. Sixteen hearings and meetings were held to
receive comments. Final promulgation is scheduled for July
1979.
The criteria will be the minimum standards against
which States will evaluate disposal facilities. Those that
do not meet the criteria will appear on an inventory of
"open dumps" to be published by EPA. Open dumps are to be
either closed or upgraded under State-established compliance
schedules that do not exceed 5 years beyond the publication
date of the inventory. Because of the large number of
facilities that will have to be evaluated, the evaluations
will be conducted over several years and the inventory will
be published in annual installments. Each State's phasing
of the process will be an important part of its solid waste
management plan.
Guidelines for landfill disposal were drafted under
authority of Section 1008 and distributed for public comment
in August 1978. Formal proposal is scheduled for March
1979.
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Work was begun on an overall regulation covering management
of municipal wastewater treatment sludge under authority of
Section 405 of the Clean Water Act. It will incorporate
relevant regulations and criteria issued under RCRA and the
Clean Air Act, as well as the Clean Water Act. A manual on
the planning, design, and operation of municipal sludge
landfills was completed.
A project on landfill siting is being conducted by the
National Association of Regional Councils with EPA grant
support. The project will locate six successful regional
landfill sites, document how they were established, and hold
seminars for other regional planners.
A wide range of projects were carried on to develop
knowledge and technology related to land disposal. A data
base on industrial disposal facilities and waste management
practices is being developed. Intensive studies are being
made of coal-fired utilities, iron and steel, inorganic
chemicals, and nonferrous metals.
Studies required by RCRA on solid waste on Federal
lands in Alaska, on mining wastes, and on sludges were
nearing completion at the end of the fiscal year.
Research continued in the areas of: waste characterization
and decomposition; pollutant transport mechanisms, pollutant
control and treatment, codisposal of various hazardous
wastes and/or municipal sludge with municipal refuse, remedial
action at inoperative disposal sites, and landspreading and
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other alternatives to landfilling. The recovery and use of
methane from a landfill is being demonstrated.
In 1979 the land disposal criteria will be promulgated,
and the inventory process will begin. Guidelines for landfill
disposal will be proposed. Data development on industrial
waste management will continue as a major effort. The
studies on Alaska, sludge, and mining wastes will be completed,
and the projects to develop the technology for land disposal
will continue.
Resource Recovery and Conservation
A financial assistance program for resource recovery
projects in urban areas was organized following the President's
request to Congress for funding of such a program in his
Urban Policy Message of March 1978. Aid totaling $15 million
will be awarded in fiscal year 1979. The money is to be
used for planning, feasibility studies, technology assessments,
preparation of requests for proposals, and other "front-end"
steps for resource recovery projects.
Technical assistance for resource recovery and conservation
took several forms: the Technical Assistance Panels, guidance
for State program development, seminars around the country
on resource recovery implementation, and assistance in
setting up waste exchanges.
The implementation of three guidelines that include
mandatory provisions for Federal agencies were monitored:
The Guidelines for Source Separation have led to the participation
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of 175,000 Federal employees in paper recycling programs.
Under the Guidelines for Beverage Containers 14 of 52 reporting
agencies are requiring, on an agencywide basis, the placing
of refundable 5-cent deposits on all beer and soft drink
containers sold in their facilities. Under the Resource
Recovery Facilities Guidelines, Defense Department installations
in nine metropolitan areas are planning to operate or utilize
resource recovery plants.
Section 6002 of RCRA requires that procurement with
Federal funds be of items composed of the highest percentage
of recovered materials practicable. EPA is developing
guidelines for recommended procurement practices. The first
guidelines will be on use of fly ash and blast furnace slag
in making cement and concrete.
The interagency Resource Conservation Committee issued
a report in January 1978 on beverage container deposits and
a status report in July 1978 on analyses of solid waste
disposal charges.
Several types of activity were carried on to develop
information and technology regarding resource recovery:
technical, economic, and environmental assessments of
commercial-scale resource recovery facilities; demonstrations
of resource recovery systems; research projects in the
"wastes-as-fuels" program; studies of resource recovery
required under Section 8002; case studies of three municipally
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sponsored source separation programs; and a national survey
of programs for separate collection of wastepaper and other
recyclables.
EPA signed an interagency agreement with the Department
of Commerce to ensure coordination of activities under RCRA.
Subtitle E assigns certain duties to the Department, mainly
in developing specifications for recovered materials and
encouraging commercialization of new uses for recovered
materials. For coordination with the Department of Energy
in the area of energy recovery, EPA and DOE have set up
working groups for transfer of information, joint planning,
and review of proposals.
Current problems in implementing the RCRA provisions
related to resource recovery and conservation include the
following:
—The deadline of October 1978 by which agencies are to
comply with the provisions for procuring recycled
products could not be met due to lack of detailed
information on technical performance and economic
feasibility and also lack of supplies of recycled
products.
--The Federal office paper recycling program is
having difficulties resulting from unsteady markets
and purchase of poorer quality paper by the government.
The fact that all revenues go to the Treasury rather
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than building management may be affecting incentives
for the program.
Plans for 1979 are mainly concerned with further development
or follow through of the previous year's activities. Financial
assistance will be provided to urban resource recovery
projects, and these will be monitored and guided. Procurement
guidelines for cement and concrete will be proposed. The
Resource Conservation Committee will issue its final report.
The resource recovery seminars will continue to be presented
around the country. The efforts to develop, evaluate, and
report on resource recovery technologies and methods will
continue.
Public Participation and Education
As required by Section 7004, EPA and the States provided
many opportunities for public participation in implementing
the Act. Forty-one public meetings and hearings were held
by EPA during the year on proposed regulations and other
issues related to RCRA. Even before the stage of formal
proposal, drafts of regulations were distributed for early
review by interested persons. Almost all States held widely
publicized public meetings on the identification of regions
and agencies for solid waste management, and some States
held meetings to receive public comment on their draft 1979
work programs.
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Interim Guidelines for Public Participation in Solid
Waste Management were issued in January 1978. These will be
superseded in 1979 by overall regulations for public participation
in programs under RCRA, the Clean Water Act, and the Safe:
Drinking Water Act.
The citizen education grant program supported numerous
conferences and workshops on solid waste management issues,
with emphasis on hazardous waste management. Seven grants
totaling $218,000 were awarded.
Numerous reports and other publications were produced
and distributed (see Appendix). Slide presentations, exhibits,
and news releases were also produced.
The Solid Waste Information Retrieval System (SWIRS)
conducted over 1,100 literature searches. Approximately
6,000 new abstracts were added to the system. The SWIRS
library contains all abstracted documents plus 6,000 books
and other materials.
In 1979, approximately 26 public meetings and hearings
are scheduled on proposed regulations and guidelines. The
new guidelines covering public participation in programs
under RCRA and the water laws will be promulgated. A 4-year
public education program with the main focus on hazardous
waste management issues will be started; conferences in four
EPA Regions are scheduled for the first year. Due to lack
of funds the literature search component of SWIRS will be
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terminated, at least under EPA auspices, but the library
will be maintained.
BUDGET
In EPA the Office of Solid Waste (OSW) has lead responsi-
bility for the development under RCRA of all regulations and
guidelines and establishment of basic policies for technical
and financial assistance, public participation, and a number
of other programs. The Office of Research and Development
(ORD) is responsible for research and development projects,
including the studies required under Subtitle H. The Office
of Enforcement is responsible for the enforcement aspects of
the hazardous waste regulatory program. The EPA Regional
Offices have main responsibility for working with the States
on RCRA implementation and providing technical assistance.
Many other parts of EPA have supportive and cooperative
roles in RCRA implementation.
Significant increases in budget and staffing to carry
out the new mandates under RCRA did not begin until fiscal
year 1978. The 1978 budget for EPA's solid waste activities
was $35.7 million, or twice the 1977 figure (see table). In
1979, the budget will double again. Most of the increase for
both years is in the form of increased aid to State and
local governments.
LEGISLATION
A number of minor amendments to the Solid Waste Disposal
Act as amended by RCRA were enacted on November 8, 1978, as
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EPA SOLID WASTE BUDGET ESTIMATES FOR FISCAL YEARS 1977-79
1977 1978
$ Positions $ Positions
(millions) (millions)
Office of $ 8.2 107 $11.6 137
Solid Waste
Office of RSD 4.2 23 7.4 21
Office of En- 0.1 2 0.6 5
forceroent
Office of Fed- 0 000
eral Activities
Regional Offices 1.8 60 1.9 66
State/local grants :
State plans 2.9 — 14. 2+
Haz. waste con-
trol
Urban resource — —
recovery
Total $17.3 192 $35.7 229
1979
$ Positions
(millions)
$16.6* 139
8.1 20
0.8 26
0.1** 0
3.0 109
15.2
15.0
15.0
-
$73.8 294
* Includes $U million for demonstration of remedial measures at Love Canal disposal
site.
**For academic training grants.
+ Includes $3.4 million used for State hazardous waste regulatory development.
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part of Public Law 95-609, the Quiet Communities Act of
1978. (Copies of the lav as amended are available from the
Office of Solid Waste.) Proposals for substantive amendments
are being discussed in the Agency for possible submission to
Congress in the Spring of 1979. Some areas under consideration
are:
--Creation of a national fund to cover certain types
of liabilities and other costs incurred by hazardous
waste management facilities beyond the coverage
afforded by the financial responsibility provisions
of regulations under Section 3004.
--Funding and other mechanisms to deal with the problem
of inactive or abandoned hazardous waste management
sites that pose a threat to health or the environment.
—Extension of the period for the open dump inventory
beyond the 1 year allowed, and provision for authority
to inspect disposal sites.
—Strengthened Federal authority for enforcing compliance
with the hazardous waste management regulations.
—Gearing the Federal procurement requirement ("items
must be composed of the highest percentage of recovered
materials practicable") to the issuance of guidelines
specifying what the requirement means in terms of
particular products.
—Extension of funding authorizations beyond 1979.
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CONCLUSIONS
Substantial progress has been made in developing the
regulations, assisting State and local governments, incorporating
public participation, and other areas of RCRA implementation.
Over the next year, basic regulatory development will be
largely completed, and the main focus will shift to putting
rules and plans into effect. It has become very clear from
what we have learned about the necessary scope and complexity
of the programs, the siting problem, program costs, and
other factors that these undertakings will not be simple or
short-termed. Continuing efforts and cooperation by governments,
industry, and the public will be required over many years to
bring hazardous waste management and land disposal under
adequate control and to establish resource recovery and
conservation as preferred approaches to waste management.
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II. HAZARDOUS WASTE MANAGEMENT
Subtitle C of the Act requires creation of a management
control system for hazardous wastes to prevent serious risk
of injury to health or the environment from the mismanagement
of such wastes. The key provisions are directed to identi-
fication of hazardous wastes, institution of a manifest
system to track wastes through their life cycle (i.e., point
of generation to point of final disposal), and establishment
of a permit system, based on standards, for hazardous waste
treatment, storage, and disposal facilities. Under this
program, the generator will be responsible for determining
whether a waste is hazardous according to the identification
criteria. If it is, the generator must either obtain a
permit to manage the waste onsite or transport the waste to
a permitted treatment, storage, or disposal facility. In
the latter case, a manifest containing basic information
about the waste must accompany each shipment to the point of
final disposal. In either case all treatment, storage, and
disposal operations must meet the minimum standards developed.
The standards and regulations that are currently being
developed by EPA will form the basis of a Federal system of
hazardous waste regulation. It is clearly the intent of
Congress, however, that the States be given every opportunity
to implement their own hazardous waste programs that are
equivalent to and consistent with the Federal program.
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Section 3006 of the Act directs EPA to develop guidelines
for State hazardous waste programs and procedures by which
States may seek authorization to conduct their programs in
lieu of an EPA-administered program. EPA must grant authori-
zation to all States that apply unless EPA finds that the
proposed State program is not equivalent to or consistent
with the Federal program. If a State chooses not to assume
the hazardous waste program, EPA is required to conduct the
program in that State. To aid the States in establishing a
hazardous waste program, Federal grants are authorized for
fiscal years 1978 and 1979.
The Act requires that the criteria, standards, and
guidelines for the hazardous waste program be promulgated
within 18 months of enactment, that is, by April 1978.
Promulgation has been delayed, however, until December 1979
due to lack of data in several areas, an extensive public
participation program, the complex nature of most of the
regulations, and the need to integrate the program with
programs under other environmental legislation.
An extensive data base which can be used to analyze the
regulatory alternatives and to support the chosen approach
is being developed under authority of Subtitle H of RCRA by
the Office of Research and Development and the Office of
Solid Waste.
For the hazardous waste management control system to be
fully implemented, sufficient permitted treatment, storage,
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and disposal facilities must be available to the regulated
community. It is estimated that the current total capacity
is far short of projected needs. The need to facilitate
capacity creation is being considered in developing standards
and is the focus of other activities.
Reducing the generation of hazardous wastes, and finding
economic uses for such wastes that are generated, are clearly
options to be selected wherever feasible. The system of
regulatory control now in preparation should serve to encourage
conservation practices. Waste management costs will generally
rise as safer methods are required, and this should be an
incentive to reduce waste generation. Similarly, higher
disposal costs should make resource recovery processes
comparatively more economical, although regulations will
apply to resource recovery processes as well as other "treat-
ment" of hazardous wastes. Many of the research, development,
and demonstration projects and studies being carried out by
EPA relate directly to the evaluation of hazardous waste
resource recovery processes and opportunities.
OBJECTIVES
During fiscal year 1978, the EPA objectives with regard
to hazardous waste management were unchanged from the previous
year and were as follows:
* Developing the required standards, regulations,
and systems for the regulatory control program.
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* Encouraging State implementation of the program
and developing guidelines for State hazardous waste
programs.
* Providing technical assistance to States, local
governments, industries, and others involved in
hazardous waste management.
* Developing the technical and economic data base
for the regulatory program and for technical assistance,
* Facilitating expansion of the service industry for
hazardous waste treatment, storage, and disposal.
* Promoting resource conservation and recovery.
PROGRAMS
Hazardous Waste Management Regulations
Six sets of regulations are being developed to establish
criteria and standards for hazardous waste management:
Criteria, identification methods, and listing of
hazardous waste (Section 3001)
Standards for generators of hazardous waste
(Section 3002)
Standards for transporters of hazardous waste
(Section 3003)
Standards for owners and operators of hazardous
waste treatment, storage, and disposal facilities
(Section 3004)
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Permits for treatment, storage, or disposal of
hazardous waste (Section 3005)
Preliminary notification of hazardous waste
activities (Section 3010)
The regulations are the basis for the Federal regulatory
program and also represent minimum requirements for authorized
State programs.
In the first quarter of fiscal year 1978, draft versions
were circulated to interested persons. Three 2-day public
meetings were held in October to discuss the proposed content
and expected impact of the regulations and to solicit further
input.
The EPA working groups (which include State representatives)
evaluated all comments, and subsequent drafts were developed
in late 1977 and again in 1978. By mid-1978, over 800
people were on mailing lists to receive such drafts.
Two of the regulations, on standards applicable to
transporters and on notification of hazardous waste activities,
progressed to the stage of formal proposal in the Federal
Register during the fiscal year. Initial public hearings
were held. Additional hearings on the transporter standards
will be held in conjunction with those on standards for
generators due to the close tie between the two sets of
standards.
Formal proposal of all the regulations is scheduled to
be completed by March 1979. Comments at public hearings or
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in writing will be taken for 90 days following the proposal
date. Promulgation of the final rules is due to be completed
by December 1979. (See schedule on page 1-11.)
Identifying and Listing Hazardous Wastes. According to
Section 3001, development of the criteria for identifying
the characteristics of hazardous wastes must consider such
factors as "...toxicity, persistence, and degradability in
nature, potential for accumulation in tissue, and other re-
lated factors such as flammability, corrosiveness, and other
hazardous characteristics." As the term is defined for use
in the Act, hazardous waste is a subset of solid waste
"which because of its quantity, concentration, or physical,
chemical, or infectious characteristics may (A) cause; or
significantly contribute to an increase in mortality or an
increase in seriously irreversible, or incapacitating
reversible, illness; or (B) pose a substantial present or
potential hazard to human health or the environment when
improperly... managed."
Hazardous waste characteristics fall into two general
classes: those whose effects are acute, that is, may cause
near-term danger, and those whose effects are chronic, or
likely to occur over a rather long period.
In the draft regulations* under Section 3001, three
characteristics are cited as producing acute effects:
* These regulations were proposed December 18, 1978.
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ignitability, corrosiveness, and reactivity. Standard test
methods will be proposed for determining these characteristics.
Chronic toxic effects have been found to occur chiefly
as a result of leaching of hazardous waste constituents to
ground and surface waters. A test has been developed to
determine the extractability of pollutants from wastes. The
draft regulations propose that the extracts be compared with
the EPA limits for contaminants in drinking water, with
allowance for dilution.
We are also considering, for later proposal, a radioactivity
standard and evaluation of the extract specifically for
mutagenic activity, tendency for bioaccumulation, and mammalian,
aquatic, and plant toxicity. Evaluation of the extract
through bioassay is under development. There are potential
problems in the bioassay approach since little, if any,
toxicity work has been performed on wastes (very little has
been done on mixtures of any kind); however, the bioassay
allows a more direct evaluation of the waste than analytical
procedures.
The proposed regulations will include lists of hazardous
wastes and of processes that generate hazardous wastes.
Beside each item the hazardous characteristic (toxic,
ignitable, etc.) or an indication of the EPA Administrator's
finding that the waste is hazardous will be noted, and the
waste will be considered hazardous unless the generator can
demonstrate otherwise.
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The status of key projects that were initiated through
grants and contracts to provide background data and test
procedures suitable for Section 3001 regulations was as
follows at the end of the fiscal year:
Extraction procedure development—a procedure was
developed to measure the tendency of hazardous constit-
uents of waste to migrate when the waste is exposed
to leaching action in a landfill or open dump.
Candidate extraction procedures—evaluation and selection
of representative techniques from existing procedures
were completed.
Extraction procedure evaluation—still in progress was
the comparative evaluation of the candidate procedures,
the newly developed technique, and actual landfill
leachate, which will lead to the selection of a
standard procedure.
Toxicity—compilation of background data was being
completed, and the suitability of empirical tests on
substances produced by procedures described above was
being evaluated.
Standard procedure validation—still to be done were
determination of the performance of the selected
procedure by commercial facilities and optimization
of the reproducibility of test results.
Sampling and analysis techniques—development and
compilation of standards or protocols for taking
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a "standard" sample of a waste and analyzing it were
completed.
Standards for Generators of Hazardous Wastes. According
to Section 3002, standards applicable to generators of
hazardous waste shall establish requirements for: (1)
instituting a manifest system to assure that all transported
hazardous waste is designated to go to a permitted facility;
(2) furnishing information on general chemical composition;
(3) recordkeeping; (4) submitting reports to the Administrator
on the quantities of hazardous waste generated during a
particular time period and its disposition; (5) using appro-
priate containers; and (6) labeling of containers used for
storage, transport, or disposal of hazardous waste.
The manifest system is designed to track hazardous
wastes from the point of generation to the point of ultimate
disposal. According to the draft regulations,* the manifest
or delivery document will have a standard format which can
be incorporated into existing documents required by the
Interstate Commerce Commission (bill of lading) and the
Department of Transportation (shipping paper). Information
on the manifest will include the following: name, address,
and identification code of the generator, transporter, and
designated treatment, storage, and disposal facility (TSDF);
proper shipping name of the waste; the hazard class associated
with the waste (toxic, reactive, etc.); and emergency response
*These regulations were proposed December 18, 1978.
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information. The manifest must accompany the waste during
transport and will be signed in turn by the generator, the
transporter, and the TSDF representative to acknowledge
acceptance of the waste.
Information on the general chemical composition of the
waste will be transmitted to the TSDF by the "shipping
description" on the manifest report. A copy of the signed
manifest will be returned to the generator by the TSDF.
Recordkeeping regulations will require the generator to
retain a copy of the manifest for 3 years.
Instances of failure to receive a properly signed
manifest will be reported quarterly by generators to the EPA
Administrator. Otherwise, all generators must report on an
annual basis. The reports will be derived from the information
on the manifests and will include the following: name,
address, and identification code of the generator; proper
shipping name of the waste; the hazard class; quantity of
waste shipped; and identification codes of the TSDFs used
for disposal. The reporting form will be a standard document
that will be used nationally by EPA.
Containers of hazardous waste must conform to DOT
regulations on containers under 49 CFR (Code of Federal
Regulations) 173, 178, and 179. Containers must also be
labeled and marked in accordance with DOT regulations in 49
CFR 172. In addition, an EPA marking must also appear,
indicating the generator's identification code and the
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manifest document number.
The Agency proposes to define a hazardous waste generator
as one who generates and disposes of more than 100 kilograms
of hazardous waste per month. This decision is based upon a
number of factors. Agency studies indicate that environmental
quality would not be compromised by excluding small quantities
of hazardous waste from Subtitle C regulations, since disposal
of such wastes are required to be in accordance with regulations
to be established under Subtitle D, Section 4004; also
transportation would have to meet DOT requirements. Analyses
have shown that hazardous wastes in limited quantities can
be safely disposed of in facilities that are environmentally
acceptable for disposal of municipal waste or industrial
waste in general. Only 0.1 to 0.5 percent of hazardous
waste produced by manufacturers (SIC 20-39) would escape
Subtitle C regulation, but approximately 50 percent of the
manufacturers would be given relief.
A secondary advantage would be that the regulatory
agencies would be relieved of a large administrative burden
associated with notification, reporting, enforcement, etc.
The exclusion would furthermore alleviate the burden (congestion,
etc.) on the limited number of hazardous waste management
facilities.
In addition, these regulations will not apply to farmers
and commercial/retail establishments provided certain waste
management procedures are used.
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Standards for Transporters of Hazardous Wastes.
Through coordination and cooperation between EPA and the
Department of Transportation, EPA regulations for transporters
of hazardous wastes were developed and proposed on April 28,
1978, (Federal Register, 43:18506). The proposal addresses
the following standards: an identification code which each
transporter must obtain from EPA or an authorized State and
which is to appear on manifests and other documents; record-
keeping; acceptance and transport of hazardous waste; compliance
with the manifest system; delivery of the hazardous wastes
to a designated permitted facility; actions in the event of
spills; and placarding/marking of vehicles. The proposal
also would extend current DOT regulations to intrastate as
well as interstate shipments of hazardous wastes.
DOT, after review of the proposed 3003 standards and
drafts of other Subtitle C standards, published on May 25,
1978 (Federal Register, 43:22626), proposed amendments to
their regulations for the Transportation of Hazardous Waste
Materials. DOT's proposal either incorporates or references
most of the standards proposed under Section 3003. A joint
EPA/DOT public hearing on both proposed regulations was held
on June 20, 1978.
EPA intends to promulgate the transportation regulations
by referencing the DOT regulations for hazardous waste
materials and adding any others which DOT cannot incorporate.
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Regulations for Treatment, Storage, and Disposal.
Section 3004 mandates the development of performance standards
for owners and operators of hazardous waste treatment,
storage, and disposal facilities for the purpose of protecting
human health and the environment. Such standards are to
include requirements for: (1) recordkeeping, (2) reporting,
(3) monitoring, (4) design, (5) construction, (6) training
and (7) ownership.
During fiscal year 1978, three drafts of the regulations
were issued outside the Agency for review. Approximately
100 comments were received and considered in the development
of the standards. Development of the background documents
to support these regulations also continued; 22 such documents
have now been drafted.
The draft regulations* prescribe three types of standards:
human health and environmental standards for protection of
the major environmental media, more specific requirements
for all facilities, and detailed operating and design procedures
for particular types of facilities. The draft regulations
include the following standards:
-All facilities are to be located, designed, constructed,
and operated in such a manner as to prevent endangerment
of an Underground Drinking Water Source or a sole or
principal source aquifer; prevent discharge into
surface waters in violation of Sections 303 or 311 of
the Clean Water Act; and prevent air emissions from
causing a violation under the Clean Air Act.
-Ground water monitoring is required at most sites.
*These regulations were proposed December 18, 1978.
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-Storage must be managed to result in no discharge of
contaminants to ground water, surface water, or air.
-Other general standards relate to site location,
training, recordkeeping, reporting, contingency plans,
monitoring, and closure and post-closure requirements.
-Standards are included for design, construction, and
operation of specific treatment, storage, and disposal
techniques—landfills, incinerators, landfarms, surface
impoundments, chemical/physical/biological treatment
facilities, and storage facilities.
Limited nontechnical standards will be proposed for
facilities managing certain large-volume wastes with what
appear to be relatively low hazard levels: cement kiln
dust, utility wastes, mining wastes, phosphate processing
wastes, gas and oil drilling muds, and oil production brines.
These wastes are generally not amenable to the control
methods upon which the draft standards as a whole are based.
EPA plans to obtain more information on these wastes to
determine what specific control technology standards would
be appropriate.
Standards drafted under Section 3004 dealing with
financial requirements for hazardous waste management facilities
include standards for continuity of operation and financial
responsibility.
The continuity-of-operation standards require that each
owner or operator of a treatment, storage, or disposal
facility establish two separate trust funds that will assure
EPA that closure and post-closure requirements will be met.
The closure fund is to be established before the site is
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approved, while the post-closure fund can be established
during the operation of the facility. All facilities must
comply with the continuity-of-operation requirement for
closure, but only disposal facilities must establish the
post-closure monitoring and maintenance fund, which must
cover a period of 20 years after closure.
Financial responsibility standards, as now proposed,
require a $5 million minimum level of responsibility for
claims arising out of injury to persons or property resulting
from the release of hazardous wastes to the environment. An
owner or operator may establish financial responsibility in
the minimum amount by obtaining liability insurance, self-
insuring, or demonstrating his ability to meet the level of
responsibility by some other mechanism to the satisfaction
of the Regional Administrator. The regulation requires that
financial responsibility be maintained for a period of 20
years after closure.
One of the contract projects that will be initiated to
support the hazardous waste regulations will produce operating
and design manuals for various treatment, storage, and
disposal techniques. Other manuals are being prepared on
air and ground water monitoring and training procedures.
Permit System Development. As mandated by Section 3005,
regulations are being developed requiring persons owning or
operating facilities which treat, store, or dispose of
hazardous waste to obtain permits. The rules will define
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the administrative and procedural requirements for a permit
system that is based on the standards being developed under
Section 3004. The permit system will provide the mechanism
needed to ensure uniform control by EPA over hazardous waste
management facilities, including maintenance of data for
compliance monitoring and enforcement.
In November 1977, copies of a draft of the Section 3005
regulations were distributed to an "outside review" community
of about 40 organizations representing industry, State and
local government, and public interest and environmental
groups, and to over 400 parties who had requested copies. Ap-
proximately 35 parties submitted written comments. Major issues
included extent of coverage of the regulations, public
participation during the decision-making process, and stream-
lining of permit granting procedures. These are being
addressed in a later draft which will integrate the permit
requirements with requirements under the Clean Water Act and
the Safe drinking Water Act.
Notification. Section 3010 requires that all persons
generating or transporting hazardous waste or operating
facilities for the treatment, storage, or disposal of
hazardous waste notify the EPA Administrator (or State
authorities in States having authorized hazardous waste
management programs under Section 3006) within 90 days of
promulgation of the regulations for identification of hazardous
waste. Proposed regulations governing notification were
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published July 11, 1978 (Federal Register, 43:29908); final
rules are expected by August 1979.
The notification report must include the name and
location of the person conducting hazardous waste activities,
the type(s) of activities, and a description of the waste
handled. Questions have arisen concerning which of the
required items should be eligible for a claim of confidentiality
and whether justification for claiming confidentiality
should be provided with the initial notification response or
at a later date when, and if, a request is made for that
information. Options were presented for public comment in
the preamble to the proposed regulation.
Provision is made for persons to declare their waste
"undetermined" for the toxic category only. For notification
purposes, this response places the waste in the hazardous
waste system until an accurate determination of toxicity can
be made. A list of testing laboratories has been completed
for distribution to the EPA Regional Offices.
Three public hearings on the proposed regulation were
held in August 1978. Additional comments and suggestions
were received from both the private sector and government
agencies.
The following is being done to prepare for the notification
process: A list of potentially affected persons was completed
in early fall, 1978; it includes lists provided by organizations
and associations from various industrial sectors. A data
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management system for handling notification responses is
still under development. An optional notification form is
being designed so that, if used, it will simplify data
entry. A plan for notification by Federal facilities has
been coordinated through the Office of Federal Activities in
EPA.
Environmental and Economic Impact Assessments. Economic
analyses of the proposed regulations are being conducted as
required by Presidential Executive Orders. Recently completed
and current contract studies include: (1) 21 industry-
specific economic impact analyses of Subtitle C regulations,
(2) economic impact analysis of Section 3003 on transporters,
(3) economic impact analysis of Section 3004 on hazardous
waste management facilities, (4) technical and administrative
costs of compliance, and a (5) comprehensive Economic Impact
Analysis.
Preliminary estimates indicate substantial compliance
costs. Technical, administrative, transportation, and
financial responsibility costs have been estimated at $750
million for 17 manufacturing industries that are expected to
be most affected. Industry segments for which compliance
costs are likely to be significant include petroleum re-
refining, inorganic chemicals, organic chemicals, leather
tanning and finishing, textiles, and electroplating.
The EPA is developing a voluntary Environmental Impact
Statement on the implementation of Subtitle C. It will
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provide the necessary data and information for comparing and
evaluating the beneficial and adverse impacts from alternative
regulatory strategies.
State Hazardous Waste Programs
Section 3006 of the Act calls for the promulgation of
guidelines for State hazardous waste management programs,
including the substantive and procedural requirements for
EPA authorization of such programs. These guidelines were pro-
posed on February 1, 1978 (Federal Register 43:4366), and were
the product of extensive public participation by State
agency officials and others. The proposed guidelines
elicited 91 written comments and numerous verbal comments at
three public hearings and informal discussions held at
different locations across the country in March 1978. Among
the commenters were 28 States, seven substate entities, and
the National Governors Association. Subsequently, however,
it was decided that requirements in the guidelines should be
integrated with similar requirements under the Clean Water
Act and the Safe Drinking Water Act. Because major revisions
will be necessary, the guidelines will be reproposed; the
scheduled date for reproposal is March 1979.
Areas of concern that have been identified and discussed
during development of the guidelines include:
o Under Section 3009 of the Act, States may not impose
any requirements less stringent than those promulgated by
EPA under Sections 3001 through 3005 of the Act. It has
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been pointed out that a few States may have differing definitions
of what is a hazardous waste and thus control different
universes of hazardous wastes. This situation has the
potential for disruption of interstate shipment of such
wastes to environmentally adequate management facilities.
It may be necessary for States to adopt the Federal definition
promulgated under Section 3001 of the Act.
o Under the proposed guidelines, States must allow
free movement of hazardous wastes across State boundaries in
order to qualify for full authorization. This requirement
may be suspended by the Regional Administrator until July 1984
if a State is working toward compliance. Since publication
of the proposed guidelines, statutory importation bans on
the interstate shipment of wastes was the subject of a
United States Supreme Court decision (City of Philadelphia et al.
v. New Jersey et al./ June 23, 1978) which held that a State
cannot bar outsiders from disposing of their wastes within
its borders, since this is viewed as unconstitutionally
interfering with the free flow of interstate commerce. The
Court held that a State may not discriminate against waste
coming from outside the State unless there is some reason
apart from its origin to treat it differently. In view of
this finding, the provision for temporary suspension of the
requirement for free movement of hazardous wastes will be:
omitted in the final guidelines.
Congress clearly intends that participation by the
States in the hazardous waste regulatory program should be
maximized. There are a number of reasons supporting a
strong State role: (1) the State is more familiar with its
people, problems, and solutions; (2) the State will be better
able to tailor the program to suit the needs of its citizens;
(3) since some States have existing hazardous waste programs,
it makes more sense to build on them rather than for EPA to
preempt or needlessly duplicate them; (4) there will be more
intensive public participation and citizen education and
acceptance when there is State involvement; (5) without
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strong State involvement, siting of hazardous waste management
facilities is likely to be more difficult; (6) traditionally
the States have been responsible for the handling of solid
waste under their police power for public health and sani-
tation.
Federal financial assistance amounting to $3.4 million
was provided to the States in 1978 for hazardous waste
regulatory planning as part of grants under Subtitle D for
overall solid waste management planning. Also, grant support
was given to forums on hazardous waste management for State
environmental decisionmakers in Pennsylvania, Ohio, and
Colorado. Forums are also being planned for other States.
In fiscal year 1979 financial assistance to the States
totaling $15 million will be provided under Section 3011.
Regulations providing an allotment mechanism for these funds
were promulgated as interim rules on September 25, 1978
(Federal Register 43:43424). Because programs are resource-
intensive at the outset, the grant regulations provide for
Federal payments of up to 100 percent of the costs of developing
a fully authorized hazardous waste program.. Operation of
established programs, however, will be funded up to the 75
percent level. Ultimately (1981) this may cost $20 to $25
million annually if two-thirds of the States are granted
authorization as expected.
A number of States have recently enacted hazardous
waste management legislation in anticipation of establishment
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of a national program. These include: Alabama, the District
of Columbia, Kentucky, New York, North Carolina, Rhode
Island, and Wisconsin. Several other States have revised,
promulgated, or will soon promulgate regulations to implement
the hazardous waste program, including: Kansas, Maryland,
Minnesota, Missouri, New Mexico, Puerto Rico, South Carolina,
Tennessee, and Texas. The number of States likely to apply
for and receive authorization has now grown to about 40;
only one State has given notice of rejecting the program,
and the status of the remainder is uncertain. A more definitive
evaluation of State acceptance of the program can be made
when all the Subtitle C regulations have been promulgated.
Enforcement Activities
Section 3008 authorizes the Administrator to initiate
appropriate enforcement action against any violator of any
requirement of Subtitle C. This is the first time Federal
enforcement authority has been granted for the mangement of
hazardous waste. EPA's Office of Enforcement (OE) is engaged
in activities to (1) assure that the standards, guidelines,
and regulations promulgated under RCRA are consistent with
the Agency's overall enforcement strategy and (2) develop a
strategy and a policy for implementation of the Federal
hazardous waste regulatory program.
In fiscal year 1978, the Office of Enforcement prepared
and distributed guidance for the EPA Regional Offices in
dealing with Section 7003 "Imminent Hazard" action. Federal
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enforcement actions can be initiated under this provision
when an imminent and substantial endangerment to health or
the environment exists. Several States have taken action in
such cases under applicable State laws in lieu of Federal
actions.
The Office of Enforcement is developing alternatives
for an enforcement management system and for enforcement
policy. These alternatives will be developed in concert
with the development of Subtitle C regulations. OE co-
authored a Subtitle C Regional Implementation Plan with the
Office of Solid Waste which sets forth current policy regarding
State program development, notification, manifest tracking,
facility permitting, surveillance, and enforcement. A
series of workshops were held with regional personnel in
enforcement, solid waste, and surveillance and analysis
concerning regulation development, enforcement strategy, and
enforcement activities prior to promulgation of the regulations.
The development of a manual covering most aspects of the
enforcement program has begun and is expected to be completed
by mid-1979. The Office of Enforcement drafted consolidated
EPA rules of practice for civil penalty hearings and the
revocation or suspension of permits. Supplemental rules
pertaining specifically to RCRA are included as an appendix
to these rules.
The Office of Enforcement made substantial efforts to
enhance its effectiveness through cooperation with State
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enforcement agencies and other Federal enforcement agencies.
States were encouraged to handle all imminent hazard enforcement
actions. Regional guidance was prepared on Adequacy of
Enforcement criteria for evaluating State hazardous waste
programs pursuant to Section 3006. Meetings were initiated
with the Department of Transportation concerning the coordination
of efforts in enforcement and compliance monitoring of
hazardous waste transporters. DOT and EPA are negotiating a
memorandum of understanding to delineate each agency's
responsibilities in enforcing the hazardous waste transportation
regulations. The Office of Enforcement also assisted the
Interagency Regulatory Liaison Group in compiling inspection
criteria for four Federal agencies: Food and Drug Administration,
Consumer Product Safety Commission, Occupational Safety arid
Health Administration, and EPA. A training program will be
developed so that inspectors from any of the participating
agencies will be sufficiently familiar with the regulations
of all four to detect gross violations and refer them to the
appropriate agency.
The Office of Enforcement prepared an interim
inspection manual for disposal and storage facilities handling
polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) wastes, based on PCB Disposal
and Marking Regulations issued under the Toxic Substances
Control Act. The PCB regulations closely parallel the
requirements in draft regulations under Section 3004 of
RCRA. The experience of preparing the manual relating to
PCB's is helping to determine the requirements for the RCRA
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inspection manual. The National Enforcement Investigation
Center will work closely with the Office of Enforcement in
developing the manuals. Existing State and Federal inspection
programs have been analyzed in developing policy for adequate
surveillance of facilities under Subtitle C. OE has looked
closely into the ramifications of the May 23, 1978, U.S.
Supreme Court decision, Marshall v. Barlow's Ire., which
ruled that OSHA inspectors must obtain either the owner's
consent or a search warrant in order to carry out inspections.
It is likely that this decision will also apply to EPA
personnel conducting RCRA inspections. It is current OE
policy to request owner/operator permission prior to the day
of inspection. Search warrants would be necessary only for
cases where entry had been denied on previous inspections,
or when an element of surprise is necessary to document
violations. Because of the nature of RCRA inspections, it
is believed that the impact of the Court decision will be
minimal.
Data Base Development
Data base development for the hazardous waste program
continues through studies, research projects, and full-scale
technological and economic evaluations and demonstrations.*
The activities focus on the mechanisms of damage caused by
hazardous wastes, technology for their control, and economic
analyses.
*Reports resulting from these activities are listed in
the Appendix.
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The Office of Research and Development is continuing to
implement and expand a program of research into technologies
for the safe treatment, processing, and disposal of hazardous
wastes. Representative activities in 1978 included:
Projects were initiated to evaluate and develop tech-
nologies for preprocessing and treating inorganic
chemical wastes and for concentrating liquid hazardous
wastes received for treatment and disposal.
A cost-benefit analysis was begun for treatment/disposal
alternatives. The project will provide a cost-effectiveness
ranking for application to decision-making.
A contract was negotiated to test a field-scale hazardous
waste incinerator. Pilot-scale evaluation of critical
control parameters such as feed rate, combustion tempera-
ture, excess air requirements, and materials handling
criteria will be optimized for nine organic hazardous
wastes and verified at full-scale.
An investigation is continuing into the development of
a microwave plasma detoxification process for organic
hazardous wastes. A ]0-30 Ib/hr demonstration-scale
unit is currently being tested for destruction of
pesticide and herbicide wastes and related organic
compounds in gaseous, liquid, and solid forms. Plans
include possible future conversion of this unit to a
truck-mounted portable facility for field evaluation of
the detoxification of other wastes.
Research is being conducted to develop techniques for
the bulk encapsulation of containers of pesticides and
waste organic compounds of lower toxicity. This tech-
nology is being studied to supply data on material and
equipment specifications, necessary precautions to
prevent leaching, and assessment of the corrosive and
degrading effects of hazardous wastes on containers.
The overall efficiency of an evaporative pit disposal
method for waste pesticides and pesticide rinse waters
was determined. Efforts are now underway to develop
four geographically and climatologieslly different
field sites to verify data on environmental impact,
design specifications, and rate of pesticide destruc-
tion. This work will be co-funded by the Soil Conserva-
tion Service.
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A research study was initiated to sample and measure
air pollutants which may potentially br emitted from
hazardous waste management facilities. The current
phase will concentrate on facilities selection, methods
for evaluating emissions, and development of detailed
plans for facility tests. Field sampling will follow
and a final report wi»ll summarize results and data
analysis for use in regulatory action.
The Office of Solid Waste projects completed or in
progress in fiscal year 1978 included the following:
A grant project to demonstrate an environmentally
acceptable chemical waste landfill in Minnesota was
terminated by the grantee, the Minnesota Pollution
Control Agency. Public opposition to siting of the
landfill caused continuing delays in the project schedule.
The Minnesota State Legislature, reacting to public
pressure, passed legislation in March 1978 delaying any
siting effort until a statewide hazardous waste plan
could be prepared and approved. A final report received
in August 1978 documented the siting process and problems
experienced by the grantee.
The quality of ground water and surface water around
industrial waste disposal sites is being assessed to
determine the effectiveness of land disposal design
technology.
Available technology and procedures for the treatment,
storage, and disposal of ignitable, volatile, and
reactive wastes are being evaluated.
Engineering, economic, and environmental factors in
heat recovery from hazardous waste incinerators are
being evaluated. Potential as well as existing heat
recovery methods are being covered.
Alternatives to incineration and land disposal (i.e.,
methods for recovering, recycling, detoxifying, or
volume reduction) for hazardous wastes generated by
nine major industry groups are being studied. This
project is a continuation of a previous study, completed
in 1977, which covered wastes from four major industry
groups. That study indicated there was potential for
recovering valuable resources from a number of hazardous
wastes by means of chemical, physical, and biological
processes.
The environmental adequacy of methods for land disposal
of sludges from metal-finishing wastewater treatment is
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being assessed. The methods involve lining disposal
"cells" with chemicaJ liners such as limestone, fly
ash, and ferrous oxide so that heavy metal sludges can
be deposited with a minimum potential for leaching into
the environment.
The destruction of halogenat^d hydrocarbon waste streams
in commercial incinerators such as the rotary kiln type
is being demonstrated. This project is a continuation
of a previous test program, completed in 1977, which
matched 7 commercial incinerator types with 13 industrial
wastes and which demonstrated that incineration is a
viable alternative for the management of organic industrial
wastes.
A study is underway to evaluate existing treatment,
storage, and disposal methods for infectious wastes to
identify the more cost-effective and environmenta.l ly
sound technologies.
A study was done of degradation/detoxification procedures
for selected pesticides using common chemicals. The
study concluded that only 18 of the 60 most commonly
used pesticides can be safely treated in this manner.
An assessment of procedures for the safe disposal of
dilute pesticide solutions is underway.
Responding to a congressional inquiry, OSW is working
with other EPA offices, industry, and State environmental
pollution agencies to determine and quantify the presence
of dioxins in selected industrial sludges. An exploratory
study has been completed and two reports have been
issued. A more thorough investigation will utilize
improved analytical techniques to quantify dioxins in
industrial sludges at the part-per-trillion level.
This will permit more meaningful interpretation of the
hazard presented to human health and the environment.
Technical Assistance
In fiscal year 1978, the Hazardous Waste Management
Division (HWMD) of the Office of Solid Waste responded with
information and consultation to nearly 600 requests for
technical assistance from goverments, industry, and indi-
viduals. Examples of HWMD technical assistance during this
period include:
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Continued cooperation with other EPA programs and the
States of Virginia and Maryland in the work of the
Kepone Task Force. This focused on investigating and
recommending methods for treatment, storage, and disposal
of Kepone and Kepone-contaminated wastes resulting from
the Hopewell, Virginia, incident.
Cooperation with EPA Municipal Environmental Research
Laboratory in the development of a pesticide disposal
research symposium held at Reston, Virginia, in September
1978.
Review of a U.S. Army program which will utilize "air
curtain" open-pit burning to dispose of certain hazardous
wastes.
Meeting with personnel of the Panama Canal Company
regarding landfill disposal of hazardous waste, and
with Navy personnel regarding disposal of organo-tin
base wastes.
Response to requests for information on the safe disposal
of materials such as metal-cyanide-arsenic compounds,
dioctylphthalate, acrylonitrile, nitrocellulose, poly-
chlorinated biphenyls, etc.
PROBLEMS
The public meetings, comments, and discussions carried
out in fiscal year 1978 identified a large number of issues
and problems, many of which were resolved during the year.
The main issues related to the content of the regulations
have been noted above. There are, in addition, two areas
that are expected to affect implementation of the regulations;
these were discussed also in the 1977 annual report.
Resources for Implementation
Because of the extensive nature of the regulatory
program, there are potential problems in availability of
funds and staffing. It is estimated that approximately
30,000 permits will be issued to hazardous waste treatment,
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storage, and disposal facilities. Altogether some 380,000
generators, transporters, treaters, storers, and disposers
will be brought into the system through the notification
process, the manifest program, through inspections, sampling,
and analysis, and through enforcement actions. The data
management and administrative machinery is now being developed
to handle this. The cost to implement the total program is
now estimated to be between $20 million and $35 million per
year.
Several hundred people may be needed in the EPA Regional
Offices to implement the regulations in those States without
authorized programs. The total number needed will depend
partially on regulatory decisions yet to be made and on
which States are authorized. It appears, however, thai-
sufficient manpower will not be available for prompt imple-
mentation in all States without authorized programs.
Implementation in those States may therefore be stretched
over 5 or 6 years or longer, rather than the 2 years deemed
to be reasonable. This may present some major problems in
coordinating and expediting development and operation of a
national program for controlling the management of hazardous
wastes.
Insufficient Waste Management Capacity and Public Opposition
Currently, only about 10 percent of hazardous waste is
adequately managed. As the regulatory program eliminates
dangerous waste management facilities, a shortage of available
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capacity will result, since it will not be possible to
sufficiently upgrade some facilities to meet the standards.
The extent of this shortfall cannot be predicted at this
point.
A study is being planned that will determine the extent
and adequacy of current treatment, storage, and disposal
capacity that exists at generator-owned hazardous waste
management facilities and the potential for capacity expansion,
It is estimated that 80 percent of all hazardous wastes
generated is managed at generator-owned sites and that much
of that amount is managed in an environmentally unacceptable
manner. This study along with an earlier study of off-site
hazardous waste management capacity will assist in the
overall analysis of capacity.
The primary impediment to expansion of adequate waste
management capacity is citizen opposition to the siting of
new facilities. EPA is planning a two-phase study of the
siting of hazardous waste management facilities and public
opposition. Phase I involves the identification of 30 sites
suitable for case study, 24 of which encountered public
opposition and six of which did not. The 30 are divided
among six different scenarios. The purpose of Phase I is to
identify circumstances under which attempts to construct or
expand a hazardous waste management facility were made, to
determine which ones met with opposition, and to identify
what methods (such as incentives, public awareness programs,
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etc.) were used to minimize or lessen opposition. This
effort will point out the conditions under which a siting or
expansion program was or was not successful.
Phase II will assess past government involvement in
siting hazardous waste facilities as well as other contro-
versial facilities, and will analyze the need and potential
for the government to become involved in siting. Phase II
will also suggest alternatives that may be taken by the;
government to lessen or minimize public opposition.
PLANS FOR FISCAL YEAR 1979
Development of the regulations and guidelines will
again be given primary attention in fiscal year 1979. The
notification regulations (Section 3010) are scheduled for
final promulgation.
Drafts of the Environmental Impact Statement and the
Economic Impact Analysis will be distributed for public
comment within 30 days of publication of proposed regulations
under Sections 3001, 3002, and 3004; final versions will be
ready at the time the regulations are promulgated.
In addition to the studies and other projects being
conducted, as described above, in support of the development
of regulations and technical assistance, projects will be
undertaken to support the regulatory program. Current plans for
such projects include but are not limited to the development
of a test methods manual; manuals for hazardous waste transpor-
ters (spill emergency response) and for facility operators,
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permit review manuals, and an ADP operating manual; a series
of legislative seminars to assist State solid waste manage-
ment programs in raising the level of awareness of State
legislators about hazardous waste management problems; a
series of seminars on the Section 3004 standards and on the
permitting process; a series of guidance documents dealing
with financial requirements, public participation, notifica-
tion, and adequacy of resources for operating a State hazard-
ous waste program; development of a mechanism to measure
the effectiveness of EPA and the States in implementing
Subtitle C; information packages for the public on hazardous
waste management laws and regulations; market surveys for
waste exchange systems; an outreach program to urge voluntary
compliance with the RCRA regulations by industry and the
public; and a series of guidance materials for Regional
enforcement personnel on enforcing the Subtitle C regulations,
A demonstration of remedial construction will begin at
the Love Canal landfill site (Niagara Falls, New York) with
the support of a $4 million grant to the State of New York.
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III. PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT
OF STATE AND LOCAL PROGRAMS
Subtitle D of RCRA includes provisions for the development
and implementation of State solid waste management plans
(apart from regulation of hazardous waste management, which
is covered by Subtitle C). States are eligible to receive
financial assistance under Subtitle D if the State plan has
been approved by EPA. The State plan must provide for
identification of State, local, and regional responsibilities
for solid waste management, the application and enforcement
of environmentally sound disposal practices, and the en-
couragement of resource recovery and conservation.
In 1977, EPA issued guidelines for the identification
of regions and agencies for solid waste management as required
by Section 4002(a). The basic procedural requirements for
making the identifications are set forth in Section 4006.
Under Section 4002(b), EPA guidelines for the development
and implementation of State solid waste management plans are
required. Federal financial assistance to State and local
governments for such development and implementation is
authorized for fiscal year 1978 and 1979 under Section 4008
of the Act.
Authorities in the Act for technical assistance to
State and local governments include Section 2003, which
requires EPA to provide assistance through "Resource Conser-
vation and Recovery Panels" consisting of Federal, State,
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and local government employees or contractors.
A complete study of the manpower and training needs of
State and local solid waste programs is required under Section
7007, and grants for training projects are authorized.
OBJECTIVES
During fiscal year 1978, EPA objectives with regard to
these mandates were as follows:
* Assist and monitor implementation of the guidelines
for identification of regions and agencies for solid
waste management.
* Prepare guidelines for development and implementation
of State solid waste management plans.
* Establish the Technical Assistance Panels Program.
* Provide financial support to State, regional, and
local governments.
PROGRAMS
Identification of Regions and Agencies
The guidelines for identification of regions and
agencies for solid waste management required by Section 4002
were published in interim form on May 16, 1977 (40 CFR 255).
These guidelines suggest criteria and procedures for the
formal identification of regional boundaries by Governors
and the joint identification by State and local officials of
the agencies that will develop and implement the States solid
waste management plan.
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Regional Boundaries. The guidelines recommended that
criteria for the designation of regions include: past
experience, resource recovery options, waste volumes and
types, environmental factors, and possible coordination
with other programs.
Section 4006 of the Act requires the Governor of each
State to consult with local elected officials before identi-
fying regions. Such consultation was interpreted in the
guidelines to include the following steps by the Governor or
the lead State Agency: (1) preliminary identification of
regions, (2) official notification of all local elected
officials of this proposal, and (3) solicitation of local
comments on the proposed scheme.
By November 1, 1978, all but two States had carried out
these steps and made their identification of regions. The
Governors did not create new boundaries but rather used the
boundaries of previously established regional and local
governments. The identifications can be divided into six
categories:
1. The State was identified as the sole region by
14 Governors. This was an interim measure in
Illinois, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Texas, and
Wyoming. In Delaware and West Virginia it
supported previously established statewide solid
waste authorities. Rhode Island, the District
of Columbia, Puerto Rico, Virgin Islands, American
Samoa, Guam, and the Northern Mariana Islands were
also identified as regions.
2. The State and local governments were identified
as regions, indicating strong home-rule traditions,
in two States: Massachusetts and Vermont.
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3. The State and multi-county boundaries were
identified, indicating overlap in the planning
jurisdictions of State and regional agencies
(councils of governments and other regional
planning organizations), in four States: Connect-
icut, Maine, Minnesota, and New Hampshire.
4. Multi-county boundaries were identified in 16
States: Alabama, Arizona, Colorado, Florida,
Georgia, Idaho, Kentucky, Mississippi, Missouri,
Montana, New Mexico, North Carolina, North Dakota,
South Dakota, Utah, and Virginia.
5. The counties were the identified regions in eight
States: Hawaii, Kansas, Maryland, Nevada, New
Jersey, Oklahoma, South Carolina, and Washington.
6. A mix of county and multi-county regions were
identified in 10 States: Arkansas, California,
Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Nebraska, New York, Ohio,
Oregon, and Wisconsin.
Agencies Responsible for Planning and Implementation.
Section 4006 of tne Act requires each State, together with
local elected officials, to jointly identify (1) an agency
to develop the State plan, (2) one or more agencies to
implement the plan, and (3) the solid waste management
functions that will be planned for and carried out by State,
regional, and local governments.
The identification guidelines recommended that the
criteria for selection of agencies include experience and
expertise, representativeness, authority under State law,
designations under Section 208 (areawide water quality
management planning) of the Clean Water Act, planning objectives,
and control of waste supplies.
In accordance with the identification guidelines, the
States took the following steps:
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1. All local governments and other interested groups
were informed of the identification procedures being used
in the States. At the same time, preliminary recommenda-
tions for agency identifications which had been developed
at State-level meetings were presented to local governments.
2. The States solicited nominations for planning and
implementation agencies from local officials. Five States
mailed questionnaires to gather opinions of local officials.
3. Public meetings and hearings were held to develop
State and local agreement on identification of agencies and
responsibilities.
In all States a lead agency was selected to develop the
statewide plan. A lead agency for hazardous waste management
was identified in 43 States. Responsibilities for substate
planning were shared by two or more levels of government in
14 States; assigned to the State government in 14 States;
assigned to multi-county governments in 15 States; assigned
to county governments in 6 States; and assigned to the Bureau
of Indian Affairs, county, and regional governments in 1 State.
In six States assignment of substate planning responsibilities
was pending at the end of the fiscal year.
Counties, cities, and towns were identified in most
States as responsible for implementing the solid waste
management plan. A few States (including U.S. Territories)
identified a State agency as responsible for implementation.
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These identifications are subject to change as State
planning progresses and needs become apparent for additional
or different designations of responsibilitd.es.
Guidelines for State Plans
The guidelines for development and implementation of
State solid waste plans required in Section 4002(b) were
proposed on August 28, 1978 (Federal Register, 43:38534).
Copies were sent to over 600 State, regional, and local
agencies as well as other Federal agencies, environmental
groups, and representatives of industry. A public meeting
was held in each of the 10 EPA Regions during September and
October, and a hearing was held October 26, 1978, in
Washington, D.C.
These guidelines propose that the State plan address
management of all solid wastes in the State that pose poten-
tial adverse effects on health or the environment or provide
opportunity for resource conservation or recovery. It should
explore the nature and severity of these categories of solid
wastes and establish priorities for their management.
Sections 4003 and 4005 of the Act set forth the minimum
requirements that State plans must meet in order to be
approved for Federal funding. In addition to identification
of State, local, and regional responsibilities, these
include: the prohibition of new open dumps; the requirement
that all solid waste be utilized for resource recovery or
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disposed of in an environmentally sound manner; the closing
or upgrading of existing open dumps; the establishment of
State regulatory powers necessary to implement the State plan;
the elimination of State or local prohibitions of long-term
contracts for the supply of solid waste to resource recovery
facilities; and the provision of resource conservation,
resource recovery, and disposal programs necessary for en-
vironmentally sound management.
In developing the plan the proposed guidelines require
coordination with other programs such as water quality
management planning and the National Pollutant Discharge
Elimination System under the Clean Water Act, the surface
impoundment studies under the Safe Drinking Water Act, and
the mining waste regulatory program under the Surface Mining
Control and Reclamation Act of 1977. The guidelines also
require public participation in developing and implementing
the plans, in developing the State's regulatory powers, and
in awarding permits for resource recovery or disposal
facilities.
Given the broad scope of the State plan and the necessary
involvement of a number of agencies and parties, it is
expected that planning and implementation will be time-
phased over a number of years.
The proposed guidelines require that the State plan be
developed within 18 months and that it cover a minimum time
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period of 5 years. The State is to review the plan and, where
necessary, revise and readopt it at least every 3 years.
Technical Assistance
The new program of Technical Assistance Panels required
under Section 2003 began operating in January 1978. The
panels are made up of experts on specific aspects of solid
waste management who are selected from the staff of EPA and
other Federal agencies, State and local governments, cind the
consulting community. The 10 Regional Offices manage the
program, and headquarters staff mainly provides oversight
and administrative support. Panels assistance is available
to State and local governments and Federal agencies; other
organizations and individuals may also submit requests through
their State and local government.
By the end of fiscal 1978, 10 contracts had been
negotiated to provide each EPA Region with consultant services
as part of the panels program. Each Region was. alloccited a
percentage of the $1 million available for these contracts
in fiscal year 1978 based on the population and the number of
States in each Region.
A review of the panels program as of July 31, 1978,
found that 186 requests for assistance had been filled out
of 195 received. Nearly half had to do with resource
recovery, with the rest nearly equally divided among the
following categories: land disposal, collection, planning,
and hazardous waste management. The predominance of resource
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recovery was probably due to the availability of contracted
consultation for this area only. In fiscal year 1979, such
service will be available for all areas of solid waste
management. It is expected that the activity of the program
will increase and will correspond more closely to the
emphases of RCRA as a whole.
A part of the panels program called "peer matching"
provides travel funds to allow State and local officials who
have experience with specific waste management problems to
advise other officials faced with similar problems and situa-
tions. Six public interest groups have been awarded grant
funds to assist in carrying out peer-matching activities:
the National League of Cities, National Governors Association,
National Association of Counties, American Public Works
Association, International City Management Association, and
the Governmental Refuse Collection and Disposal Association.
These groups act as coordinators in bringing officials
together for mutual assistance. In fiscal 1978 about 70 peer
matches were carried out.
Apart from the panels program, thousands of routine
requests for information and advice regarding solid waste
problems are handled every year by the Office of Solid Waste
and the Regional Offices. Special projects are carried out
to provide aids such as manuals, technical reports, suggested
guidelines, slide presentations, and seminars.
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A number of these are noted in Chapters 2, 4, and 5 on
hazardous waste management, land disposal, and resource
recovery. In addition the following activitd.es were con-
ducted in 1978:
Implementation of WRAP (Waste Resources Allocation
Program), a modeling tool for regional solid waste management
planning, was continued. The model generates a comprehensive
plan covering selection of sites and processes (including
resource recovery) and determining links and flows among
sources of waste generation, processing, and disposal sites.
The plan represents a minimum-cost approach to handling all
of the region's wastes while meeting environmental, tonnage,
and traffic constraints. Thus far, 10 regional and local
governments are using the system, and several universities
are using it for teaching and consulting.
A very successful tool for local governments in improving
their residential solid waste collection practices is the
Collection Management Information System, or COLMIS. This
is a computerized program whereby local communities can
analyze their collection practices as to costs and produc-
tivity and then make improvements. Requests for this type
of assistance have been very numerous, and a revised program,
COLMIS II, is being written to accommodate the need for more
management data by local solid waste managers.
Data on injuries to workers in collection and disposal
of solid waste were compiled through the Injury Reporting
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and Information System (IRIS). In-depth reports were prepared
on the following topics:
- The use of personal protective equipment and its
effect on accident reduction
- The occurence of backstrain in relation to the age
and experience of the employee
- How three variations in the collection system (type
of crew size, work shift, and point of collection)
affect injury rates
- How differences in worker compensation policies and
wage continuation benefits affect the incidence of
injuries
- The relationship of injury rates to type of equipment
used (rear-end loader, side loader, etc.)
These reports are being prepared for publication. The
data may be used for analyses of other safety topics in the
future.
Financial Assistance
Federal financial assistance to the States for programs
under RCRA totaled $14.2 million in fiscal year 1978 (including
$3.4 million used for hazardous waste regulatory planning),
compared with $3 million in 1977. Regulations setting forth
EPA policy for awarding grants under RCRA were published in
October 1977 (40 CFR 35) and amended September 25, 1978
(Federal Register 43:43424).
Training
Under Section 7007, a study of manpower and training
needs in State and local solid waste management programs is
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required. A contract to do such a study was awarded in
1978. The study will include an assessment of manpower
needs, training capabilities, and obstacles to employment
and advancement. A report of the study will be completed in
fiscal year 1979.
Development of a 5-day basic orientation course on the
RCRA program for Federal, State, and local employees was
begun. Training materials are being prepared and will be
made available to the Regional Offices and States.
PROBLEMS
Looking ahead, the major question is the level of
resource? that can be devoted to development of State and
local programs, particularly during the crucial period in
which States are to evaluate all land disposal facilities
and oversee the upgrading or closure of open dumps. Extending
RCRA funding authorizations under Subtitle D from 1979 to at
least 1984 will indicate to the States that continuing Federal
financial and technical assistance is intended for the time
of major activities.
PLANS FOR FISCAL YEAR 1979
The guidelines for development of State plans are
scheduled for promulgation in June 1979. Teams will
visit States to discuss implementation of the guidelines,
An annual report on State solid waste programs will
be developed. Key items will be the status of legis-
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lation and regulatory programs, including permitting,
monitoring, and inspection activities in relation to
land disposal.
Technical assistance to State and local governments will
increase as guidelines and regulations become final and
ready for implementation. Primary emphasis will be directed
toward the use of peer matches and contractor consultants
to provide the assistance.
Appropriations for 1979 include $15.2 million for grants
to States for development and implementation of their
plans under Subtitle D; $15 million for grants to urban
areas for resource recovery projects, also under Subtitle
D (described in Chapter 5); and $15 million for grants
to States for hazardous waste regulatory development
under Subtitle C.
The manpower and training study will be completed,
and the basic orientation course and training materials
will be made available through the Regional Offices.
Academic training, mainly in hazardous waste management,
will be supported by grants totaling $100,000--the solid
waste share of $1.5 million that EPA will award for
academic training in 1979.
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IV. LAND DISPOSAL
RCRA prescribes key steps toward elimination of environmentally
unacceptable disposal of solid wastes on land. EPA is
directed to issue criteria for the classification of all
land disposal facilities as either environmentally acceptable
or unacceptable (Section 4004). Within 1 year after promulgation
of the criteria EPA is to publish an inventory of all
unacceptable sites ("open dumps") identified according to
the criteria (Section 4005). Open dumping is prohibited
except as covered by an acceptable schedule for compliance
under the State plan (Section 4005). Such a schedule must
include an enforceable sequence of actions leading to full
compliance within a reasonable time (not to exceed 5 years
from date of publication of the inventory). EPA guidelines
for solid waste management which provide for the protection
of public health and the environment are required under
Section 1008.
In other words, the criteria define acceptable land
disposal, the inventory is a national listing of sites which
do not meet the criteria and therefore should be upgraded or
closed, and the suggested guidelines describe acceptable
operating practices—means of achieving the performance
goals of the criteria. The State plans provide the framework
for the regulatory elements to become functional.
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OBJECTIVES
During fiscal year 1978, EPA objectives with regard to
the land disposal provisions of RCRA were as follows:
* Propose criteria for the classification of land
disposal sites.
* Begin development of guidelines for the landfill
disposal of solid waste.
* Continue planning for the inventory of open dumps,
including integration with surface impoundment
assessments under the Safe Drinking Water Act.
* Continue development of EPA policy with regard to
municipal sludge and industrial waste sludge
management.
* Integrate the municipal sludge management responsibilities
under RCRA with those under the Clean Water Act.
* Continue development of the data base for economical
and environmentally safe processing and disposal
of solid waste, with emphasis on support of the
regulatory aspects of land protection.
* Conduct required studies: solid waste cleanup in
Alaska (Section 3), mining wastes (Section 8002(f)),
and sludge management (Section 8002(g)) .
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PROGRAMS
Criteria for the Classification of Solid Waste Disposal Facilities
The Criteria for Classification of Solid Waste Disposal
Facilities were proposed on February 6, 1978, (Federal
Register 43:4902). These regulations were supposed to be
issued within 1 year of enactment of RCRA, that is, by
October 1977. This deadline could not be met, however; the
current expected date of promulgation is July 1979. The
task of developing standards covering the range of potential
effects has been complex, involving extensive consultation,
data development and evaluation, coordination with State programs
and other Federal programs, and public participation.
In brief, the proposed criteria specify conditions that
must be met regarding:
Ground water quality—The quality of ground water
currently used for drinking or designated by the
State for such use in the future must not be
endangered beyond the boundary of the disposal
facility.
Surface water quality--Surface water quality must not
be adversely affected through point or nonpoint
source discharges from the facility.
Environmentally sensitive areas—Except under specified
conditions, facilities are not to be located in
wetlands, floodplains, permafrost areas, critical
habitats of endangered species, or in recharge
zones of aquifers that are the sole or principal
sources of drinking water for an area.
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Air quality—All Federal, State, and local air pollution
control regulations must be met; open burning of
residential, commercial, institutional, and industrial
solid waste is prohibited, and open burning of
other solid waste is prohibited unless State and
local regulations are complied with.
Application to land used to produce food-chain crops—
Such application must meet requirements related
to cadmium levels, pathogens, pesticides, persistent
organics, and the danger of direct ingestion of
freshly applied waste by humans or by animals
raised for milk.
Disease vectors—Rats, flies, etc., must be controlled
through periodic application of cover material or
other techniques where appropriate.
Safety—Hazards that must be avoided are explosive
gases, toxic or asphyxiating gases, fires, bird
hazards to aircraft, and dangerous public access
to heavy equipment operation and exposed waste.
The criteria were proposed under authority of both RCRA
and the Clean Water Act because of the similar objectives of
the two laws for proper management of municipal wastewater
treatment sludge. (Also, pursuant to Section 405 of the Clean
Water Act, regulations for the giveaway or sale of municipal
sludge are being developed which will provide an additional
land disposal control complementary to the criteria.)
During the public comment period, which extended until
June 12, 11 public meetings and 5 formal public hearings
were held in different parts of the country by EPA headquarters
to solicit comments. Public meetings were also conducted by
the EPA Regional Offices. A wide variety of comments were
received from Federal, State, and local agencies, environmental
groups, industry, and private citizens.
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All comments received are being considered in revising
the criteria prior to final promulgation. All major substantive
comments will be addressed in the final issuance.
An Environmental Impact Statement (EIS), including
economic impact analysis, was prepared on the expected
effects of the Criteria and issued in April 1978. Comments
have been received on the EIS and changes are being made.
The final EIS is scheduled to be issued in August 1979.
Development of Section 1008 Guidelines
Under the authority of Section 1008, suggested guidelines
will be issued for landfill disposal of solid waste, for land-
spreading of solid waste, and for surface impoundments. Draft
guidelines for landfill disposal were distributed for public
comment in August 1978; formal proposal is scheduled for March
1979, and final issuance for January 1980. These guidelines
will discuss design and operation of a landfill and will
recommend practices for leachate control, gas migration control,
and ground water monitoring. The guidelines for landspreading
may also reach the proposal stage in 1979. Development of the
surface impoundment guidelines is planned for fiscal year 1980.
Technical reports describing the current state of
the art of landfill disposal of municipal refuse and sludge
are being prepared as background information and further
guidance for landfill operators. These reports will be
published in 1979 and will provide technical details necessary
to properly design, construct, and operate landfills.
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The Inventory of Open Dumps
It is now estimated that over 140,000 land disposal
facilities will have to be evaluated against the criteria in
order to compile a complete inventory of open dumps. The 1-
year period allowed in the law for this undertaking is
generally recognized to be insufficient because of the
number of facilities and the need to make definitive technical
determinations regarding each of them.
With EPA financial and technical assistance, the States
will evaluate the individual disposal sites; RCRA provides
no authority for EPA to conduct the evaluations. The present
plan is to have each State phase its evaluations according
to priorities based on the potential impacts of facilities
on health and the environment, the availability of State
regulatory powers, and availability of Federal and State
resources. Each State's phasing of the inventory process
will be an important part of its solid waste management
plan. The States are examining their regulatory authority
for evaluating all land disposal facilities and for followup
actions based on the results of evaluations. Some already
have detailed information on municipal disposal sites as a
result of existing permit systems. Evaluation of surface
impoundments such as pits, ponds, and lagoons will be coordinated
with assessments being conducted by EPA's Office of Drinking
Water under the Safe Drinking Water Act.
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A manual for use in making the evaluations for the
inventory is being prepared for release concurrent with final
promulgation of the disposal criteria.
The inventory will be published in annual installments.
An arrangement has been made with the Bureau of the Census
to handle the data processing.
Municipal Sludge .Management
EPA intends to utilize the authority of Section 405 of
the Clean Water Act for the development of an overall regulation
on the management of municipal sludge. It will incorporate
relevant regulations and criteria issued under RCRA and the
Clean Air Act. Requirements for landfilling, landspreading,
surface impoundments, land reclamation, quality of sludge
incinerator emissions, and giveaway or sale are so far
planned for inclusion in this regulation. The current
target date for final promulgation is August 1980 following
proposal in the latter half of 1979.
A manual providing engineers, local government officials,
and sanitary landfill operators with information on the
planning, design, and operation of municipal sludge landfills
was completed. Process Design Manual: Municipal Sludge Landfills
was distributed as one of the "Technology Transfer" series
issued by EPA's Environmental Research and Information
Center in Cincinnati.
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Because of the staff resources needed to fulfill the
regulatory mandates of RCRA and the Clean Water Act, EPA has
had to delay completion of the municipal sludge strategy
paper and decision guide described in last year's annual report.
Siting Problem
A major problem in land disposal is finding suitable
sites that are acceptable to local residents. The Office of
Solid Waste is examining possible Federal roles in reducing
this problem. Information and suggestions are being solicited
from States and communities. A project on landfill siting
is being conducted by the National Association of Regional
Councils with EPA grant support. The purpose of the project
is to locate six successful regional landfill sites, document
how they were established, and hold training sessions for
other regional planners. Efforts to analyze the problem of
opposition to hazardous waste disposal sites and promote
public education regarding such siting are described in
Chapters 2 and 6.
Research, Studies, Demonstrations*
The Office of Research and Development and the Office
of Solid Waste are conducting a variety of projects to
develop knowledge and technology related to land disposal.
Industrial Waste Disposal Data. The Office of Solid
Waste has begun to establish a data base on industrial
*Reports resulting from these activities are listed in the
Appendix.
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disposal facilities and waste management practices. An
effort is also being made to determine industry needs in
complying with the land disposal criteria. Intensive studies
are being made of four industries: coal-fired utilities,
iron and steel, inorganic chemicals, and nonferrous metals.
These industries respectively account for 63, 60, 40, and 8
million tons of waste per year.
Special Studies. The study of solid waste on Federal
lands in Alaska (required under Section 3) was essentially
complete by the end of the fiscal year. (The final report
was sent to Congress on October 6, 1978.) The study identified
180 sites of abandoned solid waste. Of these, 16 were
examined in depth to determine methods and costs of cleanup.
The final report discusses environmental and economic
considerations for cleanup in each of six geographic areas
of Alaska. It is recommended that a joint committee, representing
each Federal agency administering Alaskan land or otherwise
responsible for debris on Federal lands in Alaska, be formed
to develop a cleanup program. A ranking system for assigning
priority among solid waste sites is proposed.
The studies of mining wastes (Section 8002(f)) and
sludges (Section 8002(g)) are expected to be completed
during the first half of fiscal year 1979.
Residual Characterization and Decomposition Studies.
Data are being collected on composition of municipal and
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hazardous wastes, and sampling and analytical methods are
being developed. Information about waste compatibility,
decomposition, and potential leaching is being generated.
Representative ongoing studies of the Office of Research and
Development include:
o Development of standardized methods for sampling
and analysis
o Compilation and evaluation of analytical techniques
for contaminant analysis and current leaching
test methods
o Research to develop short-term leaching and
soil interaction tests.
Pollutant Transport Studies. Pollutant transport
research involves the study of release of pollutants in
liquid and gaseous forms from various municipal and hazardous
wastes and the subsequent movement and fate of these pollutants
in soils adjacent to disposal sites. Both laboratory and
field verification studies at selected sites are being per-
formed to assess the potential for ground water contamination.
Examples of efforts underway include:
o An examination of factors which control attenuation
of organic contaminants (particularly PCB's) by
soils.
o Field verification studies at three municipal
landfill sites where monitoring wells and
coring soil samples are being used to identify
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contaminants and determine their distribution
in soil and ground water beneath the landfill
sites.
o Eight municipal sludge disposal sites were
studied to determine how far contamination has
moved from these sites and whether this
contamination represents a significant threat
to local ground water supplies. A final report
is in preparation.
Pollutant Control and Treatment Studies. The objective
of these research activities is to lessen the impact of
pollution from waste disposal sites by developing technology
that minimizes, contains, or eliminates pollutant release
and leaching from wastes disposed of on land. Included in
this research area are:
o The evaluation of liner materials (natural soils,
synthetic membranes, and admixtures) used to
prevent contaminants from reaching ground water.
Testing involves study, in the landfill environment,
of the chemical resistance and durability of
the liner materials over 12-and 36-month exposure
periods to leachate from industrial wastes, SOx
wastes, and municipal solid wastes.
o A test and evaluation program for chemical
fixation of 10 industrial waste streams to transform
them into low-soluble materials to minimize
pollutant release and rate of leaching. The
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waste streams are being treated with at least
one of seven separate fixation processes and
subjected to leaching and physical testing.
o Four field verification studies to verify the
success with which pollutants have been
immobilized in stabilized industrial wastes.
o Evaluation studies of physical, biological, and
chemical methods for treatment of leachate,
including precipitation, carbon adsorption,
and ion exchange.
Codisposal Studies. Waste decomposition, compatibility,
and pollutant generation associated with admixing or codisposing
of various hazardous wastes and/or municipal sludge with
municipal refuse are being investigated. Representative
ongoing studies include:
o Study of combinations of municipal solid waste
and various solid and semisolid industrial
wastes added to simulated landfill lysimeters.
o Evaluations of chemically treated and untreated
industrial wastes disposed of in a simulated
municipal refuse landfill environment.
Remedial Action. The objectives of the remedial action
studies in progress are the identification and evaluation
of the best practical technology for minimizing contamination
of ground water and dangerous gas migration from inoperative
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waste disposal sites which are determined to be unsound.
Research underway or planned includes:
o An engineering feasibility study to determine
on a site-specific basis the best practicable
technology to be applied from existing
neutralization or confinement techniques.
o Field verification of the effectiveness of the
best practicable remedial technology.
o Preparation of a remedial action manual to
guide local municipalities.
Landspreading and Other Landfill Alternatives. The
objective of this research is to evaluate the feasibility
and beneficial aspects of alternatives to common landfill
burial techniques. The economics and environmental impact
of disposal of industrial and municipal wastes by deep-well
injection and placement in underground mines have been
determined. Current research centers around:
o The study of land cultivation techniques for
waste residues, including municipal and hazardous
industrial sludges and other waste, with emphasis
upon operational requirements, fate and mobility
of wastes in soils, economics, and field verifications,
Studies were completed of municipal sludge land-
spreading at nine sites in seven States;
reports are in preparation.
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o Evaluation of the status of disposal of wastes
in saline environments.
o In a demonstration project in Bangor, Maine,
municipal sludge is being mixed with wood chips
and subjected to forced aeration. the resulting
mulch is used in landscaping. An interim
report, Composting Sewage Sludge by High-Rate
Suction Techniques, is available from the Office
of Solid Waste, and a final report is in
preparation.
Methane Recovery Demonstration. A project to demonstrate
the recovery and use of methane from a landfill is being
conducted in Mountain View, California, by the city and the
Pacific Gas and Electric Company with EPA assistance.
Eighteen wells have been drilled on a 20-acre portion of the
landfill. Methane from the wells will be piped into processing
equipment to remove impurities and then mixed with natural
gas for use in existing pipelines serving homes. About
600,000 cubic feet of gas having approximately two-thirds
the heating value of natural gas is expected to be produced
daily, enough to meet the needs of about 1,000 typical homes in
the area.
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PLANS FOR FISCAL YEAR 1979
o The criteria for classifying land disposal sites
are scheduled for promulgation in July 1979.
o The inventory process will be started when the
criteria are promulgated. The States will make
evaluations of the disposal sites with EPA
assistance. The available data will be published
1 year after the criteria are promulgated.
o Guidelines for landfill disposal will be proposed,
o Integration of the provisions of RCRA and the
Clean Water Act for management of municipal
sludge will be fully pursued.
o Development of the data base on industrial
disposal facilities and waste management
practices will continue as a major effort.
o The research and demonstration activities will
continue to be directed toward providing the
necessary data base for standards, guidelines,
and technical assistance. The studies on sludge
and on mining wastes required in Section 8002
will be published.
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V. RESOURCE RECOVERY AND CONSERVATION
A basic goal of the Resource Conservation and Recovery
Act is "to conserve valuable material and energy resources"
(Section 1003). The Act requires or authorizes a number of
EPA activities related to resource recovery and conservation,
including technical assistance, financial assistance for State
and local planning and implementation, guidelines, and research,
development, and demonstrations. The Act also establishes the
interagency, Cabinet-1 evel Resource Conservation Committee
to study and make recommendations regarding Federal resource
conservation policies.
Resource recovery was given additional impetus by the
President when, in his Urban Policy Message of March 27, 1978,
he included a request for a $15 million grant program to
support planning, feasibility studies, and all other "front-
end" steps leadinq to resource recovery projects in urban areas,
Legislative authority for this program is Section 4008(a)(2)(A)
of the Act.
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OBJECTIVES
EPA pursued the following objectives in resource recovery
and conservation during fiscal year 1978:
* Prepare the program for financial assistance to
urban areas for development of resource recovery
projects.
* Continue technical assistance in resource recovery
through the Technical Assistance Panels (described
in Chapter 3), regional seminars, and other means.
* Implement, at Federal facilities, the EPA guidelines
for source separation, for beverage container deposits,
and for resource recovery facilities.
* Prepare guidelines for Federal procurement of products
containing several specific waste materials.
* Provide economic analysis and staff support to the
interagency Resource Conservation Committee.
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* Develop information and technology related to
collection, storage, processing, and marketing of
source-separated materials; technical approaches
to resource recovery; and waste reduction.
PROGRAMS
Urban Policy Resource Recovery Program
The new financial assistance program resulting from the
President's Urban Policy Message will help communities to
adequately assess the feasibility of resource recovery
projects and obtain sufficient consultation and staff for
the preparatory steps in implementation. This program is
to begin in fiscal year 1979; $15 million was appropriated for
the first year, and the President has indicated that he will
consider requesting funding for each of the following 2 years.
In fiscal year 1978, EPA developed the program structure
and published a proposed solicitation announcement on July
31, 1978. A public meeting was held on August 18, 1978, to
obtain public comment on the proposed announcement. The
final announcement and request for proposals was published in
October 1978. We expect to begin making awards by March or
April 1979.
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Eligible activities will include:
Planning and feasibility studies
Technology assessments
Investigating of markets for recovered materials
Investigating and evaluating financing alternatives
Preparing requests for proposals (RFP's) for
desirni and construction of facilities
Evaluating responses to RFP's
Analyzing legal issues
Negotiating contracts
EPA will provide no funding under this program for:
Engineering design of facilities
Construction of facilities
Land acquisition
Equipment purchase
Operating expenses
Selection criteria developed for the program focus on
the potential for successful implementation and the extent
of urban economic distress. Major elements involved in
judging potential success include:
o Potential of resource recovery to alleviate
land disposal problems in that area.
o Prior progress toward implementation.
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o Project success factors, including:
Availability of financing
Support of high-level local officials
Sufficient quantities of wastes
Control of wastes
Local and regional cooperation
State, local, and public support
Availability of markets for recovered materials
Eligibility for funding is not limited to large cities,
but under the selection criteria the major portion of the
funds will probably go to jurisdictions of at least 50,000
population. The aid will go primarily to agencies with clear
responsibility for implementation as designated in the State
planning process under Subtitle D.
Financial assistance under this program will be
accompanied by close guidance and monitoring of the projects
to maximize chances for success; the awards will therefore
be called "cooperative agreements" rather than "grants."
Technical Assistance
EPA technical assistance in resource recovery takes
several forms: the Technical Assistance Panels described in
Chapter 2, continuing guidance for State program development,
regional seminars, and information materials development and
distribution.
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State Program Development. Within the past several
years a number of States have independently enacted compre-
hensive statewide programs designed to promote and develop
resource recovery and conservation activities. As noted in
Chapter 3, RCRA requires that all States begin assessing
long-range solutions to waste management problems, with
resource recovery and conservation alternatives comprising
important parts of those solutions. EPA offers the States
guidance on the most effective approach to take in developing
its resource recovery program. Differing conditions require
that programs be tailored to each State. The Agency has
responded to many requests from State governments for
technical assistance and advice in these areas.
We are monitoring the progress and activity in all of
the States that are developing a resource recovery program.
In effect, the Agency is serving as an information clearing-
house for all State resource recovery activities. In addition,
we evaluate various State program elements (e.g., financial
assistance mechanisms) periodically.
Seminars. The Office of Solid Waste developed a 2-
day seminar ("Resource Recovery Technology: An Implementation
Seminar") in 1977. Directed mainly at municipal officials,
the seminar presents alternatives and major issues in the
implementation of resource recovery
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systems. In fiscal year 1978 the seminar was conducted in
six cities; approximately 1,000 people attended. The
seminar program will continue into 1979 and will be regularly
updated to reflect the changing state of the art in resource
recovery technology.
A 1-day workshop ("Municipal Newspaper Recovery Workshop")
was developed and presented in two southeastern cities. A
significant market expansion for old newspapers in the
southeast has led to increased demand for information on the
operation of municipally sponsored newspaper recovery programs.
This workshop includes presentations on marketing, collection,
implementation, and public education considerations.
Assistance for Waste Exchanges. In the past, EPA resource
recovery and conservation activities were directed almost
solely at municipal solid wastes, but under the wider scope
of RCRA, increasing attention is being given to industrial
and other wastes. Industry is increasingly cognizant of the
benefits of conservation and recycling in view of rising
costs of materials, energy, and waste management. An
important new mechanism to promote the recovery of industrial
wastes is the waste exchange or clearinghouse. In the past
two years, at least 20 such exchanges have been started.
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Two basic types of exchanges have developed: the
materials exchange, which accepts the waste, analyzes it,
treats it, and aggressively seeks out markets to sell it at
a profit; and the information exchange, which transfers only
data about the waste. Also referred to as information
clearinghouses, the latter exchanges have had the greatest
success. The majority of information exchanges have been
successfully operated by chambers of commerce or trade
associations; the few operated by private individuals on a
profit basis or by State governments have been less successful.
Increased awareness of the exchanges and the basic
concept was a major objective during the year; efforts
included presentations at the seminars on resource recovery,
personal and telephone contacts, obtaining press coverage,
and preparation and wide distribution of a publication,
Industrial Waste Exchanges: Fact Sheet.
A contract project is being planned to collect information
on exchanges and then prepare a workbook and graphics which
will explain the concept, history, success, etc., of the
present network of exchanges. These will be used at seminars
to be given for industry and State and local officials at
several locations where it is determined that the need and
potential for exchanges are the greatest.
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Guidelines
Guidelines for Source Separation for Materials Recovery/
promulgated on April 23, 1976, require the recovery of high-
grade paper, newsprint, and corrugated boxes from designated
Federal facilities. The high-grade office paper comes from
office buildings; the newsprint and corrugated come primarily
from military bases.
Office paper recycling programs have been started in
Federal buildings in 9 of the 10 EPA Regions. Currently,
175,000 Federal employees in 135 Federal facilities are
participating in paper recycling programs. It is expected
that another 100,000 employees will be in the program by
October 1979. EPA has worked with GSA in establishing
contract procedures for the sale of the paper and in
developing an educational program for training Federal
employees in procedures for recycling office paper. To
date, over 2,000 tons of paper have been recycled under the
guidelines with a return to the Federal Treasury of over
$125,000. In addition, at least 15 States and hundreds of
local governments have adopted the guidelines.
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Guidelines for Beverage Containers, issued
September 21, 1976, require that a refundable 5-cent deposit
be placed on all containers for beer and soft drinks sold at
Federal facilities. The deposit is intended to encourage
the return of containers for either refilling or recycling.
The Guidelines required Federal agencies to report
their compliance decisions to EPA by December 1977. Of the
52 agencies that have reported, 14 are implementing the
guidelines agencywide, 4 are implementing only partially, 2
are not implementing the guidelines at all, 3 filed interim
reports pending results of guideline test programs, 1 filed
an incomplete report, and 28 reported that another agency,
usually GSA, controlled their facilities and the landlord
agency was responsible for implementing the guidelines.
EPA is monitoring compliance with the guidelines. As
part of the task, EPA is analyzing the implementation
reports and will either concur or not concur with the
decisions of each agency. We will also track implementation
progress.
The monitoring element also includes evaluation of
prototype test programs. The Department of Defense con-
cluded its guidelines test at 10 military bases in June.
DOD will submit its decision based on this test in
February 1979. The General Services Administration also
conducted a test of the guidelines in 8 of its 10 regions.
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Early in the fiscal year, the U.S. Brewers Association
et al sued EPA claiming that the beverage container guidelines,
which were issued under the Solid Waste Disposal Act as amended
in 1970, did not meet the requirements for guidelines under RCRA
(Section 1008). Oral arguments were heard in the U.S. District
Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia in December 1978;
a decision is expected in early 1979.
Resource Recovery Facilities Guidelines, promulgated
September 21, 1976, contain requirements and recommended
procedures for Federal agencies regarding establishment and
use of resource recovery facilities.
Decisions on whether or not to implement the guidelines
were required for installations (nearly all belonging to the
Defense Department) in 14 metropolitan areas by
November 21, 1977. Some degree of implementation was reported
for nine areas, two areas reported a decision not to implement,
and the three remaining areas are still in the process of
making a determination. Periodic status reports are required
from all these areas.
Procurement Guidelines are currently being developed
under Section 6002 of RCRA. All agencies procuring with
Federal funds (including State and local governments,
grantees, and contractors as well as the Federal agencies)
must "procure items composed of the highest percentage of
recovered materials practicable."
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The guidelines for recommended procurement practices
will contain information regarding suppliers, demand, price,
delivery time, performance, and certification techniques.
We are now gathering data on products purchased by the
government that may have high potential in the use of waste
materials. Four major product categories are under study:
o Cement and concrete: use of fly ash and blast
furnace slag as a partial cement replacement in
cement manufacure and concrete mixing.
o Construction products: use of recovered materials,
including wastepaper in insulation and board;
waste rubber in asphalt pavements; and waste glass
in bricks, asphalt, and concrete. We are also
looking at the use of waste ferrous metals,
plastics, aluminum, and fly ash (other than in
cement and concrete).
o
Paper products: use of wastepaper and other
secondary fibrous materials in printing and
writing papers, sanitary papers, envelopes, boxes,
tabulating paper, and duplicating papers.
Composted sewage sludge used as a soil conditioner
and low-grade fertilizer ( in nonagricultural
applications, such as parklands).
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The first guideline, scheduled to be proposed in
April 1979, will be on use of fly ash and blast furnace slag
in cement and concrete.
We are providing education and assistance on the
requirements of the Act and EPA's approach to compliance to
Federal procuring agencies, State officials, and industry
representatives. We have also formed an interagency working
group consisting of representatives from the General Services
Administration, the Department of Defense, Office of Federal
Procurement Policy, Government Printing Office, and National
Bureau of Standards. The working group will assure the
active involvement of affected agencies throughout the
development of the guidelines.
The National Bureau of Standards, the National Governors'
Association, and EPA sponsored a 2-day seminar on procurement
of recycled products for State purchasing, solid waste, and
energy officials on May 30 and 31, 1978. The seminar dealt
with procurement of paper,tires, oil, construction products,
textiles, glass, metals, and chemical and petroleum products.
Over 100 people, representing 18 States and private industry,
participated.
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Resource Conservation Committee
The interagency Resource Conservation Committee, chaired
by the EPA Administrator, was established by Section 8002 (j)
and is required to conduct "a full and complete investigation
and study of all aspects of the economic, social, and
environmental consequences of resource conservation." The
Committee completed its analysis of beverage container deposit
legislation and is completing analyses of solid waste disposal
charge legislation. The Committee staff, composed of Office
of Solid Waste personnel, is evaluating several other
incentives and disincentives for resource conservation.
To obtain public comment, the Committee held several
hearings to receive input from the public on beverage container
deposits, solid waste disposal charges, the effect of existing
Federal tax and transportation policies on the use of virgin
and secondary materials, recycling and resource recovery
subsidies, deposits or bounties on durable goods, local user
fees, litter taxes, severance taxes, and product regulation.
During the year the Committee staff held informal open meetings
each month so that interested parties could ask questions or
make suggestions about the work of the Committee. The meetings
of the full Committee were also open to the public.
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The first resource conservation issue taken up by the
Committee was beverage container deposits. In its January 1978
report to the President and Congress entitled Committee
Findings and Staff Papers on National Beverage Container
Deposits, the Committee presented a recommended design for
beverage container deposit legislation. The Committee did
not recommend that legislation be passed, however; a decision
on this issue was postponed until the relationship between
deposits and solid waste disposal charges could be more
clearly understood.
The staff studies found that a national uniform deposit
law enacted in 1978 would, by 1985:
o Reduce amount of solid waste disposed of by up to
2 million tens per year.
o Reduce total litter volume by 40 percent; 20 percent
of the number of individual items littered would
be eliminated.
o Save 400,000 tons of aluminum, reducing bauxite
imports by a potential 1.6 million tons.
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o Reduce steel consumption by about 1.5 million
tons.
o Reduce industrial atmospheric emissions by 750
million to 1.2 billion pounds.
o Reduce waterborne wastes by between 140 and 210
million pounds.
o Save 70 to 130 trillion BTU, equivalent to 33,000
to 61,000 barrels of oil per day.
o Reduce the retail price of beverages an average of
% to 1% cents per container.
o Cause between 4,900 and 10,400 job dislocations in
the glass container production industry and between
14,200 and 22,000 job dislocations in the metal
can production industry over a 4-year period.
o Create between 80,000 and 100,000 new jobs in the
beverage distribution and retail sectors.
o Cause some unquantifiable amount of inconvenience
to those beverage consumers who presently purchase
beverages in nonrefillable containers and discard
those containers when they are empty.
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These estimates may be altered by subsequent analyses.
In July 1978 the Committee issued its Status Report on
Solid Waste Disposal Charge Analysis. This report included
staff papers on the current status of solid waste management,
the rationale for national solid waste disposal charge legis-
lation, and disposal charge design issues. The analysis of
disposal charges was delayed by the need for more detailed
analysis of the costs of local solid waste management and the
need to improve the computer model of industries that would
be affected by the charge. Both steps are essential in quanti-
fying the costs and benefits of alternative product charge
proposals.
While work continued on the solid waste disposal charge,
the staff and contractors also prepared analyses on local user
fees, on resource recovery subsidies, on deposits and bounties
on hazardous and durable goods, on litter taxes, on product
regulation, and on severance taxes. The results of these
analyses will be presented in the Committee's final report
along with the Committee's policy recommendations. This
report is scheduled to be submitted to the President and the
Congress in March 1979.
Research, Evaluations, Demonstrations, Studies
The Office of Solid Waste and the Office of Research and
Development continue to carry out a range of activities to
develop the systems and knowledge needed to expand resource
recovery.
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Technology Evaluations. The evaluations include
detailed technical, economic, and environmental assessments
of EPA-supported demonstrations of resource recovery systems,
but we are also conducting evaluations of other commercial-
scale resource recovery facilities: refuse-derived fuel
(RDF) plants in Lane County, Oregon, and Chicago, Illinois;
small modular incinerators with heat recovery; waterwall
combustion units in Europe; a plant for codisposal of sewage
sludge and municipal solid waste in Duluth; and a pyrolysis
system in Frankfort, Germany. Evaluations of system components
are also underway: one study will comprehensively evaluate
and compare the performance of full-scale operational air
classifiers at several resource recovery facilities, while
another project is examining the fundamental operating and
performance characteristics of six shredders used to prepare
refuse for resource recovery. A project has been initiated
to evaluate a full-scale preprocessing system which will be
used to fire a cement kiln. A number of technology-related
studies are underway looking at codisposal, RDF facilities
costs, compatibility of source separation of paper with
energy recovery systems, and shredder design.
Demonstrations. Two of the early demonstration projects
developed technologies that are being replicated in a number
of communities. The first, in Franklin, Ohio, determined
the feasibility of using the wet-pulping method of separating
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mixed municipal solid waste into organic (paper fiber) and
inorganic (steel cans, aluminum, and glass) fractions. The
low-grade paper fiber was used as a raw material at a roofing
felt plant nearby, but as the market for low-grade paper
fiber is limited, the follow-on applications of this technology
(as at Hempstead, New York, and Dade County, Florida) will
use the organic fraction of the solid waste as a fuel.
The second demonstration, in St. Louis, Missouri,
developed the technology of recovering a portion of the
organic fraction of the mixed municipal waste stream for use
as a supplement to coal in large boilers. This RDF technology
is being replicated in 10 locations. Two of"the second-
generation plants are operating (at Ames, Iowa, and Milwaukee,
Wisconsin), two are in shakedown, and the others are under
construction. An extension of this concept that includes
utilization of sewage sludge is being demonstrated under a
grant to the State of Delaware.
Two systems for recovering energy from mixed municipal
solid waste through pyrolysis (decomposition of organic
matter into combustible gases and liquids by heat in an
oxygen-deficient atmosphere) were demonstrated in Baltimore,
Maryland, and San Diego County, California. The Baltimore
plant produces steam by combusting the pyrolysis gases
onsite. This plant has had numerous mechanical and air
pollution problems and is presently undergoing an extensive
modification program. The problems are in the most part
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attributable to errors in expanding from a small pilot plant
to the large commercial size. The city has been operating
and modifying the plant since the system designer, Monsanto
Enviro-Chem Systems, Inc., discontinued its involvement.
EPA has completed an evaluation of the process in its
original configuration during the reasonably successful
9-month run last year. Although it is doubtful that this
technology will be replicated in toto, much was learned
concerning pyrolysis of solid waste and the viability of
using a large rotary kiln as a reduction device. After
modifications are completed this year, it is anticipated
that the process will operate in an economically and environ-
mentally sound manner.
Six grant projects to develop source separation systems
are now nearing completion. The demonstration grants to
Marblehead and Somerville, Massachusetts, were funded 3
years ago to determine the feasibility of separate collection
techniques to recover several materials from municipal waste
streams. These two programs have proven that residents will
separate recyclable materials into up to three categories
for separate collection. It is possible to maintain high
participation rates (recovering between 25 and 30 percent of
the residential waste stream) in suburban communities with
reliable collection, proper program management, and minimal
ongoing public education. Collection, processing, and
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marketing of source-separated materials is possible on a
commercial scale. Approximately 15 to 20 other multimaterial
collection programs have begun in the New England area as a
result of the increased municipal and industry interest
created by the Marblehead/Somerville projects. A final
report presenting the results of this project will be issued
in fiscal year 1979.
Small implementation grants were awarded 2 years ago to
four communities to start a variety of source separation
programs. The programs and techniques are: multimaterial
collection through private contract; multimaterial collection
from apartment buildings; source separation and materials
marketing for low-density rural areas; and the use of
handicapped laborers for processing materials. The grantees
will write final reports in 1979.
"Wastes-as-Fuels" Program. As a result of funding from
the Interagency Energy/Environment R&D Program, a number of
new projects were initiated in the "Wastes-as-Fuels" research
program in 1978. However, greatly reduced funding in 1979
will result in substantial deemphasis of this program.
New projects include research to (1) develop processes for
removing lead and other heavy metals from RDF and (2) investi-
gate advanced concepts for improving the fuel quality of
RDF. Several ongoing projects were supplemented, including:
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(1) expansion of an evaluation of firing palletized refuse
into an industrial stoker-type boiler, (2) construction and
testing of a 1-ton per day pilot plant for acid hydrolysis
of refuse and subsequent conversion to ethanol and methane,
and (3) an evaluation of emissions from the refuse processing
system at St. Louis.
Studies. In response to Section 8002 of the Act, EPA
is conducting six studies related to resource recovery:
o We are currently analyzing the economic,
environmental, conservation, technological, and
institutional effects of combining various source
separation and mixed-waste processing options.
This analysis will result in a compatibility
assessment methodology for local communities and
regions to use in designing comprehensive resource
recovery programs.
o Small-scale and low-technology approaches to
resource recovery are being studied to determine
the state of the art of recovery from waste
streams of up to 50 tons per day generated by
institutional, commercial, and multiple-unit
residential sources. The waste streams are being
characterized to determine the availability of
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marketable materials and the feasibility of energy
recovery. In addition we are investigating the
application of commercially available materials
processing and energy recovery equipment to this
scale of resource recovery to determine further
research and development needs. This study is
nearing completion.
In a study of research priorities, we are reviewing
various existing and promising techniques of
energy and materials recovery from solid waste.
The results will enable us to set research priorities
and develop research, development, and demonstration
strategies. The study also evaluates the need for
Federal action.
Three additional studies required under Section 8002
were initiated in fiscal year 1978: an assessment
of trends in and impediments to the collection and
recovery of discarded tires; a review of techno-
logical, economic, environmental, and social
factors involved in developing improved approaches
for recovering glass and plastics from solid
waste; and an evaluation of the economics of and
impediments to the operation of resource recovery
facilities.
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A National Survey of Separate Collection Programs was
conducted in 1978. The number of cities known to collect
recyclables separately has increased from 2 in 1970 to 216
in October 1978. Of these, 35 have multimaterial programs.
A full report on the survey is scheduled for November 1978.
Case studies are in progress of three northern New England,
rural, municipally sponsored source separation programs.
These programs, brought into operation as a result of
regulations requiring the closing of open dumps, are becoming
increasingly common in many rural sections of the United States.
We are collecting information on program operations and
costs and will issue a report that should be helpful to
rural areas. The study will also serve as a basis for a
series of conferences on rural solid waste management to be
held in northern New England in fiscal year 1979.
Coordination With Other Federal Agencies
Interagency Agreement with Department of Commerce.
Subtitle E of RCRA assigns certain duties and responsibilities
to the Secretary of Commerce. In order to ensure coordination
of that department's programs with EPA responsibilities
under RCRA, the two agencies signed an interagency agreement
in 1978. The Agreement describes methods of program coordination
and clarifies the respective roles of the two agencies. The
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Department of Commerce's role will be mainly in developing
specifications for recovered materials and encouraging
commercialization of new uses for recovered materials.
Working Agreement With Department of Energy. Both EPA
and the Department of Energy have responsibilities in the
general area of resource recovery as denoted in the interagency
agreement of May 1976. To ensure an effective overall
Federal program, the two agencies are developing a joint
plan, including statements of program responsibilities and
means of coordination.
Under this joint plan, DOE's primary objective in
resource recovery is to develop and demonstrate
technically, economically, and environmentally sound tech-
nologies to recover energy and materials from solid waste.
The EPA's primary objective is to develop State and local
capability for resource recovery implementation through
technical and financial assistance for recovery planning and
project development. For coordination of activities between
the agencies in these two basic areas, working groups have
been established for transfer of information, joint planning,
and proposal review.
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PROBLEMS
Federal Procurement Program
Section 6002 of the Act requires all procuring agencies
to comply with its procurement provisions by October 21, 1978.
While efforts have been made by some procuring agencies to
comply with this deadline and EPA has attempted to assist
them with their compliance, the requirement will not be met.
Even if procuring agencies made a concerted effort to comply,
the affected industries are not yet prepared to supply all
of the recycled products that the government would need.
Detailed information on technical performance and economic
feasibility needs to be gathered before rational procurement
decisions can be made. For example, over 45,000 Federal
product and material specifications must be reviewed and
evaluated. Even the seemingly clear term "recovered material"
still does not mean the same thing to everyone who uses it.
While we are working to overcome these problems, it
does appear that the statutory deadline is not realistic.
Furthermore, it could well discourage, rather than ensure, a
careful, complete look at all the issues. A more practical
approach may be to apply compliance requirements that relate
directly to publication of the necessary guidelines.
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Source Separation Guidelines
In implementing the source separation guidelines, we
have experienced difficulties resulting from three problem
areas:
o Paper prices are not as steady or as high as we
had expected and local paper dealers are not
providing as much support and assistance as we had
hoped they would.
o In an effort to hold down cost, the government is
buying computer and tablet paper that is high in
groundwood fiber content. Unfortunately, this
paper cannot be recycled with other higher-grade
office paper. Thus, its presence can lead to the
rejection of an entire load of office paper. This
reduces both quantities recycled and revenues to
the program.
o At present, all revenues generated through the
office paper recycling program revert directly to
the U.S. Treasury. This seriously dilutes the
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potential incentives in these programs. It is likely that
facility managers would give the program much more support,
time, and interest if the revenues went back into building
management.
PLANS FOR FISCAL YEAR 1979
Most of the planned resource conservation and recovery
activities in fiscal year 1979 will involve further development
or followup of 1978 programs. Among them are:
State and Local Programs. We will continue to promote,
through the technical and financial assistance programs
described above, the development of strong State and local
resource conservation and recovery programs.
Market Development. Efforts to encourage more rapid
development of markets for recovered materials will include
preparation of the procurement guidelines. We will also continue
to push for increased use of waste-based fuels. This activity
will involve close coordination with the Department of Commerce.
Development of Technology and Techniques. We will
continue to develop, evaluate, and report on resource recovery
technologies and methods. One area of particular interest
in fiscal year 1979 will be thermal codisposal of solid
waste and sewage sludge.
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Resource Conservation Committee. The Committee is
scheduled to complete its work in March 1979 and submit its
findings and recommendations to the President and the Congress.
In January 1979, the Committee will hold a conference focusing
on how the nation should define its future resource conservation
efforts. The conference will bring together leaders from
academia, business, labor, interest groups, and government.
Economic Incentives. With the completion of the work
of the Resource Conservation Committee, it will become the
responsibility of EPA to follow up on the Committee's
recommendations. What form these followup activities might
take is not yet clear; they will probably include some further
study of economic approaches to resource conservation.
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VI. PUBLIC PARTICIPATION AND EDUCATION
As the previous chapters indicate, the RCRA programs
can have various important environmental, health, and economic
effects. All interested citizens should therefore have
clear opportunities to become informed about the programs
and participate in their development. Furthermore^ an informed
and supportive public is essential to successful implementation
of RCRA. Without public awareness and support, the authorities
and resources needed at State and local levels may not be
forthcoming, and the siting of disposal and processing facilities
will continue to be stymied in many places around the country.
RCRA contains broad mandates for public participation
and education:
Section 7004 requires that public participation be
"provided for, encouraged, and assisted" in implementation
of all parts of the Act by EPA and the States. EPA guidelines
for such participation are required.
Section 8003 requires EPA to develop information in key
areas of solid waste management, rapidly disseminate this
information, implement programs to promote citizen understanding
of the issues, and establish a central reference library on
solid waste management.
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OBJECTIVES
The objectives for fiscal year 1978 were as follows:
-Provide opportunities for public participation in
EPA programs under the Act.
-Promulgate and implement guidelines for public participation.
-Develop citizen education activities.
-Develop and distribute information materials.
-Provide library and literature search services.
PROGRAMS
Public Participation
Public participation has been incorporated into EPA
activities under RCRA through numerous public meetings and
hearings and through the distribution for comment of draft
copies of regulations, reports, and plans. As a result a
great many groups and individuals have contributed views and
information for consideration in development of regulations
and programs and have thereby helped to improve the quality
of these efforts significantly.
Meetings and hearings. Twenty-nine public meetings and
twelve public hearings were held from October 1977 through
September 1978 on proposed regulations and other issues
related to RCRA implementation. (Hearings differ from
meetings in that they must always be recorded and have more
formal scheduling of presentations.) These events were
attended by over 3,000 people representing a variety of
public interest groups, private citizens, State and local
governments, environmental groups, industry, trade associations,
etc- 6-2
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Invitations to all the meetings and hearings were distributed
to thousands of individuals and organizations. Draft copies
of the regulations, guidelines, etc., under development and
reprints of proposals in the Federal Register were distributed
prior to meetings and hearings. Transcripts of the meetings
and hearings were made available to all interested persons.
An analysis of major comments on proposed regulations will be.
included in the preamble to final rules.
All 10 EPA Regional Offices have designated staff to
work with headquarters personnel and the States in carrying
out public participation activities. They assisted in
conducting all the meetings and hearings.
Several States held meetings to receive public comment
on their draft 1979 work program. Almost all States held
widely publicized meetings concerning the identification of
regions and agencies for solid waste management. Some State
agencies have developed and are using extensive mailing
lists keyed to interests of the public. Repositories of
State solid waste management documents have been established
in some States. Plans are being developed .for charting the
status of public participation in State RCRA activities and
otherwise evaluating the effectiveness of efforts to encourage
public participation and incorporate it into development.
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The following public hearinqs and meetings were held by
EPA on proposed regulations and other issues during fiscal
year 1978.
Hearings
Section 3003, hazardous waste transportation regulations:
June 20, 1978, Alexandria, Va.
Section 3006, State hazardous waste guidelines:
March 9, 1978, New Orleans, La.
March 13, 1978, Boston, Mass.
March 16, 1978, Seattle, Wash.
Section 3010, hazardous waste management notification
regulations:
August 18, 1978, Cleveland, Ohio
August 21, 1978, Charleston, S.C.
August 24, 1978, San Francisco, Calif.
Section 4004, land disposal criteria:
March 1, 1978, San Diego, Calif.
April 21, 1978, Washington, B.C.
April 24, 1978, Kansas City, Mo.
April 26, 1978, Portland, Oreg.
Section 4004, environmental impact statement for the
criteria:
June 5, 1978, Cincinnati, Ohio
Public Meetings
Subtitle C, hazardous waste regulatory issues:
October 11-12, 1977, Arlington, Va.
October 13-14, 1977, St. Louis, Mo.
October 17-18, 1977, Scottsdale, Ariz.
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Section 3QQ3, hazardous waste transportation regulations:
October 26, 1977, Chicago, 111.
Section 4002, State plan guidelines:
September 13, 1978, Kansas City, Mo.
September 18, 1978, Seattle, Wash.
September 19, 1978, San Francisco, Calif.
September 21, 1978, Denver, Colo.
September 26, 1978, Atlanta, Ga.
Section 4004, land disposal criteria: (Specific
groups were invited to attend specific meetings, which were
also open to the general public.)
February 23, 1978, San Diego, Calif.
March 8, 15, 20, 22, and April 19, 1978, Washington, D.C,
March 30, 1978, Dallas, Tex.
April 3, 1978, New York, N.Y.
April 13, 1978, Atlanta, Ga.
April 17, 1978, Chicago, 111.
April 28-29, 1978, St. Louis, Mo.
Resource Conservation Committee, beverage container issue:
October 19, 1977, Washington, D.C.
Resource Conservation Committee, product charge issue:
November 17, 1977, Washington, D.C.
November 18, 1977, Cincinnati, Ohio
November 21, 1977, Portland, Oreg.
Resource Conservation Committee, remaining issues:
June 23, 1978, Chicago, 111.
June 26, 1978, Washington, D.C.
June 30, 1978, San Francisco, Calif.
Urban resource recovery project grants, policy and procedures:
August 18, 1978, Washington, D.C.
Proposed schedule for EPA rulemaking under RCRA:
September 15, 1978, Washington, D.C.
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Guidelines. On January 12, 1978, EPA published interim
Guidelines on Public Participation in Solid Waste Management
(40 CFR 249), which are applicable to activities conducted
under RCRA by Federal, State, and substate entities. The
guidelines contain requirements for meetings, information
and education activity, consulting with interested parties
regarding development of rules and programs, notifying the
public of hearings, and other measures. Every regulation,
guideline, or program plan issued by EPA under the Act is to
contain a section implementing the requirements of the
public participation guidelines.
On August 7, 1978, EPA proposed overall public participation
regulations for the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act,
the Safe Drinking Water Act, and the Clean Water Act (Federal
Register, 93:34794). These regulations, when promulgated,
will replace existing regulations for public participation
under these acts. The proposed regulations are basically
similar to the interim solid waste guidelines but tend to be
more detailed and include provisions that are applicable;
mainly or solely to the water programs. EPA is considering
the feasibility of applying these regulations, in modified
form, to all programs of the agency.
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Citizen Education Grants
The general purpose of the citizen education grants is
to provide programs whereby citizens can develop an understanding
of the issues in RCRA implementation and solid waste management
and thereby participate constructively in the decision-
making process at local, State, and Federal levels.
Near the end of fiscal year 1977, funds amounting to
$150,000 were granted to two nonprofit organizations for
work to be carried out in 1978. One grant was to the League
of Women Voters Education Fund to sponsor statewide conferences
on RCRA implementation in Georgia, New Jersey, Oregon, South
Carolina, Texas, and Washington. The League also sponsored
special educational projects on hazardous wastes and other
subjects in the communities of West Lafayette (Indiana),
Manhattan (Kansas), Syracuse (New York), Bloomington (Indiana),
and Waltham (Massachusetts). The other grant was awarded to
Environmental Action Foundation to conduct a 1-day training
conference for citizen leaders, maintain a citizens information
and assistance service, and periodically distribute summaries
on specific solid waste issues.
Seven grants totaling $218,300 were funded in fiscal
year 1978. Five were directed to support of conferences
and workshops on solid waste issues and RCRA implementation,
with emphasis on the hazardous waste management provisions.
These grants were awarded to: (1) American Public Health
Association for development and national distribution of the
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detailed format for a model State citizen training conference
on RCRA and holding two training sessions at the APHA national
convention; (2) Izaak Walton League of America for 3 State
and 11 local seminars on methods of utilizing and disposing
of sludge; (3) National Wildlife Federation for one six-
State Regional meeting, and a statewide conference and a.
series of local programs across another State; (4) Technical
Information Project for 2-day statewide conferences in
Florida, Alaska, and Wisconsin and a conference in Pittsburgh;
and (5) West Michigan Environmental Action Council for a
conference in Lansing. Also grants were made to the Boston
Childrens1 Museum for an exhibit which shows, conservation of
materials and which is to be shared with other museums in
Massachusetts and Connecticut, and to the Portland (Oreg.)
Recycling Team for a guidebook on how to operate a recycling
center.
Information Program
EPA continued its program of information materials
development and distribution in all major areas of solid
waste management. Numerous publications were produced (see
Appendix). The Office of Solid Waste distributed approximately
622,000 copies in response to requests. Slide presentations,
exhibits, and news releases were also produced. Many information
materials were used in public participation activities by
EPA and the States and in the educational programs carried
on by the OSW grantees.
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The Solid Waste Information Retrieval System (SWIRS)
conducted over 1,126 literature searches in fiscal year
1978. Users were in government, universities, industry,
Congress, etc. The information bank contains over 47,950
abstracts dating from 1964. Approximately 5,950 new abstracts
were added in 1978. The Office of Solid Waste library
contains all of the abstracted documents as well as approximately
6,000 nonperiodical documents, all of which are available
through the interlibrary loan system.
PLANS FOR FISCAL YEAR 1979
Public participation activites in fiscal year 1979 will
include approximately 26 public meetings and hearings on
proposed regulations and guidelines. Among these will be
five 3-day hearings following the proposal of hazardous
waste management regulations.
The new guidelines covering public participation in
programs under RCRA and the water laws will be promulgated.
An intensive effort will be made to assure the implementation
of public participation requirements in the State programs
supported under RCRA.
A 4-year public education program on RCRA implementation
with an emphasis on hazardous waste facilities siting issues
will begin in fiscal year 1979. The education program is
intended to clearly set forth the issues and alternatives and so
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encourage constructive, realistic approaches. Four grantee
organizations will assist the Office of Solid Waste in conduct-
ing the 1979 program, which will include conferences in four
EPA Regions and several States. A newsletter will be issued from
time to time for the duration of the program to inform and
encourage citizens concerned about solid waste problems.
The production and distribution of information materials
will continue in support of the foregoing and other activities
related to RCRA implementation. In addition to a number of
publications, two films that are being developed as part of
citizen education grant projects are due to be completed;
one is on hazardous waste management and the other depicts
one rural county's efforts to eliminate open dumps.
Due to lack of funds the literature search component of
SWIRS is scheduled to be terminated as of March 31, 1978.
The possibility of having the service resumed under other
auspices is being investigated. The library will be continued,
but since it must be moved from its present quarters there
will be disruption in service.
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VII. BRIEF REPORTS FROM THE REGIONAL OFFICES
The following are reports from the 10 EPA Regional
Offices of notable RCRA-related activities and circumstances
in their respective geographic areas. The Regional Offices
have the lead responsibility in EPA for working with the
State and local governments to achieve implementation of
RCRA. This includes overseeing the Federal grants, assisting
in developing programs under Subtitles C and D, and providing
technical assistance. Among the major activities in 1978
were assistance to States and local governments in identify-
ing regional boundaries and the agencies responsible for RCRA
planning and implementation in accordance with Section 4006,
establishment of the Technical Assistance Panels, and guidance
on State legislation and regulations to enable RCRA implemen-
tation. Active assistance to the Office of Solid Waste in
developing EPA regulations, policies, and programs continued
to require substantial portions of Regional staff time.
REGION I
(Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts,
New Hampshire, Rhode Island, Vermont)
Planning and Development. In accordance with the
Interim Guidelines for Identification of Regions and Agencies
for Solid Waste Management, all six New England States made
their identifications. Maine and Connecticut are in the
process of updating their State Solid Waste Management
Plan. Close consultation with the Regional Office has
been necessary in State plan development, especially since
the State plan guidelines (Section 4002(b)) are not yet
available in final form.
The Technical Assistance Panels Program was formally
initiated in 1978 in the Regional Office. Using consultants
obtained through the Office of Solid Waste, we entered into
several major technical assistance projects. The most
notable assignments were for the city of Auburn, Maine, the
States of Rhode Island and Massachusetts, and for rural New
England. All projects were in the field of resource recovery.
It is anticipated that future Panels activity will cover all
aspects of solid and hazardous waste management.
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Resource Recovery and Conservation. Community
recycling programs in New England are rapidly increasing,
with over 260 known programs in existence. There are 43
programs of separate curbside collection of recyclable
materials, according to an October 1977 survey. The Regional
Office is updating its New England Recycling Directory,
which was first published in 1977.
Region I now has 14 rural resource recovery facilities
in operation—double that of last year. Many more facilities
are in planning and construction phases, especially in
northern New England. The main impetus is the closing of
many disposal facilities for environmental reasons. A
study is being completed of these recovery systems, which
consist of accumulating source-separated material and simple
processing such as baling of paper and crushing of cans and
glass. The systems also generally include modular incineration
with land disposal of the ash and noncombustible fraction of
the waste. The city of Auburn, Maine, will shortly be
negotiating with a systems vendor for a full-service
contract to design, construct, and operate a steam-generating
plant utilizing modular incineration. Facilities in
various stages of planning are in Pittsfield and Northampton,
Massachusetts and Windham, Connecticut.
The planning and implementation activities for large-
scale resource recovery facilities are increasing dramatically
in the three southern New England States. In Connecticut,
construction of the Greater Bridgeport facility is nearing
completion, and in planning are two facilities for the
Hartford metropolitan area and a regional facility at New
Haven. The Rhode Island Solid Waste Management Corporation
is completing review of three proposals for an energy recovery
facility to satisfy the municipal solid waste disposal needs
of the entire State. Massachusetts is soliciting towns to
contract with UOP, Inc., for a 3,000-ton-per-day
facility in North Andover. The State Bureau of Solid Waste
is also in various stages of implementation for facilities
to serve the needs of West Suburban Boston, the Greater
Worcester area, and the Greater Springfield area. Private
enterprise is also planning several facilities in the
Region.
Region I now has three States with beverage container
legislation, since Connecticut recently passed a bill
following the example of Vermont and Maine. The Massachusetts
bill was narrowly defeated but is expected to be raised for
consideration again in the new legislative year.
The high-grade office paper recycling program at the
John F. Kennedy Federal Building has been in operation for
1 year. During the year about 88 tons of high-grade paper
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were recovered, returning approximately $4,600 to the
government and saving nearly $2,000 in waste disposal costs.
Two additional Federal buildings located in Boston will
begin office paper recycling programs in fiscal year 1979.
Land Disposal. The Vermont Agency of Environmental
Conservation developed new solid waste disposal regulations
and guidelines which went into effect in June. The proposed
4004 criteria were consulted during the development of these
two documents.
The Regional Office responded to many requests from
States to evaluate the effects of the proposed 4004 criteria
on specific land disposal sites within their borders.
Numerous meetings were attended by the solid waste staff to
explain the proposed criteria and their effect on land
disposal practices in New England.
There are currently underway in the Region two
solid waste land disposal research projects. The Enfield,
Connecticut, leachate collection and treatment facility
began operation in mid-April 1978. A remedial action study
to minimize the environmental impact of unacceptable land
disposal sites commenced in Windham, Connecticut. Both of
these projects are funded through the Office of Solid Waste.
Hazardous Waste Management. During fiscal year 1978
all the New England States completed their hazardous waste
surveys. These surveys will be essential in the development
of comprehensive hazardous waste management programs. The
surveys will also assist in the notification and permitting
requirements of Subtitle C.
The New England States are moving forward with
legislation which will provide them with authority to
comprehensively regulate hazardous waste management. Currently
all of the States in Region I have legislation which enables
control of all or some of the elements of hazardous waste
management.
PCB disposal is still a serious regional problem.
Comprehensive PCB regulations, promulgated this year,
require the Regional Administrator to approve incinerators
or chemical waste landfills before they can be used for PCB
disposal. The Regional Office has received one application
for incineration.
Incidents of improper disposal of hazardous wastes
continue to occur in the Region. State agencies, with
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Regional Office technical assistance, have been successful
in cleaning up and properly disposing of hazardous wastes at
dump sites in Plainfield, Connecticut, and Rehoboth,
Massachusetts. Technical assistance was also provided to
the Maine Department of Environmental Protection in analyzing
a water contamination incident in the town of Grey due to
the improper disposal of hazardous wastes. The community
and State governments are currently taking steps to provide
an alternate water supply to those affected by the incident.
The Massachusetts Division of Water Pollution Control,
with technical assistance from the Regional Office, inspected,
analyzed, and formed a strategy plan for the cleanup and
proper disposal of a diverse assortment of chemicals
accumulated at the now defunct Silresim Corporation facility
at Lowell, Massachusetts.
Public Education. During the year the solid waste
staff made presentations to many groups on RCRA, hazardous
waste management, landfilling, and resource recovery.
REGION II
(New Jersey, New York, Puerto Rico, Virgin Islands)
Planning and Development. In New York the first
draft of the State plan was submitted to the legislature
for review. The document includes the regional planning
boundaries and identification of agencies which will have
regional and local implementation responsibilities. The
New Jersey Solid Waste Administration also identified
regional boundaries and agency responsibilities. The
Administration plans to increase its staff by 13 positions,
including 3 for planning. A significant achievement in New
Jersey was the Joint District Planning Agreement, which
provides for joint planning by five counties and the Hackensack
Meadowlands Development Commission. The Regional Office
assisted in this effort. In Puerto Rico, legislation creating
a Solid Waste Authority to encourage regional land disposal
and resource recovery facilities was signed by the Governor
on June 23, 1978. The Virgin Islands identified all the
Islands as a single region for planning purposes. An
important step in implementing RCRA was made when substantial
changes to the current legislation for the Islands were
submitted to the legislature.
Land Disposal. The New York State Department of
Conservation (DEC) set up a computerized retrieval system for
information on land disposal sites. Information is being
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collected now and will be used for the inventory. The State
agency created four junior engineering positions to assist
in the evaluation. DEC initiated enforcement actions
against many municipal landfills for failure to apply for an
operation permit by February 1978, as required by the
State's Environmental Conservation Law of May 1977.
Recent designation by EPA of Nassau and Suffolk.
Counties in New York as sole-source aquifer areas will have
an impact on existing solid waste management practices on
Long Island. EPA's proposed land disposal criteria require
that such aquifers be protected.
The Regional Office is once again working on the
bird hazard problem at JFK Airport in New York City.
Meetings were held with other Federal agencies, the State,
and the City Department of Sanitation to start a bird patrol
program at the Fountain Avenue landfill in Brooklyn.
Present studies in New York include: leachate
attenuation modeling conducted by Cornell University, an OSW
leachate attenuation study involving landfills in Monroe and
Yates Counties, and an OSW study of leachate treatment
alternatives involving the Port Washington landfill on Long
Island.
New Jersey has identified all registered disposal
sites by latitude and longitude, established contact with
other agencies with potential involvement in the planning
and/or inventory process, and has prepared lists of those
sites which will be classified during the first year of the
inventory process. The State plans to add six positions to
carry out the inventory process.
Puerto Rico conducted a 2-week training course
for all personnel that will be performing evaluations for
the open dump inventory. Information has already been
gathered regarding land use, geology, hydrology, and
physical characteristics for many of the sites, including
municipal landfills, industrial sludge impoundments, hog
farms, and composting centers. Other preliminary steps
taken include preparation of site location maps and assignment
of a project manager and an interagency liaison officer.
The U.S. Geologic Survey completed an aerial survey of 50 of
Puerto Rico's 68 landfills. Surface water pollution was
found at eight of the surveyed sites. Open burning is
still a severe problem.
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Virgin Islands also took initial steps toward
the inventory process. In conjunction with an airport
expansion program, development of a landfill is expected to
proceed off the coast of St. Thomas.
Hazardous Waste Management. At present all States in
the Region are expected to seek both limited interim and
interim authorization under Subtitle C. Through the 1978
grant program New York was assisted in conducting a hazardous
waste survey and drafting legislation under which regulations
could be promulgated. Other activities in New York included:
assisting the State in closure of Pollution Abatement Services
in Oswego, assisting in minimizing the threat from disposal
sites such as the one at Love Canal, working with the State
in conducting inspections of facilities seeking approval for
disposal of PCB, and assisting local farmers in Monroe
County in disposal of waste pesticides and pesticide containers.
New Jersey also conducted a hazardous waste survey,
initiated a hazard assessment study of hazardous waste
management facilities, and implemented a manifest system
for tracking hazardous wastes. The Regional Office worked
with OSW in followup inspection of the Rollins Environmental
Services explosion site to determine what standards should
be included in RCRA rules to prevent such occurrences. In
Puerto Rico, regulations are being revised to conform to
upcoming RCRA requirements. The Regional Office recommended
to OSW that the possibility of establishing a waste exchange
in Puerto Rico be investigated since there is a severe
shortage of acceptable disposal facilities on the island.
In the Virgin Islands the Regional staff is assisting in
development of basic legislation; at present it seems that
the scope of the program will be small since there are only
two major industries that may be affected.
In meeting the requirements of the PCB site approval
rule, the Regional staff has developed implementation
strategy plans, conducted a public meeting, and is evaluating
applications from three major hazardous waste management
facilities along with one for onsite disposal and one for
disposal of dredge spoil material.
Resource Recovery and Conservation. To support
office paper recycling in Federal buildings, we are mounting
training sessions and providing publicity and education.
The U.S. Customs House in New York City was the first
Region II facility to implement recycling.
Existing laws in New York State were evaluated
and recommendations made to correct present barriers to
resource recovery. A contract utilizing EPA grant funds
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to the State was established to institute a resource recovery
system in Cattaraugus County, New York.
The Region is participating in the planning of
the resource recovery element of the South Bronx redevelopment
project. We are also giving technical assistance to Bronx
Frontier Development Corp., and Peoples' Development Corp.
in source separation and composting. EPA staff located a
source of bulking agent (leaves) for the Bronx Frontier
composting project. Regional staff are currently meeting
with the City of New York on revival of city-sponsored
source separation programs. The Port Authority of New York
and New Jersey was assisted in exploring funding alternatives
for codisposal of sewage sludge and refuse in energy recovery.
In Westchester County, EPA personnel offered advice to the
county legislature in establishing a balanced solid waste
plan, including refuse-to-energy and source separation.
Regional personnel helped initiate a request for an EPA
source separation seminar in the county.
Technical assistance relating to resource
recovery was provided to New Jersey, Puerto Rico, and the
Virgin Islands. The Region influenced the Environmental
Quality Board of Puerto Rico to establish a Source Separation
Task Force complementary to the Solid Waste Authority. A
major goal of the Task Force is curbside source separation
with collection by scavengers. At present the scavengers
pick glass and aluminum from packer trucks as they eject
their loads at disposal sites—a dangerous and inefficient
practice. The Region has alerted Fomento, Puerto Rico's
Economic Development Administration, to the job-creating
possibilities of recycling, especially where it includes
small-scale labor-intensive intermediate processing of glass
and metals. The Virgin Islands was aided in attracting
bidders for a resource recovery feasibility study; energy
recovered may be used for desalinization.
Public Participation and Education. The Regional
staff participated in 35 meetings and hearings during the
year to discuss the RCRA program and obtain views of the
public. The staff also participated in three television
presentations.
REGION III
(Delaware, Maryland, Pennsylvania, Virginia, West Virginia)
Planning and Development. Region III staff were
in constant contact with our State counterparts to aid in
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program development. The staff responded, for example, to a
request from Virginia to review and provide technical and
legal comments on their proposed legislation establishing
authority to implement RCRA. The identification of regional
boundaries and responsible agencies required many discussions
with State officials. In most cases, we obtained the
identification or nomination of the lead agency to implement
RCRA from the Governors. On several occasions we were
thwarted by legislative and other types of restraint within
the States. We are still awaiting the lead agency designation
from one State.
We met with the State solid waste directors to
discuss the proposed automated data-processing system for
regional solid waste management. Consideration was given
to how such a system could be adapted to existing computer
systems and what changes would be necessary.
We reviewed and provided technical advice on
10 grants to Appalachian communities in Region III by the
Department of Health, Education, and Welfare.
Land Disposal. Our States are kept abreast of the
Agency's progress in preparing for the dump inventory and
the surface impoundment assessment program through quarterly
meetings.
The Regional solid waste program and the Office of
Solid Waste have been deeply involved in preparing and
reviewing an environmental impact assessment for three solid
waste disposal facilities. These facilities are located in
Bradford, Sullivan, and Tioga Counties in Pennsylvania.
The now famous Army Creek Landfill located in New
Castle County, Delaware, is still a gnawing issue in this
Region; many technical discussions are still being held
regarding the leachate's impact on ground water that
supplies nearby residents. Staff members have also been
involved in identifying and offering suggestions to correct
potential solid waste disposal problems at the proposed U.S.
Steel's Conneaut plant. We provided assistance to a
Department of Defense facility by helping them locate; a new
solid waste disposal site on their base. Loudoun County,
Virginia, was provided technical assistance on the operation
of a demolition waste landfill that was creating a potential
leachate problem.
Hazardous Waste Management. The Regional staff
reviewed and commented on existing and proposed hazardous
waste legislation for Pennsylvania, Virginia, and Maryland.
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Kepone is still an important issue in this Region.
We reviewed the results of the test burn of Kepone that
was performed in Toledo, Ohio. We were also involved in
Virginia's feasibility study of the use of the oceangoing
vessel, Mathias III, for kepone destruction. We also worked
with the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Resources
in resolving a disposal problem involving the Koppers
Company and a vanadium oxide spill; we suggested that the
vanadium oxide be recycled, reprocessed, or returned to the
manufacturer. A somewhat similar incident occurred when a
derailment caused the spillage of epichlorohydrin in Point
Pleasant, West Virginia. The contaminated soil was finally
shipped, by rail, to Dow's Texas Plant for reprocessing.
The various program offices within the Regional
Office, namely Surveillance & Analysis and Enforcement,
cooperated with us when we were called to investigate the
contamination of a tributary of the Susquehanna River.
Effluent from an oil reprocessor was seeping through the
overburden of an abandoned strip mine into the tributary.
We have also become very involved with the Regional Office
of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration in
areas that relate specifically to hazardous waste management.
During the past year, with the assistance of the
Regional Administrator and the Office of Solid Waste, we
have made every effort possible to encourage the State of
Pennsylvania to accept all the responsibilities of RCRA,
especially Subtitle C. Our efforts included meetings with
the Governor, the Secretary of the department designated by
the Governor as the lead agency to implement RCRA, and
several State Legislators. We still have no positive
assurances that the State will accept the regulatory sections
of RCRA. In the event it does not accept Subtitle C, we
have advised headquarters of our estimates of monies and
staff the Regional Office would require to operate the
program in the State.
Resource Recovery and Conservation. The Federal
office paper recycling program was initiated in the
Philadelphia area by headquarters with assistance from the
Regional Office. Strong employee participation has developed.
Representatives of the federally funded Teledyne
Resource Recovery Plant, located in Baltimore County, discussed
with Regional personnel their plans to install additional
shredders to develop a more efficient size and rate of
production of refuse-derived fuel (RDF) for use in cement
kilns. As part of the review of the proposed U.S. Steel
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Conneaut Plant in northwestern Pennsylvania, we discussed
the potential use of RDF in the operation of the plant.
We are also currently involved in working with James
City County, Virginia, through the Technical Assistance
Panels Program, on an energy recovery program.
Regional staff discussed with the JACA Corporation's
environmental consultants issues related to the recycling of
demolition and construction waste in northeast Pennsylvania.
Public Participation and Education. Some of the
most productive presentations on RCRA were made to private
industry. Numerous industries located in this Region were
interested in how the Act would affect them. The majority
of the presentations were made to groups of two or more
industries. Three presentations were made to constituent
groups of two Congressmen.
Other presentations were made at an American
Public Works Association training course, to a northwestern
Pennsylvania planning and development commission, and at a
Solid Waste Management Seminar in Morgantown, West Virginia.
A combined presentation on RCRA and pretreatment of industrial
waste was given at a public officials meeting in Philadelphia.
The West Virginia Chapter of the American Public Works
Association held a seminar in Charleston, West Virginia, on
solid waste management; regional personnel made a presentation
on the activities the Agency expects West Virginia to carry
out with their grant funds.
In another form of interaction, Regional personnel
serve on the Pennsylvania Governor's Solid Waste Advisory
Committee. RCRA issues are discussed at the committee's
monthly meetings.
REGION IV
(Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi, North
Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee)
Planning and Development. The identification of
regions and responsible agencies in accordance with Section
4006 was a major objective. The State solid waste management
agency in each State was designated to develop the State
plan. Regional or multijurisdictional planning agencies
were designated to do regional or local solid waste management
planning in Alabama, Mississippi, North Carolina, Georgia, and
South Carolina. In Florida, local or county governments
are responsible for local planning. In Tennessee and Kentucky
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the State solid waste agencies were given responsibility
for regional planning with the option to contract with
regional authorities.
As for implementation, county and/or municipal
governments were designated the responsible agencies in
Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, North Carolina, and
Tennessee. In Mississippi and South Carolina, the county
and municipal governments were designated as responsible
for only solid waste disposal at this time. In Georgia,
South Carolina, and Tennessee, the State solid waste
agencies were designated to perform hazardous waste management
planning.
A 5-year State plan was developed by all eight
States during the early 1970's with Federal financial
assistance. Each State has since produced a strategy document
that updated each State's solid waste program objectives.
All of the fiscal 1979 draft work programs for Pegion IV
contain an element for the development of a State plan in
conformance with the guidelines for the Development and
Implementation of State Solid Waste Management Plans.
State solid waste agencies in North Carolina and
Georgia have contracted with regional planning agencies to
develop regional plans that will be included as part of the
State plan. Kentucky's plan will be developed by an outside
consultant over a 3-year period.
The Technical Assistance Panels Program was established
in Region IV. We received 31 major technical assistance
requests. Thus far consultant support has been provided for
seven of the requests, peer-matching for two and EPA staff
assistance for nine.
Land Disposal. The broader definition of solid
waste in RCRA caused all States in Region IV to evaluate
their regulations and legislation to determine if revisions
were necessary for the new areas of responsibility.
Florida, Mississippi, Kentucky, North Carolina, South Carolina,
and Tennessee passed new legislation or developed new
regulations during fiscal 1978. The emphasis in the past
has been on municipal solid waste processing and disposal,
but the State programs are now accepting increased
responsibility for other wastes, such as industrial waste
and pollution control residuals.
All eight States have committed manpower and
resources for the open dump inventory. Preliminary work for
the inventory was initiated in all States.
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Hazardous Waste Management. The Solid Waste
Management Section of the Regional Staff was reorganized
early in 1978 by function instead of by State. As a result,
a Hazardous Waste Management Coordinator was selected to
assist the Section Chief in tracking developments with EPA
headquarters and the States relating to hazardous waste
management. Two additional full-time engineers were added
to the staff.
Because there are eight States in Region IV.
it is difficult to track the development of State programs
and give the necessary technical assistance to each State.
Manpower and travel fund shortages have hampered State-
Federal interaction. However, the States in Region IV
have made good progress in moving towards hazardous waste
programs as described below:
All States have completed or are about to complete
hazardous waste (or special waste) surveys. The hazardous
waste surveys have resulted in industry contacting the
States to seek advice on disposal of hazardous wastes.
Also the surveys have shown the States that comprehensive
hazardous waste legislation is needed.
Five States--Alabama, Kentucky, North Carolina, South
Carolina, and Tennessee—recently enacted specific hazardous
waste legislation. In two States—Florida and Mississippi—
hazardous waste legislation was introduced but did not pass.
Georgia chose to wait until the next legislative session to
introduce comprehensive hazardous waste legislation.
Tennessee drafted new hazardous waste regulations.
Kentucky is developing new regulations. South Carolina and
North Carolina have not yet started writing new regulations.
The other States use very general sanitary landfill
regulations to control hazardous waste disposal on a case-
by-case basis.
There has been an upsurge in interest in hazardous
waste disposal sites in the Region. Hazardous waste disposal
sites have been permitted (by the State) in Alabama
and South Carolina. These sites are all presently burial
sites but incineration and treatment may be added in the
future when the Federal regulations become effective.
The States are using EPA grant money to hire
staff for hazardous waste management. Significant increases
in most States have already been achieved and additional
personnel are anticipated. Some States have problems in
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hiring technical personnel in hazardous waste management
because of low State salaries. The idea of using EPA
assignees as in the air program is very appealing to
most of our States.
The Solid Waste Section was assigned the
responsibility for making the technical reviews of all
PCB disposal site applications. The Regional Administrator
approved Waste Management of Alabama, Inc., as a chemical
waste landfill per 40 CFR 761 under the authority of the
Toxic Substances Control Act. Sangamo Electric has applied
for approval to dispose of its own PCB waste on Sangamo
property. The initial application was deficient and is
being corrected by Sangamo.
In order to improve the capabilities of the Regional
Response Team (RRT), the Regional Office recommended that
each State assign a State solid waste representative to the
RRT. This action is necessary to improve coordination of
spill cleanup and disposal efforts. In some States, the
solid waste group was not contacted until the cleanup group
was ready to dispose of spill residues. This delay slowed
up the entire process, since the State solid waste group
needs to know exactly what is to be disposed of. In many
cases, the cleanup branch is not able to afford shipment of
hazardous materials spill residues to acceptable out-of-
State hazardous waste facilities. As more hazardous waste
facilities are established in the Region, this problem
should ease.
The implementation of the Hazardous Materials
Spill Regulations under Section 311 of the Clean Water Act
will greatly increase the demand for disposal of hazardous
residues, as will implementation of the Agency's pretreatment
program.
Resource Recovery and Conservation. Metropolitan
Dade County has a Solid Waste Master Plan designed to centralize
disposal activities and discontinue current environmentally
unacceptable disposal methods. Over 30 percent of Dade's
solid waste is disposed of in various private and public
landfills. The problems with landfills and potential
effects on the aquifer have led to a move away from heavy
dependence on landfilling. Under the master plan, the
major facility is a 3,000-ton-per-day resource recovery
unit which will separate the solid waste stream, utilize
the combustible portion as fuel for a 77-megawatt electric
generating plant, and recover metals and glass. It is
expected to be operational by 1980. The plan also includes
a landfill and three transfer stations; one of the transfer
stations is already in operation.
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The demonstration plant in Pompano Beach, Florida,
designed to test the feasibility of turning urban refuse
and sewage sludge into methane-rich gas, completed equipment
shakedown on June 26, 1978, and has embarked on a 25-month
experimentation phase of operation. The project is funded
by the U.S. Department of Energy.
Public Participation and Information. Regional
Office personnel are working with the States to familiarize
them with requirements for public participation under RCRA.
The Regional Office required as a condition to
the fiscal year 1978 grants that the State submit a plan for
public participation in the development of the fiscal
year 1979 work plan.
In Mississippi, the solid waste director set
up an ad hoc committee to assist in developing new solid
waste regulations, inviting representatives from local
government, industry, other State agencies, and public
interest groups. Florida announced several public meetings
to be held around the State to receive public commemt on
its draft 1979 work program. Other States in the Region
are planning actions similar to Florida's.
The Regional Office in coordination with the
State solid waste programs began publishing a Regional
Solid Waste Newsletter which is distributed on a Quarterly
basis to planning agencies, engineering consultant firms,
public interest groups, and private individuals who have
expressed an interest in solid waste management. Several
States held public information meetings on the Section 4004
land disposal criteria and Section 3006 guidelines for
State hazardous waste programs.
State chapters of the League of Women Voters in
South Carolina and Georgia received EPA grants to promote
citizen involvement in solid waste management. In
South Carolina, the League of Women Voters developed a
brochure on hazardous waste management and held three
public meetings around the State on hazardous waste
management issues. The Georgia League of Women Voters
developed a pamphlet entitled Georgia Roadmap to RCRA
which describes the paths to public participation in solid
waste management.
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REGION V
(Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, Michigan, Minnesota, Wisconsin)
Planning and Development. The identification
processes under Section 4004 constituted the main planning
activity for fiscal year 1978; the highlights are as follows:
In Illinois, the State is identified as an interim region
and the agency responsible for municipal waste management
planning. Substate regions and divisions of responsibilities
will be identified after EPA guidelines on the State plans
are finalized. Meanwhile the State is completing a statewide
assessment of disposal facility needs by reviewing State
permits containing site-life capacity data. In Indiana, the
University of Indiana is conducting the identification
process under contract. Michigan incorporated extensive
public participation into the identification process.
Minnesota identified as regions the Twin Cities and the
Duluth area, with the rest of the State as an interim region.
Further designations will await attention by the Legislature
after appropriate studies are complete. In Ohio,
recommendations were sent to the Governor in May l.°78 on
designations for 40 percent of the State for planning
purposes, designations for a somewhat lower percentage for
implementation purposes, and a schedule for completing
identifications. Wisconsin's recommendations and findings
were sent to the Governor and is notable for the level of
detail of the analysis of current institutional arrangements
in the State. The preliminary identifications contained in
the Executive Order are in the general order of funding
priority. As a prerequisite to substate receipt of
grant funds, the State intends to encourage specific written
agreements between local planning and implementation agencies,
thereby encouraging planning efforts which are
implementable and nonduplicative.
Land Disposal. There was major emphasis in the
Region on publicizing, reviewing, and commenting on the
proposed land disposal criteria. To promote public awareness
of the proposed regulations at the State and local levels,
Regional staff was made available to State agencies
to participate in public meetings. Four States (Indiana,
Michigan, Minnesota, and Wisconsin) scheduled such meetings,
where Regional staff presented the "EPA Criteria for Land
Disposal" slide show. Following the presentation, questions
were answered by EPA and the State staff. Audiences
varied in size from 30 to over 200 participants representing
virtually all interested parties in solid waste management.
Major issues discussed included the concern over Indiana's
classification of all sludges from wastewater treatment
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plants as hazardous waste, Michigan's current exemption
of small communities from open burning and ground water
monitoring requirements (the criteria would require removal
of these exemptions), long-term care responsibilities for
land disposal sites (how to insure that sites will be
maintained in an environmentally acceptable condition after
they are closed), and the requirements for monitoring
explosive gases.
In addition to summarizing these issues for head-
quarters, consolidated Regional Office comments were
submitted. The comments included those from the Water and
Enforcement Divisions, which were received in response
to our request.
Hazardous Waste Management. In the area of
hazardous waste management, Region V staff has been highly
active in development of the Subtitle C regulations and has
greatly expanded technical assistance. The staff provided
review comments and testimony regarding Minnesota's proposed
hazardous waste management regulations and reviewed Indiana's
existing legislation for conformance with-RCRA. Presentations
regarding the meaning and implementation of Subtitle C were
given to a legislative committee in Michigan, the Cincinnati
Chamber of Commerce, the University of Wisconsin Hazardous
Waste Seminar, and others.
The staff met with the Water Quality Board of the
International Joint Commission in Ontario, Canada, to
discuss mutual problems concerning hazardous wastes and
their transportation across international borders.
Region V became involved in the activities of the
Governor's Task Force on Hazardous and Toxic Wastes in
Michigan at their request. The Task Force was assisted in
developing siting criteria for a hazardous waste disposal
facility.
Staff presented testimony to the Circuit Court for
the County of Oscoda, Michigan, regarding a landfill
which is to be used for the disposal of cattle contaminated
by polybrominated biphenyl. The landfill was constructed
and designed by the Michigan Department of Natural Resources.
Resource Recovery and Conservation. The cornerstone
of Region V's program in resource recovery and conservation
is now the Technical Assistance Panels Program. The ability
of EPA to respond to requests for assistance has been greatly
enhanced by this program.
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In setting up the Panels program, an operating
hand-book was prepared for use by the staff. Meetings
were held with State agencies in late winter and again in
July to enlist State involvement in reviewing candidates for
Panel assistance. The first instance of Panel assistance
in the Region involved evaluation of the proposed operating
program for the Western Lake Superior Sanitary District
codisposal facility under construction in Duluth. Estimates
of the project-related collection costs to be incurred by
the 30 private haulers in the area were also a subject of
evaluation.
Extended Panel activities began in May in response
to a request from Red Wing, Minnesota. The city is
considering modular incineration for disposal of municipal
refuse and requested assistance in resolving such crucial
issues as form of procurement, supply of waste, and financing
alternatives. The Panel prepared an implementation
outline and information material and suggested items to
be included in the scope of work to be undertaken by the
City's own consultants.
A number of requests were fulfilled through short-term
assignments, including peer matches. Staff worked with the
Monroe County Solid Waste District (Indiana); the City of
Fairmont (Minnesota); the City of Detroit; the Ohio EPA's
project in Cuyahoga County; and Kent County, Michigan. Peer
matches were arranged at the request of State governments of
Michigan and Minnesota, as well as Oakland County, Michigan;
Battle Creek, Michigan; and Itasca County, Minnesota.
The staff expanded its activities also in the area
of low-technology resource recovery. The number of Federal
buildings implementing office paper recycling was increased
to seven and staff provided technical assistance to General
Services Administration. We were quite active in preparing
and making presentations about curbside source separation
projects and recycling centers. Finally, a dialogue was
established with paper industry representatives to determine
how to obtain the scrap products desired by the industry.
Public Participation and Education. Of all the
activities in Region V related to RCRA, the most visible has
been the disposal of hazardous wastes at specific sites.
The inability of the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency to
obtain a site that would demonstrate the safe disposal of
hazardous waste was well documented in the local media.
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The disposal of PBB-contaminated cows has become a
gubernatorial campaign issue in Michigan. Disposing of
PCB material at Wilsonville, Illinois, led to roadblocks
set up by the local citizenry. In all instances, little
public education was done by EPA or the State agency.
Public notices will be published shortly on EPA
evaluation and possible approval of chemical waste disposal
facilities to handle PCB material. Response to the public
notices will dictate the amount and type of public education
required, which could become massive.
Educational briefings to State legislators and
their staff have led to the passage of hazardous waste
legislation in Wisconsin and the introduction of similar
bills in the Michigan legislature. Additional briefings
are planned for the Ohio legislature and may be necessary
for any State needing new statutes that compare to RCRA.
Lectures were given at numerous solid waste
seminars held throughout the Region.
REGION VI
(Arkansas, Louisiana, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Texas)
Planning and Development. The Region VI Solid Waste
Branch has been actively assisting States and municipalities
in planning for full development of all phases of RCRA.
The staff has made numerous visits to the State agencies
to advise them of grant coordination and other program
activities. We have also met with gathered representatives
from appropriate State and local entities in "give-and-take"
sessions. Regionwide meetings have taken place in Dallas,
Austin, and Santa Fe, and a most productive statewide
conference was held in Baton Rouge. Region VI is unique
in having large petrochemical industries, high population
growth concentrations, extensive wetlands, and large energy-
producing States. Region VI also encompasses large rural
areas, especially in New Mexico and West Texas. The various
programs have necessarily been flexible due to the diversity
of the terrain, population, and economics of the five
States. Planning regions have been identified formally or
informally in each State.
The Regional Office sponsored meetings in Arkansas,
New Mexico, and Louisiana in conjunction with State and
local officials to inform the public and substate officials
about RCRA with emphasis on the technical assistance program.
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Requests for technical assistance were subsequently
received by the Region, and consultant services and peer
matches were utilized. On July 13, the Regional office
held its first Technical Assistance Panel Meeting in Santa
Fe. It was attended by State personnel, Regional personnel,
headquarters representatives, and the consultants to discuss
Panel strategy and evaluation.
Although the Panel program got a late start, Region VI
utilized the technical assistance mechanism vigorously.
Recipients thus far include Arkadelphia and Pulaski Counties,
Arkansas; Police Jury Association of Louisiana; Taos County,
New Mexico; in Oklahoma, the cities of Duncan, Ft. Towson,
and Tulsa, Le Flore County, Arbuckle Trust, Southern
Oklahoma Waste Disposal Authority, and Oklahoma State
Department of Health; and in Texas, the cities of Denton,
Fort Worth, Richardson, Midland, and Mesquite and the Texas
Department of Health.
Resource Recovery and Land Disposal. The Region VI States
consider resource recovery the best approach to waste management.
Various forms of recovery and volume reduction are being
considered and should result in fewer and smaller landfills.
Waste heat recovery is the most widely accepted recovery
process. There is interest also in use of sludge in agricul-
ture. We have developed programs to coordinate closely with
the 208 residuals management staff and others associated with
sludge management.
Arkansas and Oklahoma have expressed particular interest
in establishing waste exchanges. Such a program is presently
operating successfully in Houston. Meetings were held this
spring in Oklahoma City and Little Rock involving head-
quarters experts on waste exchange, Regional personnel, State
officials and the private sector to expedite implementation
of waste exchanges.
Hazardous Waste Management. Only when final regulations
are promulgated under Subtitle C will the States be prepared
to identify and quantify hazardous wastes and fulfill the
"cradle-to-grave" concept of hazardous waste regulation.
Texas is a very active participant in work groups to
develop the hazardous waste regulations. We expect only
Texas to qualify early for authorization, but Oklahoma
should be able to qualify in late 1980. Our three other
States remain unknowns in the area of full authorization.
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Notable recent achievements in Region VI include
important legislative endeavors. Oklahoma has further refined
the Controlled Industrial Act of 1977, New Mexico has passed
legislation enabling development of State regulations, and
Louisiana has passed a Waste Management Act, while Arkansas
is investigating the capabilities of the Department of
Pollution Control and Ecology to regulate hazardous waste
more efficiently.
Region VI contains the only three commercial incinerators
in operation in the nation for potential PCB disposal. These
are the Rollins facilities at Deer Park, Texas, and Baton Rouge,
Louisiana; and ENSCO at El Dorado, Arkansas. Applications for
approval of these.have been received.
P ub1 i c Edue a t ion. Early this year the Regional staff
filled speaking engagements in every State regarding RCRA
implementation. A public information position is being added
to the Solid Waste Branch of the Regional Office. With the
aid of the EPA Office of Public Awareness and with OMB
approval, the first Region VI SolidWaste News Summary was
released on August 7, 1978. By issuing the News Summary
periodically, we hope to keep all interested persons in the
Region informed about the latest developments regarding RCRA.
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REGION VII
(Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska)
Planning and Development. All the States in the Region
undertook activities to identify regions and responsible
agencies pursuant to Section 4006. In each State, numerous
meetings with public and private organizations have been
necessary to establish the basic identifications. The
identification of planning and implementing agencies is
nearly complete and will cover disposal of municipal waste
and the management of hazardous waste. Additional identi-
fications will be made as planning takes place and some
incentive for participation of local governments is made
available. In three States, expansion of the identifications
to include other waste streams will require legislation
permitting such assignment of responsibility.
The four States received solid waste management program
support grants in fiscal year 1978 which approximated the
1977 amounts, and they have begun developing State plans
which meet the requirements of RCRA. Only in Missouri was
adequate funding provided to allow any local/regional
participation in the planning process (contract funds which
averaged $3,000 per region). Thus, the ability of the
States and local/regional agencies to successfully carry out
the planning and implementation mandates of RCRA in Region
VII is seriously in doubt without additional assistance.
The shifting of funds into the hazardous waste programs in
fiscal 1979 will result in a net decrease in the Region VII
State funds available for planning.
The Technical Assistance Panels program got underway
when the contract for consultants was awarded in August.
Assistance is being offered to several communities.
Land Disposal. The Regional Office made presentations
explaining the proposed land disposal criteria, as well as
participating in the work group for developing the criteria
and assisting at hearings and public meetings.
Missouri updated and published their list of permitted
land disposal sites, and Kansas initiated such a listing
with a survey. With the lists prepared by Iowa and Nebraska,
the preparation of Region VII States for initiation of the
land disposal inventory is nearly complete. Minor regulatory
changes are anticipated in each State, but procedural requirements
are the State's purview. Each State has unique priorities
for sites in the second year of the inventory.
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The four States completed legislative reviews to
determine the coverage of State laws over the land disposal
practices included by the RCRA definitions. Iowa, Kansas,
and Missouri have complete control over municipal solid
waste facilities. Nebraska's statutes allow second-class
cities and villages to operate municipal solid waste facili-
ties with limited controls. Iowa promulgated sewage sludge
disposal regulations which require permits for high-rate
application sites and provide standards for all sites.
Kansas and Missouri have legislative authority over such
sites but no regulations, and Nebraska has limited authority
over such sites. Iowa statutes allow unpermitted industrial
waste disposal sites on the property of the facility.
Definitive regulatory control of agriculture and mining wastes
and industrial impoundments are lacking in the four States.
In addition, State controls of individual household and
agricultural wastes are not attainable in Region VII.
Missouri completed a survey of sewage sludge quantities
and locations and is preparing to examine sludge composition
in fiscal 1979 and determine the responsible agency in State
government. Iowa has surveyed sewage sludge disposal sites
and promulgated regulations as noted. Nebraska revised
their regulations for municipal waste disposal by adding
numerous provisions on site location and operation. Kansas
also strengthened their land disposal controls as part of
the hazardous waste regulation development process. The
State solid waste agencies are coordinating with the Assess-
ment of Surface Impoundments, and staff will attend a
training course in Kansas City early in fiscal 1979.
Hazardous Waste Management. In 1978 the Regional
Office prepared a strategy to guide hazardous waste program
development and implemented the PCB disposal program as well
as actively participating in development of Subtitle C regulations
Kansas promulgated regulations implementing hazardous
waste management legislation passed in 1977. With the
permit program in place, an additional 30 industries surveyed,
and a year of experience monitoring the Kansas Industrial
Environmental Services (KIES) disposal site near Wichita,
the Kansas Department of Health and Environment determined
they had the knowledge necessary to fully implement their
program without waiting for the Federal program. Minor
changes in the regulations are anticipated, but the basic
program including manifests and surveillance activities are
in effect. The Department expects to apply for full authori-
zation under RCRA and authority for the notification program.
The staff for the new program has expanded to four persons
with additions anticipated as Federal funds allow. A unique
program of aerial surveillance is being used to monitor the
KEIS facility.
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The Missouri Department of Natural Resources initiated
regulation development by activating the ad hoc Hazardous Waste
Legislative Committee. The appointment of the Waste
Management Commission in April 1978 enabled the Department
to proceed with implementation of the Missouri Hazardous
Waste Management Act passed in 1977. Completion of the
hazardous waste survey report and its approval by the
Commission is anticipated in fiscal 1979. With the addition
of a permitted industrial waste facility near St. Louis, the
State is now served by four disposal sites and anticipates
development of an incinerator. The Department will apply
for interim authorization and the authority for the notification
program. Staff development is progressing with employment
of six full-time persons. Experience with the surveillance
of existing facilities has provided invaluable background.
The Iowa Department of Environmental Quality and Iowa
Legislative Research Bureau participated in development of
hazardous waste legislation which was introduced in the 1978
session. The bill passed the Iowa House of Representatives
by a substantial margin, but failed passage in the Senate.
The Department anticipates introducing the legislation again
in 1979 as their highest priority bill. Without legislation,
the IDEQ is reluctant to initiate a State hazardous waste
program and has declined to conduct the notification program.
However, the Department does require that special wastes,
including hazardous, industrial, or toxic wastes, must be
accompanied by Department instructions to be accepted at a
permitted facility (off-site). In addition, the Department
has an extensive spill control program which assists in
control of some hazardous wastes.
Efforts of the Nebraska Department of Environmental
Control to obtain hazardous waste legislation were unsuccess-
ful in 1978, but another effort will be mounted in 1979.
The interest of the Department is evidenced by their development
of a program and preparation of the legal justification to
obtain interim authorization and conduct the notification
program. Using existing authorities, Nebraska has adopted
special waste rules and has permitted several disposal sites
to handle selected industrial wastes. The application by a
private firm for a permit to develop an industrial waste
disposal site may aid the Department in obtaining legislation.
Resource Recovery and Conservation. In Missouri, the
Bi-State Development Agency (St. Louis) hired consultants
and obtained local financial support toward implementation
of the 4,000-ton-per-day Union Electric Resource Recovery
Project. Also in the St. Louis area, the Gateway Recyclers,
a consortium of groups, was formed to promote greater materials
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recovery. Elsewhere in the State, Columbia and Springfield
have shown renewed interest in energy recovery concepts, and
the Mid-America Regional Council (Kansas City) completed a
study and recommended the establishment of a multiple
facility concept which could maximize private participation.
The first energy recovery installation by Allis Chalmers is
now operational and uses plant waste to produce steam. Fort
Leonard Wood has requested an appropriation to construct a
steam recovery system using the base wastes as fuel. Under
contract to the Missouri Department of Natural Resources,
the Missouri Municipal League surveyed the resource recovery
practices of local governments and will publish the results
of the survey. In addition, the Department updated its
market survey and is actively working with the Energy Program
to develop an energy conservation and recovery strategy.
Expansion of the St. Louis Industrial Waste Exchange to
encompass Kansas City, through the Kansas City Chamber of
Commerce, is a major accomplishment of 1978.
Iowa enacted a "bottle bill" which will be effective in
1979 and calls for minimum deposits on containers for mineral
water, carbonated beverages, and liquor. The Iowa law
affects a greater variety of beverage containers than any
other State's law. In 1978 the Iowa Department of Environmental
Quality consolidated the rules, "Sanitary Disposal Projects
with Processing Facilities," "Composting Facilities," and
"Recycling Operations." At the local level, Des Moines, Waterloo,
Dubuque, and Fort Madison have, to different degrees, indicated
a renewed interest in resource recovery; and John Deere; and
Company installed an energy recovery system at their Daivenport
facility utilizing plant wastes. In addition, the Ames
Resource Recovery Facility completed their second year of
operation and received an EPA grant to improve the facility.
In Kansas, the Department of Health and Environment
maintains a list of known markets for recovered materials
and has promulgated regulations requiring disposal facility
operators to maintain records of materials handled. This
should provide a helpful data base for resource recovery
planning. In addition, the Department is actively assisting
Kansas University and the City of Lawrence in evaluating the
feasibility of a refuse incineration system to provide steam
to meet the needs of the campus. Kansas State University is
also investigating refuse-as-fuel alternatives, as is the
City of Wichita. To stimulate interest in resource recovery,
the Department is soliciting proposals from local governments
for innovative solid waste planning programs and may try to
fund worthwhile projects. They currently support Mid-
America Regional Council implementation of their resource
recovery plan.
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In Nebraska, the Solid Waste Division published "A
Market Directory to Recycling" which lists buyers of recycled
materials and recycling centers. In addition, the Division
offers technical assistance to public and private agencies
interested in resource recovery. The Department is promulgating
requirements for composting operations. Half a dozen sites
utilizing sewage sludge for composting may be operable by
the end of 1979.
The resource recovery planning grants for urban areas
have elicited great interest; the Regional Office anticipates
working with several communities to develop grant applications.
Public Participation and Education. The Iowa State
agency held 16 widely publicized meetings concerning the
identification of regions and agencies and developed an
extensive mailing list. During the development of the
sludge disposal rules, the Air and Land Quality Division met
with all 158 members of the advisory committees for Water
Quality Planning, 208 Grants, and solicited their input on
the rules. The Solid Waste Disposal Commission furthermore
provides the Department with a built-in public participation
program which includes meetings throughout the State.
Kansas published a directory of sanitary landfills,
transfer stations, and collectors in Kansas which includes
a survey of solid waste disposed of in the State in 1977.
This complements the resource recovery markets publication,
the State solid waste management plan, and State hazardous
waste practices survey published in previous years. In
addition, meetings were held throughout the State on the
designations of regions and agencies, and two public hearings
were held on the revised Solid Waste Management Regulations
and Standards. Eighteen repositories of State solid waste
management documents have been established around the State,
and a mailing list of 1,600 persons interested in solid
waste management has been established for future information
distributions.
Missouri held 18 meetings with extensive public notifi-
cation for the purpose of identification of regions and
agencies, and their regional contractors held an additional
five meetings for the same purpose. The Department of
Natural Resources published Sanitary Landfills and Geological
Considerations in Missouri , a"revised list of permitted
facilities for solid waste disposal and processing, and a
revised list of resource recovery markets. In addition, a
list was compiled of over 1,000 persons interested in solid
waste management issues and distributions. The issuance of
sanitary landfill permits will, in the future, require a
public meeting to provide for input by the public to the
site design considerations—a major change in Department
policy. The Solid Waste Program will also hold a public
meeting on the State work program in conjunction with the
Annual Solid Waste Management Conference sponsored by the
Department.
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In Nebraska, 16 highly publicized public meetings were
held on the identification of regions and agencies, and
further meetings were held to finalize the identifications.
As a result, the Department of Environmental Control compiled
a mailing list of over 700 interested persons. A public
hearing on changes to DEC rules and regulations and a public
meeting on the composting rules were both well publicized
and attended.
REGION VIII
(Colorado, Montana, Utah, Wyoming, North Dakota, South Dakota)
The casual observer might predict that Region VIII has
no significant solid waste management problems due to sparse
population and vast Federal ownership. In recent years,
however, the Region has experienced a boom in mining activities
(oil, shale, coal, and uranium). Also, there has been
increased development in the lumbering and forest product
industry. Recreation, including skiing and other outdoor
sports, has created huge seasonal population increases.
These activities have increased waste generation and have
added to waste disposal problems.
State legislators in Region VIII are cognizant of the
increasing problems of waste disposal as evidenced by new
responsibilities assigned to solid waste programs and the
provision of additional funds and personnel.
Planning and Development. Solid waste grants to the
States in fiscal 1978 totaled $575,530, an increase of 44
percent over 1977. With these increased funds, the States
are developing programs capable of compliance with RCRA.
The Regional staff is assisting Utah with the development
of new legislation. The other States need changes in their
legislation and are expecting to work on them within the
next year.
All the Region VIII States identified solid waste
planning and implementation agencies for municipal solid
waste and sewage sludge. With the exception of Wyoming, all
States have designated existing substate regional planning
bodies for solid waste planning, while counties and munici-
palities were identified as having the implementation respon-
sibility. In Wyoming the sparse population makes multicounty
planning less feasible. In the absence of substate regions,
7-2.6
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the Wyoming Solid Waste Program has been temporarily designated
as the agency for planning and implementation. Further
designations at the State, regional, or local level are
being assessed by the State solid waste programs.
Each State had public participation input in the identi-
fication process. Two States utilized advisory committees
for designation proposals. All used the OMB A-95 process to
cover existing planning bodies and developed correspondence
to local and regional levels to provide additional input
opportunity. Colorado and Montana held public meetings
throughout the State. Public notification in daily newspapers
was also utilized in Montana. In summary, the identification
process in Region VIII has progressed satisfactorily.
The Technical Assistance Panels program is in full
swing. In the period January through June 1978, over 60
requests were received. Communities are becoming much more
aware of their solid waste problems. Almost 50 percent of
all requests deal with land disposal, 40 percent relate to
resource recovery, and 10 percent to hazardous waste problems.
Hazardous waste requests are expected to increase after
Subtitle C regulations are finalized. Peer matching was
used approximately 15 times by the Region in 1978. The peer
match program is very positive and popular with local and
State agencies.
Consultant services were limited in 1978 to major
program activities and hazardous waste areas, such as the
methane gas problem in Denver, where a determination of the
hazard was made and recommendations were submitted. This
effort was successful in defining a problem, and the
Intergovernmental Methane Task Force, consisting of state,
Federal, and local officials, began programs to reduce the
hazards involved in gas migration. The Eagle County, Colorado,
project to convert sawmill residue and municipal waste to
steam was also assisted by a contractor. Technical assist-
ance monies were used to sponsor a synthetic liner training
conference in Afton, Wyoming. The conference was oriented
towards community planners and local government officials.
It was videotaped by Region VIII and will be consolidated
into training programs on the uses of synthetic liners.
Land Disposal. During 1978 the Regional staff continued
to work closely with the private and public sectors in the
management of landfill operations. We maintain close contact
with the Federal land management agencies. Bureau of Land
Management landfill plans and lease stipulations are reviewed
by this office. Field inspections are made when appropriate.
Similar involvements encompass military reservations, national
parks, Fish and Wildlife Service sites, and other areas.
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Particularly noteworthy during the past year has been
the contacts with Indian reservation personnel at Ft. Peck,
Ft. Belknap, Ft. Berthold, Blackfeet, Flandreau, Rocky Boy,
Pine Ridge, Rosebud, and Southern Ute.
The Solid Waste Section held four public meetings
(Denver, Salt Lake City, Billings, and Sioux Falls) to
review and receive comments on the Proposed Classification
Criteria for Solid Waste Disposal Facilities (Section 4004).
Approximately 4,000 invitations and Federal Register notices
were mailed to all levels of local government. Personnel
from all six States participated with Regional office personnel
in the meetings to present the Criteria and answer questions.
The public's comments were recorded, and sent to Washington
for consideration.
The Regional staff and State solid waste personnel
attended EPA meetings and workshops sponsored under the
Clean Water Act and the Safe Drinking Water Act. The work-
shops were designed to orient personnel in both conducting
ground water evaluations for the solid waste inventory and
making surface impoundment assessments. As a result we
expect to see considerable more liaison between the water
and solid waste programs at the State and Federal levels in
the future.
Hazardous Waste Management. Fiscal 1978 was a year of
slow but steady development of State hazardous waste programs
in Region VIII. Generally, the States expressed the opinion
that the draft Section 3001 Criteria encompass too broad an
area unless provisions are included to provide for more than
one level of control, i.e., Class I and Class II hazardous
waste sites. However, the States have been moving toward
developing hazardous waste programs, and we expect all of
them to apply for interim authorization. Regional Counsel
review of legislative authority of the six States indicates
that all should qualify with minor regulatory changes.
Montana has the most complete legislative authority for
hazardous waste management in the Region and recently promul-
gated regulations similar to California's. North Dakota
also has fairly comprehensive authority, but the other
States will need major changes to gain full authorization.
Wyoming, Utah, and possibly Colorado will submit bills for
1979 legislative sessions.
All the States added new positions to their staffs for
hazardous waste management, and several will be seeking more
positions and resources from their 1979 legislatures.
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Montana and Utah completed hazardous waste surveys.
The other States are planning to do preliminary surveys
prior to the introduction of hazardous waste legislation.
Utah is also using data being gained from a voluntary manifest
system instituted in Salt Lake City and County.
Colorado, Utah, and North Dakota have special advisory
committees studying RCRA and making recommendations to their
Departments of Health. Colorado, which has the biggest
hazardous waste problem in the Region, went one step further
and established an ad hoc committee for hazardous waste as
a subcommittee of the advisory group. A seminar on hazardous
waste legislation options sponsored by the Colorado League
of Women Voters generated considerable interest and is being
evaluated for other States in the Region.
Resource Recovery. Strides were made in resource
recovery both in urban and rural settings. This momentum is
due to the increased awareness at both the State and local
levels of effective alternatives to land disposal. Region
VIII was chosen for a 3-day Resource Recovery Technology and
Implementation Seminar which provided many communities with
new information. The Regional Office is in the third year
of its office paper recycling program. The program has
resulted in the collection and sale of 42 tons of high-grade
white paper from approximately 300 employees. The activity
of the local GSA office in the program has been immensely
helpful in getting other GSA facilities in Denver and Logan,
Utah, (IRS) to initiate programs. DOD installations in
Colorado Springs and Denver have taken initial steps to
begin paper recycling.
One of the major ongoing programs in resource recovery
is in Lamar, Colorado, where BioGas is attempting to convert
feedlot manure into methane gas to be used as supplementary
fuel at the municipally owned power generation station. In
addition, this facility is to produce animal feed for use as
a salable byproduct. In Denver, a major paper drive sponsored
in part by Mountain Bell of Colorado was initiated to reduce
the wastepaper tonnage represented by the annual landfilling
of telephone books. This program developed public awareness
of recycling and was implemented in other Mountain Bell
areas. Eagle, Colorado, is planning, through a joint private
industry-county effort, to convert waste from the local
sawmill and the surrounding community to steam for use by
the wood-processing plant and the school system. Brecken-
ridge, Colorado, is conducting a feasibility study with the
Forest Service to evaluate use of an incinerator with heat
recovery to serve steam heat users.
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In Montana the abandoned auto program has been working
well for several years. The program is funded by a titling/
registration fee. Malstrom Air Force Base in Great Falls
was one of the DOD's 10 demonstration sites for the return-
able beverage container implementation program. Great
Falls, in a joint endeavor with Malstrom Air Force Base, is
evaluating a resource recovery system that utilizes a shredder.
Helena instituted a citywide newspaper source separation
program with implementation assistance from the National
Wildlife Federation. In Montana newsprint is used in the
manufacturing of insulation. Missoula is pursuing a com-
posting operation which will reduce waste volume and extend
landfill life.
North Dakota's abandoned auto program continues to be a
success. Montana and North Dakota are both looking at tire
recycling activities with a firm in Regina, Canada, and a
joint project may be on the horizon. Fargo is in the secondary
planning stages and is now committed to resource recovery.
The availability of markets for recovered materials arid
energy is the major stumbling block.
Sioux Falls, South Dakota, is evaluating a 450-tons-
per-day waste processing plant contingent upon the marketing
of log briquettes for use in a Northern States Power coal-
fed stoker boiler system. The Wasatch Regional Planning
District in Utah has been investigating resource recovery
activities along the entire Wasatch front range. Teledyne,
Inc., the City of Ogden, and Weber County have undertaken a
project to develop a resource recovery facility utilizing
city-owned incinerators. The incinerators are operating on
an air pollution variance until the plan can be implemented.
In Wyoming the only major ongoing activity is at the
University of Wyoming in Laramie where they are pursuing a
system using county-wide municipal waste as a supplement to
coal to heat the University buildings.
Public Participation and Education. A major effort was
made by the Regional and State offices to involve and inform
the public on solid waste matters through sponsorship of
public meetings and issuance of information. The Regional
Office sponsored public meetings throughout the Region.
Some of the major public relations programs funded were a 3-
day landfill liner conference at Jackson Hole and a series
of solid waste training sessions conducted by the Colorado
Department of Health. These and other meetings were accom-
plished through funds from the State grants programs, tech-
nical assistance programs, and other special funds, such as
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demonstration grants. The Region VIII Rural Solid Waste
Management slide series was distributed to the States for
their use. This series has received wide use. It was shown
by the Regional staff at RCRA meetings at many county, city
and organizational meetings. The Indian Health Service in
South Dakota and Colorado used the set for various meetings
with Indian groups. An EPA public education grant was
awarded to the National Wildlife Federation to produce a 25-
minute movie documenting a successful solid waste collection
and disposal program in stillwater county, Montana. This
movie is expected to receive wide usage in Region VIII states,
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REGION IX
(Arizona, California, Hawaii, Nevada, Pacific Island Territories)
Planning and Development. Arizona has significant
legislative authority for the development of RCRA programs.
The principal thrust at present is to obtain a hazardous
waste disposal facility in the State and to develop the
necessary regulations for a hazardous waste enforcement
program that meets the requirements of RCRA. Due to institutional
and political problems the State Department of Health Services
has had difficulty in designating the responsible local
planning agencies, but this task is now nearing completion.
Strained relations with the Indian nations is a persistent
problem, and the State will likely seek Federal assistance
in implementing RCRA on Indian lands.
In California the Solid Waste Management Board has an
advanced program that includes approved and enforceable
plans for virtually all counties. The State Department of
Health is responsible for the hazardous waste program and is
a national leader in State hazardous waste control progreim
development. In 1978 regional boundaries and responsible
agencies were identified, although there is still some room
for interpretation. The Solid Waste Management Board designated
that local cities are responsible for local issues, counties
are responsible for county issues, and the "208" regions are
responsible for regional issues. The State Board will
determine whether a particular issue is local, county, or
regional in nature and hold the appropriate level responsible.
In June 1978 Californians passed the Jarvis-Gann
initiative (Proposition 13) which will cut property taxes by
about 60 percent. The predicted impact of this cut in
revenues on solid waste management services is as follows:
(1) overall collection and disposal of municipal solid waste
is not expected to be materially affected because, of the
$500 million cost statewide, only $50 million comes from.
property taxes; (2) both enforcement and planning are usually
property-tax supported, and it is expected that less enforcement
will be provided which may lead to future disposal problems,
and updating of county plans will probably be deferred; and
(3) most recycling centers are subsidized by tax revenue; and
are expected to suffer. However, revenues generated under
the Litter Control, Recycling and Resource Recovery Act of
1977 (see below) should soften this last problem.
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In Hawaii, the State Department of Health was designated
as responsible for land disposal and hazardous waste planning.
The planning boundaries are the counties. Each county has a
solid waste management plan, and these will be updated in
1979. Some uncertainty still exists regarding the split of
responsibilities between the counties and the State, especially
on hazardous waste management. A State/local RCRA Advisory
Committee has been charged with resolving differences.
The Nevada Department of Conservation and Natural
Resources is preparing an extensive legislative package
permitting development of their RCRA program for introduction
into the State's legislative session in January 1979. The
Department designated the counties as planning areas and the
county commissioners as the planning agents for municipal
solid waste except for Washoe (Reno) and Clark (Las Vegas)
counties, where boards of health will prepare the county
plans.
For American Samoa the principal accomplishment was the
training (with RCRA funds and arrangements made by the
Regional Office) of a landfill operator and a collection
supervisor by a sanitation district in California. Also, a
contractor began preparation of an updated State plan.
In Guam the solid waste regulations are generally
adequate but there is a need for better coordination between
civilian and military operations. The northern part of the
island is a sole-source aquifer that must be protected from
leachate and other pollutants.
The Northern Mariana Islands became a government in
January 1978 and for many months governmental organization
was not finalized. It has now been decided there will be an
Office of Planning and Budget, where all environmental
planning will occur, and an environmental protection agency
for implementation. Because of this organizational delay
and the lack of any legislation or regulations, RCRA implementation
in NMI will lag behind that in the other territories.
Land Disposal. Arizona, California, and Hawaii have
permit systems for land disposal; in Nevada, where there is
no permit program as such, no disposal facility can be
constructed without the State's concurrence. All the States
are preparing to begin the inventory process when the criteria
become available.
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Hazardous Waste Management. In Arizona, over the past
few years EPA funds and technical assistance supported
contractor studies which led to the selection of a site for
the State's first hazardous waste disposal facility. The*
first study, completed in 1976, was an inventory of hazardous
wastes. A second study looked into disposal of pesticide
containers and recommended that the State find a hazardous
waste landfill site. Next, criteria for evaluating potential
sites were developed by a Task Force of the Western Federal
Regional Council with EPA technical assistance. The two
final contracts narrowed 12 general locations down to a
specific site which is currently undergoing detailed hydro-
geologic and archeologic scrutiny. The selected site is on
land owned by the Bureau of Land Management, and it is
planned that title of this land will be transferred to the
State. The selection of a private firm to operate the site
is anticipated during 1979. This is believed to be the
first time a State has used a systematic statewide approach
to finding an optimum site. It should lead to much better
siting than the typical approach of finding an available
site and determining if it meets minimum criteria.
Arizona also drafted regulations modeled after California's
hazardous waste regulations. Public hearings on these draft
regulations were held in July.
Minimal changes are anticipated in California's hazardous
waste regulations to comply with eventual Federal standards.
A contracted hazardous waste inventory report was completed
which covers Hawaii, Guam, American Samoa, and the Northern
Marianas. This report provides the basic data needed for
planning development of Hawaii's hazardous waste program.
Nevada is preparing to seek full authorization for the
hazardous waste regulatory program, and EPA is now reviewing
their proposed hazardous waste legislation and regulations.
Source notification letters were sent to 500 potential
users of PCBs in Region IX. Approximately 200 facilities
replied in writing or by phone. Presently there are no
certified disposal sites nor incinerators for PCB disposal
in Region IX. Formal applications were received from one
disposal site in California and one in Nevada. Close coordination
is continuing with the Industrial Environmental Research
Laboratory in Cincinnati and private industry to establish a
program to incinerate PCBs in cement kilns. Two companies
in California have expressed interest and indications are
that one of these companies will soon be ready to make its
facilities available for a series of test burns.
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The Federal Task Force for Hazardous Materials Management,
a working group sponsored by the Western Federal Regional
Council of Region IX, published its final report in March
1978. In 1973 several Federal agencies identified hazardous
waste management problems which needed immediate attention.
EPA, Region IX, called a conference and chaired the resulting
task force to provide technical assistance to these agencies,
and to assist in planning interim solutions which could be
implemented until a national program under RCRA was instituted.
This report describes the establishment, organization,
objectives, and results of this effort.
Resource Recovery. An Office Paper Separation Program
was initiated in the Regional Office in March 1978 and is
operating smoothly. We collect about a ton of white ledger
paper per month and are paid $22 per ton for the service
contract. Regionwide GSA owns or leases 109 buildings with
100 or more employees. The program was implemented in the
first seven buildings in 1978.
A highly successful beverage container buy-back program
originated in Arizona. This program called BIRP (Beverage
Industry Recycling Program), is a voluntary program in which
citizens are paid to bring aluminum, steel, glass, and
newspapers to one of 10 collection depots. This program is
being considered in several other western States.
California has a very active resource recovery program
and new legislation. The Litter Control, Recycling, and
Resource Recovery Act of 1977 went into effect in January
1978. This bill is expected to generate about $18 million
in revenue from annual assessments of $10 to $2,000 on
manufacturers, wholesalers, and retailers in the State and
from a 25-cent-per- ton surcharge on all solid waste disposed of in
landfills. The bill requires that this revenue be expended
in specific portions to support litter control programs (45
percent), resource recovery projects (20 percent), recycling
centers (25 percent), research and development (5 percent),
and administration (5 percent). This bill is being administered
by the State Solid Waste Management Board and expires in
1983.
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There are numerous recycling centers in California and
a couple of sizeable separate collection programs. The
Board has endorsed six large energy recovery projects in
Alameda, Contra Costa County, Humboldt County, Los Angeles
County, San Diego, and San Francisco. These projects are
all in the planning phase. The Board has also implemented
the office paper recovery guidelines in all State office
buildings. Finally, the State is contributing $500,000 in
addition to $850,000 from EPA's Office of Research and
Development to demonstrate a portable pyrolysis unit for
agricultural wastes.
The California State Department of Health is operating
a highly successful industrial waste recycling program.
This one-man operation is not a clearinghouse for information
but rather a hands-on brokerage which identifies waste
streams and then seeks out potential users and initiate's a
dialogue between the two companies. The DOH feels that this
approach is far superior to an information clearinghouse and
plans to add a second man to the program.
In Hawaii energy recovery from sugar cane wastes is
common in industrial operations, and there is a large municipal
solid waste energy recovery project being planned for Honolulu.
Two contractor studies have been completed, and the State is
now trying to modify legislation to allow long-term contracts,
permit negotiated procurement, and aid financing.
Guam has a litter control law and there has been much
legislative interest in a bottle bill, which was defeated in
October 1977. Because most beverage containers on the
island are sold at military bases, cooperation at those
facilities will be necessary for a viable program.
Public Participation and Information. The Regional
Office sponsored three public meetings on the work of the
Resource Conservation Committee, the proposed hazardous
waste notification procedures, and the proposed State planning
guidelines. In addition to public meetings, all relevant
Federal Register notices, guidelines, and information are
mailed to about 1,500 individuals on our regional mailing
list, and our staff is regularly asked to make presentations
on RCRA to local constituent groups.
REGION X
(Alaska, Idaho, Oregon, Washington)
Planning and Development. All four States presently have
programs for solid waste planning and will be updating their
practices to conform with RCRA requirements. Agencies and areas
responsible for solid waste planning were identified.
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Land Disposal. The majority of the population of the
Region lives west of the Cascade Mountains, an area with
many wetlands and floodplains and much rainfall. The Regional
Office has attempted to resolve problems from leachate for
some time and expects more success as guidelines under RCRA
are promulgated.
In 1978 Region X continued several projects dealing
with land disposal problems. Assistance was given in design
of a landfill in Snohomish County, Washington, which is
being engineered to collect and treat leachate while minimizing
potential percolation. This landfill, now under construction,
will hopefully be a model for other high precipitation
areas. Construction of a similar carefully designed landfill
incorporating leachate collection and treatment was completed
in Lane County, Oregon.
The Tulalip landfill, the disposal site for most of the
industrial solid waste from Seattle, was ordered by the U.S.
District Court to cease operations by May 1979. This action
culminated several years of effort by the Regional Office to
close the site, which is situated in wetlands and has created
severe odor and leaching problems. We are also working with
the City of Portland and the Oregon Department of Environmental
Quality to find alternatives to expansion of the St. Johns
Landfill, located in wetlands of the Columbia River.
The Region X computer-based disposal site information
system was continuously expanded as new data came in from
the States. The system contains much information on active
and inactive disposal sites and will give the Region a head
start on completion of the open dump inventory. All four
States have agreed to assume inventory duties and landfill
regulation under Subtitle D.
Hazardous Waste Management. Much of the Regional staff
effort in 1978 was directed toward involvement of State and
local governments and the public in the development of
Subtitle C regulations. Region X hosted a hearing on Section
3006 and held numerous public meetings on regulations and
guidelines.
Oregon, Idaho, and Washington indicated they will apply
for interim authorization to operate hazardous waste management
programs. Oregon and Idaho have licensed hazardous waste
7-37
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disposal sites near Arlington, Oregon, and Grand View,
Idaho. Both sites were approved as PCB chemical waste
landfills by Region X. Currently, the Washington Department
of Ecology is negotiating for a hazardous waste disposal
site on the Department of Energy Hanford Reservation.
Resource Recovery and Conservation. A combination of
a strong recycling industry and enthusiasm by involved
government agencies is resulting in much activity in resource
recovery and conservation programs.
In fiscal 1978, eight Federal buildings, with nearly
7,000 employees, recycled over 200 tons of high-grade
paper. Twenty more buildings, with approximately 3,000
people, are scheduled to implement office paper recovery by
early 1979. The Region X staff assisted implementation of
similar programs in offices of the City of Seattle, King
County, State of Oregon, and State of Washington.
All non-Alaskan Region X military bases are presently
involved in source separation programs, some with office paper
only and others including cans, glass, corrugated paper,
newsprint, and waste oil. Adak Naval Air Station in the
Aleutian Islands even goes so far as to bale their aluminum
and ship it to Seattle for recycling.
The beverage container deposit guidelines were implemented
in the Region's 10 National Parks and National Forests with
varying degrees of success. One Forest Service concessionaire
was granted an exemption from compliance. Major problems
seem to result from the presence of nearby competition on
private land and low return rates, but these problems are.
expected to lessen over time. Passage of proposed beverage
container deposit legislation in Alaska and Washington,
joining that passed in Oregon several years ago, would do
much to increase the effectiveness of these programs. Two
other beverage container deposit test programs were also in
effect during the past year: a GSA test program in Walla
Walla was initiated in February 1978 with monthly return
rates of up to 85 percent, and a one-year DOD test project
on Whidbey Island Naval Air Station ended in June with an
average return rate of 81 percent.
A number of resource recovery technical assistance
projects took place during the year. These included assisting
the Portland Metropolitan Service District in contract
negotiations for a material and energy recovery facility,
assisting Lane County, Oregon, in development of its RDF
processing facility, and working with the Municipality of
Anchorage in coordinating resource recovery efforts with its
two neighboring military bases, Fort Richardson and Elmendorf
Air Force Base. Two source separation programs were also
assisted. The largest project is a program funded by the
7-38
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City of Seattle to test the effectiveness of Collection of
source-separated materials from homes. This pilot program,
which began in June 1978, includes 12,000 homes throughout
the city. Region X assisted in design and evaluation of
proposals. Assistance was also given to Union County,
Oregon, in establishing 3. source separation program.
A second waste information exchange was established in
Region X by the Portland Recycling Team in Oregon. The
first is being managed by the Western Environmental Trade
Association in Seattle. The Portland Recycling Team is also
developing a manual on running a recycling center under a
grant from EPA headquarters.
Public Participation and Education. In addition to
numerous meetings with the public on proposed regulations,
criteria, and programs, the Regional Office developed a
computerized mailing list of nearly 700 interested parties.
These people receive notices of RCRA guidelines, public
meetings, and hearings. A newsletter is also sent out twice
yearly to inform the public of developments in RCRA implementation.
Many publication requests and questions regarding RCRA are
handled daily.
Solid waste workshops were held by the League of Women
Voters in Oregon and Washington supported by public education
grants from EPA's Office of Solid Waste. The Regional
Office participated extensively in both workshops in supplying
information, equipment, and speakers.
7-39
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APPENDIX
EPA PUBLICATIONS ON RCRA AND
SOLID WASTE MANAGEMENT
FISCAL YEAR 1978
This list is divided into two main parts: Office
of Solid Waste publications, and Office of Research
and Development publications. Publications with
order numbers prefixed by PB are available for pur-
chase from the National Technical Information Service,
Springfield, Virginia 22161. Unless otherwise noted,
all other publications are available from Solid Waste
Information, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency,
Cincinnati, Ohio 45268. A list of information
materials produced since 1966 is available from the
Cincinnati address.
OFFICE OF SOLID WASTE
Order General
Nos.
203 Clark, L. B., comp. Available information
materials; solid waste management. Environ-
mental Protection Publication SW-58.28
Washington, U.S. Environmental Protection
Agency. 1978. (In press.)
643 Jorling, T. C. Balancing environment,
economic, and resource conservation issues in
the implementation of RCRA. Presented at the
meeting of the 6th National Congress on Waste
Management Technology and Resource and Energy
Recovery, Nov. 14, 1977. Washington, U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency, 15 p.
644 Provisions for hazardous waste regulation
and land disposal controls under the Resource
Conservation and Recovery Act of 1976.
[Washington], U.S. Environmental Protection
Agency, Mar. 1978. 10 p.
645 Office of Solid Waste. Strategy for the
implementation of the Resource Conservation and
Recovery Act of 1976 (Draft). Washington, U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency, Dec. 5, 1977.
[101 p.] [Out of print.]
A-l
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663 Office of Solid Waste, comp. EPA
activities under the Resource Conservation and
Recovery Act of 1976; annual report to the
President and the Congress, fiscal year 1977.
[Washington], U.S. Environmental Protection
Agency, 1978. 80 p.
694 Office of Solid Waste. Solid waste facts
[Washington], U.S. Environmental Protection
Agency, May 1978. 13 p.
701 Williams, T. F. Office of Solid Waste.
Keeping public laws public. Journal of Soil
and Water Conservation, 33(l):4-5, Jan.-Feb.
1978.
707 Resource Conservation & Recovery Panels
Program. Technical assistance to State and
local governments. [Washington], U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency, 1978. [4 p.]
Hazardous Waste Management
634 Office of Solid Waste. The prevalence of
subsurface migration of hazardous chemical
substances at selected industrial waste land
disposal sites. [Washington], U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency, Oct. 1977.
[521 p.]
635 Newton, M. Model State hazardous waste
management act (annotated). [Washington], U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency, 1977. [56 p.]
677 Farb, D. G. Upgrading hazardous waste
disposal sites; remedial approaches.
[Washington], U.S. Environmental Protection
Agency, Jan. 1978. [44 p.]
683 Straus, M. Implementation plan for the PC3
marking and disposal regulation: facility
approval process. Washington, U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency, Feb. 22,
1978. [33 p.]
A-2
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PB-270 897 Ackerman, D., et al. [TRW Defense and
Space Systems Group]. Destroying chemical
wastes in commercial scale incinerators;
facility report no. 6. Rollins Environmental
Service, Inc., Deer Park, Texas. Environmental
Protection Publication SW-122c5. U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency, 1977. 104 p.
PB-272 267 Swain, J. W. Assessment of industrial
hazardous waste management: petroleum
re-refining industry. Environmental Protection
Publication SW-144c. U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency, 1977. 149 p.
PB-274 565 Abrams, E. F., G. Contos, and M. Drablin
[Versar, Inc.], Alternatives for hazardous
waste management in the inorganic chemicals
industry. Environmental Protection Publication
SW-149c. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency,
1977. 311 p.
PB-275 054 Berkowitz, J. B., et al. [Arthur D.
Little, Inc.]. Physical, chemical, and
biological treatment techniques for industrial
wastes. v.l. Environmental Protection
Publication SW-148c.l. U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency, 1977. [373 p.]
PB-276 169 Leonard, R. P., et al. [Calspan Corp.].
Assessment of industrial hazardous waste
practices in the metal smelting and refining
industry, v.l. Executive Summary.
Environmental Protection Publication
SW-145c.l. U.S. Environmental Protection
Agency, Apr. 1977. [51 p.]
PB-276 170 Leonard, R. P., et al. [Calspan Corp.].
Assessment of industrial hazardous waste
practices in the metal smelting and refining
industry. v.2. Primary and secondary non-
ferrous smelting and refining. Environmental
Protection Publication SW-145c.2. U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency, Apr. 1977.
[309 p.]
PB-276 171 Leonard, R. P., et al. [Calspan Corp.].
Assessment of industrial hazardous waste
practices in the metal smelting and refining
industry, v.3. Ferrous smelting and refining.
Environmental Protection Publication SW-145c.3.
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Apr.
1977. 147 p.
A-3
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PB-276 172 Leonard, R. P., et al. [Calspan Corp.].
Assessment of industrial hazardous waste
practices in the metal smelting and refining
industry, v.4. Appendices. Environmental
Protection Publication SW-145c.4. U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency, Apr. 1977.
[58 p.]
PB-278 059 Genser, J. M., et al. [Processes Research,
Inc.], Alternatives for hazardous waste
management in the organic chemical, pesticides,
and explosives industries. Environmental
Protection Publication SW-151c. U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency, Sept. 2,
1977. [285 p.]
PB-279 645 Stollman, J., et al. [Energy Resources Co.,
Inc.], Economic impact analysis of anticipated
hazardous waste regulations on the industrial
organic chemicals, pesticides, and explosives
industries. Environmental Protection Publica-
tion SW-158c. U.S. Environmental Protection
Agency, Jan. 1978. [293 p.]
PB-280 117 Levin, J., and C. Saunders [A.T. Kearney,
Inc.], Economic impact analysis of anticipated
hazardous waste management regulations on the
batteries, electronics, and special machinery
industries. Environmental Protection Publica-
tion SW-160c. U.S. Environmental Protection
Agency, Feb. 1978. 90 p.
PB-280 118 McDonald, L. D., et al. [Environmental
Protection Service Montreal (Quebec)]. Burning
waste chlorinated hydrocarbons in a cement kiln.
Environmental Protection Publication SW-147c.
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Jan.
1978. 223 p.
Land Disposal
639 Office of Solid Waste. Solid waste on
Federal lands in Alaska, executive summary
report. [Washington, U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency, 1978]. 86 p.
669 National League of Cities and United States
Conference of Mayors. Municipal solid waste
disposal...how cities site landfills.
Reprinted, [Washington, 1978]. [77 p.]
A-4
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692 Office of Solid Waste. Draft environ-
mental impact statement: proposed regulation;
criteria for classification of solid waste
disposal facilities (40 CFR Part 257).
[Washington], U.S. Environmental Protection
Agency, Apr. 1978. 271 p.
693 Office of Solid Waste. Draft environ-
mental impact statement: proposed regulation;
criteria for classification of solid waste
disposal facilities (40 CFR Part 257).
Appendices. Washington, U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency, Apr. 1978. [232 p.]
696 Plehn, S. W. Municipal sludge management;
overview of EPA policy and programs.
[Washington], U.S. Environmental Protection
Agency, May 1978. [8 p.]
705 Office of Solid Waste, and E. T. Conrad,
and R. Stearns [SCS Engineers]. Process design
manual: municipal sludge landfills.
[Washington], U.S. Environmental Protection
Agency, Oct. 1978. [314 p.]
Resource Recovery and Conservation
536 Office of Solid Waste, Resource Recovery
Division. Resource recovery and waste reduc-
tion; current reports. [Washington], U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency, 1978. [25 p.]
616 Office of Solid Waste. Use it again, Sam;
the Federal office-paper recycling program. 2d
ed. [Washington], U.S. Environmental Protection
Agency, 1978. [4 p.] [Pamphlet.]
641 Helmstetter, A. J., and D. B. Sussman. A
technical evaluation of the Baltimore Landgard
system. Presented at the AIChE Meeting on
Resource Recovery in Solid Waste Processing,
Nov. 13-17, 1977. [Washington], U.S. Environ-
mental Protection Agency. [17 p.]
642 Sullivan, M. The little town that could.
In Conservation News, 4(2):4-7, Jan. 15, 1977.
Reprinted, [Washington, U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency, 1977.] [6 p.]
A-5
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655 Hickman, H. L. , Jr. Statement of Honorable
H. Lanier Hickman, Jr., Acting Deputy Assistant
Administrator for Solid Waste, Environmental
Protection Agency, Before the Subcommittee on
Advanced Energy Technologies and Energy Conser-
vation Research, Development and Demonstration
Committee on Science and Technology, U.S. House
of Representatives, Dec. 12, 1977. [Washington,
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 1977.]
[13 p.]
667 Sussman, D. Resource recovery technology
update from the U.S.E.P.A.; "co-disposal" for
solid waste and sewage sludge. Waste Age,
8(7):44, 46, 49, July 1977. Reprinted,
[Washington], U.S. Environmental Protection
Agency, 1977. [3 p.]
675 Awner, A. Save a paper, warm a home. I_n
Conservation News, 5(2):8-ll, Jan. 15, 1978.
Reprinted, Washington, National Wildlife Fede-
ration, 1978. [4 p.]
676 Plehn, S. W. Resource conservation: how
industry might help. Presented to the Forest
Industry Advisory Council, Boca Raton, Feb. 10,
1978. [Washington, U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency]. 11 p.
678 Source separation, small scale pyrolysis
work wonders for the town of Plymouth. Solid
Waste Systems, 6(3):14, 20, 22, May-June,
1977. Reprinted, [Washington, U.S. Environ-
mental Protection Agency, 1978]. 3 p.
686 Sussman, D. B., and H. W. Gershman.
Thermal methods for the codisposal of sludges
and municipal residues. Presented at the 5th
National Conference on Acceptable Sludge
Disposal Techniques, Jan. 31-Feb. 2, 1978.
[Washington], U.S. Environmental Protection
Agency, 1978. 21 p.
688 Hill, R. P. Industrial waste exchanges;
fact sheet. [Washington], U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency, 1978. [6 p.]
690 EPA Journal reprint: resource recovery.
Washington, U.S. Environmental Protection
Agency, Feb. 1978. 7 p.
A-6
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708 Status report on solid waste disposal
charge analysis; 3d report to the President and
Congress of the United States mandated by the
Resource Conservation and Recovery Act of 1976
(Public Law 94-580). [Washington], Resource
Conservation Committee, July 1978. [170 p.]
710 James, S. C., and C. W. Rhyne. Methane
production, recovery, and utilization from
landfills. [Washington], U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency, [1978]. [14 p.]
733 Committee findings and staff papers on
national beverage container deposits of the
Resource Conservation Committee; 2d report to
the President and Congress. Washington,
Resource Conservation Committee, Jan. 1978.
102 p.
PB-272 051 Systems Technology Corporation. A
technical, environmental and economic evaluation
of the glass recovery plant at Franklin, Ohio.
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 1977.
104 p.
Collection
PB-276 707 City of Wichita Falls, Texas [Dept. of
Public Works, Wichita Falls, Texas]. Systems
analysis study of solid waste collection
management: final report. v.l. Environmental
Protection Publication SW-15Qc.l. U.S. Environ-
mental Protection Agency, 1977. [129 p.]
PB-276 708 City of Wichita Falls, Texas [Dept. of
Public Works, Wichita Falls, Texas]. Systems
analysis study of solid waste collection
management: final report. v.2. Environmental
Protection Publication SW-150c.2. U.S. Environ-
mental Protection Agency, 1977. [225 p.]
Reprints from the Federal Register
637 U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
Implementation of the Resource Conservation and
Recovery Act of 1976; interim regulations.
Federal Register, 42 (202):5606-5608, Oct. 20,
1977.
640 U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
Prior notice of citizen suits. Federal
Register, 42 (204):56114-56115, Oct. 21, 1977.
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649 U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
Public participation in solid waste management;
interim guidelines. Federal Register,
43(8):1902-1906, Jan. 12, 1978.
657 U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
Municipal sludge management, environmental
factors; technical bulletin. Federal Register,
42 (211) :57420-57427, Nov. 2, 1977.
660 U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
Research and demonstration grants; interim
regulations. Federal Register,
38(93):12784-12790, May 15, 1973.
661 U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
Noise emission standards for new truck-mounted
solid waste compactors. Federal Register,
42(166) :43226-43243, Aug. 26, 1977.
665 U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
State hazardous waste programs; proposed guide-
lines. Federal Register, 43 (22) ;4366-4373 ,
Feb. 1, 1978.
668 U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
Solid waste disposal facilities; proposed
classification criteria. Federal Register,
43 (25) :4942-4955, Feb. 6, 1978.
670 U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
Toxic substances control and solid waste
disposal. Federal Register, 43 (12) :2637-2644,
Jan. 18, 1978.
689 U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
Standards applicable to transporters of
hazardous wastes. Federal Register,
43 (83) :18506-18512, Apr. 28, 1978.
691 U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
Preliminary notification of hazardous waste
activities; proposed procedures. Federal
Register, 43 (133):29908-29916, July 11, 1978.
702 U.S. Department of Transportation. Trans-
portation of hazardous waste materials; proposed
provisions, hearing. Federal Register,
43(102):22626-22634, May 25, 1978.
714 U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
State solid waste management plans; guidelines
for development and implementation. Federal
Register, 43 (167);38534-38546, Aug. 28, 1978.
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715 U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
Resource recovery project development grants
under the President's urban policy: notice of
meeting and request for comments. Federal
Register, 43 (147):33670-33674, July 31, 1978.
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OFFICE OF RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT
Energy, Minerals and Science Laboratory
PB-284 378 Rodes, C. E., M. D. Jackson, and R. G.
Lewis [Joint effort of EMSL/HERL, ORD, U.S.
EPA, RTP]. Monitoring for polychlorinated
biphenyl emissions from an electrolytic
capacitor disposal project. U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency, 1978. 22 p.
Industrial Environmental Research Laboratory
PB-280 308 Harbert, H. P., Ill, and W. A. Berg
[Colorado State University]. Vegetation
stabilization of spent oil shales: vegetation,
moisture, salinity and runoff—1973-1976. U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency, Feb. 1978.
183 p.
PB-280 495 Sobek, A. A., et al. [West Virginia
University]. Field and laboratory methods
applicable to overburdens and minesoils. U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency, Mar. 1978.
216 p.
PB-280 663 Shapira, N. I., et al. [American Defense
Preparedness Assoc.j. State-of-the-art study:
demilitarization of conventional munitions.
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Feb.
1978. 140 p.
PB-280 676 Polkowski, L. B., W. C. Boyle, and B. F.
Christensen [S.B. Foot Tanning Co.].
Biological treatment, effluent reuse, and
sludge handling for the side leather tanning
industry. U.S. Environmental Protection
Agency, Feb. 1978. 248 p.
PB-281 013 Marshall, D. W., and R. 0. Blosser
[National Council of the Paper Industry for Air
and Stream Improvement, Inc.]. Investigation
of heat treatment for papermill sludge
conditioning. U.S. Environmental Protection
Agency, Feb. 1978. 85 p.
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PB-281 090 Buckley, J. L., and S. A. Wiener [Factory
Mutual Research Corp.]. Hazardous material
spills: a documentation and analysis of
historical data. U.S. Environmental Protection
Agency, Apr. 1978. 243 p.
PB-281 099 Leo, P. P., and J. Rossoff [The Aerospace
Corp.]. Controlling SC>2 emissions from
coal-fired steam-electric generators: solid
waste impact, v.l. Executive summary. U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency, Mar. 1978.
60 p.
PB-281 100 Leo, P. P., and J. Rossoff [The Aerospace
Corp.], Controlling SC>2 emissions from
coal-fired steam-electric generators: solid
waste impact, v.2. Technical discussion. U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency, Mar. 1978.
200 p.
PB-281 114 Melvin, P., H. Ehrenspeck, and E. Sorenson
[University of California, Santa Barbara]. Oil
spill and oil pollution reports: August
1977-October 1977. U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency, Jan. 1978. 291 p.
PB-281 159 Staebler, C. J., Jr. [Grumman Aerospace
Corp.]. Treatment and recovery of fluoride and
nitrate industrial wastes: phase II. U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency, Mar. 1978.
82 p.
PB-281 391 Barrier, J. W., H. L. Faucett, and L. J.
Henson [Tennessee Valley Authority, National
Fertilizer Development Center]. Economics of
disposal of lime/limestone scrubbing wastes: ,
untreated and chemically treated wastes. U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency, Feb. 1978.
400 p.
PB-281 582 Phillips, J. L., et al. [Radian Corp.].
Development of a mathematical basis for
relating sludge properties to FGD-scrubber
operating variables. U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency, Apr. 1978. 360 p.
PB-281 690 Ackerman, D.f et al, [TRW, Inc.]. At-sea
incineration of herbicide orange onboard the
M/T Vulcanus. U.S. Environmental Protection
Agency, Apr. 1978. 276 p.
A-ll
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PB-282 246 Fling, R. B., et al. [Aerospace Corp.].
Disposal of flue gas cleaning wastes: EPA
Shawne3 field evaluation—second annual
report. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency,
Feb. 1978. 200 p.
PB-282 934 Tierney, D. R., and T. W. Hughes [Monsanto
Research Corporation]. Source assessment:
reclaiming of waste solvents, state-of-the-art.
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Apr.
1978. 66 p.
PB-282 940 Stone, R., and R. L. Kahle [Ralph Stone
and Co., Inc.]. Environmental assessment of
solid residues from fluidized-bed fuel
processing: final report. U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency, June 1978. 342 p.
PB-283 082 Sun, C. C., et al. [Westinghouse Research
and Development Center]. Disposal of solid
residue from fluidized-bed combustion:
engineering and laboratory studies. U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency, Mar. 1978.
210 p.
PB-283 642 Paige, S. F., et al. [TRW, Inc.]. At-sea
and land-based incineration of organochlorine
wastes. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency,
Apr. 1978. 70 p.
PB-284 013 Libicki, J. [Central Research and Design
Institute for Open-Pit Mining]. Effects of the
disposal of coal waste and ashes in open pits.
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Apr.
1978. 297 p.
PB-284 973 Serne, J. C., and K. Wilson [Pacific
Environmental Services, Inc.]. The use and
fate of lubricants, oils, greases, and
hydraulic fluids in the iron and steel
industry. U.S. Environmental Protection
Agency, May 1978. 360 p.
PB-285 783 Shannahan, C. E., et al. [Hoechst-Uhde
Corp.]. Chlorolysis applied to the conversion
of chlorocarbon residues. U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency, 1978. 65 p.
A-12
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PB-285 797 Wilson, E. M., et al. [The Ralph M.
Parsons Company, Systems Div.]. Engineering
and economic analysis of waste to energy
systems. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency,
May 1978. 458 p.
PB-286 095 Shih, C. C., et al. [TRW, Inc.]. Compara-
tive cost analysis and environmental assessment
for disposal of organochlorine wastes. Report
No. 600/2-78/190. U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency, Aug. 1978. 140 p.
PB-286 982 Tyndall, M. F., et al. [Catalytic, Inc.].
Environmental assessment for residual oil
utilization—second annual report. Report No.
600/7-78/175. U.S. Environmental Protection
Agency, Sept. 1978. 183 p.
Municipal Environmental Research Laboratory
PB-279 440 Duft, B. L. , H. Levine, and A. McLeod
[Material Systems Corp.]. A study of the
feasibility of utilizing solid wastes for
building materials: phase I — summary report.
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Apr.
1978. 164 p.
PB-279 441 Duft, B. L., H. Levine, and A. McLeod
[Material Systems Corp.]. A study of the
feasibility of utilizing solid wastes for
building materials: phase II--summary report.
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Apr.
1978. 280 p.
PB-280 143 Overman, J. P., T. G. Statt, and D. A.
Kolman [Hittman Associates, Inc.]. Operation
breakthrough site management systems and
pneumatic trash collection—executive summary.
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Feb.
1978. 37 p.
PB-280 551 Overman, J. P., and T. G. Statt [Hittman
Assoc., Inc.], Evaluation of the refuse
management system at the Jersey City operation
breakthrough site. U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency, Feb. 1978. 140 p.
A-13
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PB-280 662 Walker, J. M., et al. [Biological Waste
Management and Soil Nitrogen Laboratory].
Sewage sludge entrenchment system for use by
small communities. U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency, Feb. 1978. 83 p.
PB-280 696 Chan, P. C., et al. [New Jersey Institute
of Technology]. Sorbents for fluoride, metal
finishing, and petroleum sludge leachate
contaminant control. U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency, Mar. 1978. 94 p.
PB-281 189 Gikis, B. J., et al. [Stanford Research
Institute]. Preliminary environmental
assessment of energy conversion processes for
agricultural and forest product residues.
v.l. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency,
Mar. 1978. 178 p.
PB-281 529 Wise, R. H., T. A. Pressley, and B. M.
Austern [Wastewater Research Division].
Partial characterization of chlorinated
organics in superchlorinated septages and mixed
sludges. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency,
Mar. 1978. 30 p.
PB-282 780 Krizek, R. J., G. M. Karadi, and P. L.
Hummel [Northwestern University]. Use of
dredgings for landfill. Technical report no. 1:
engineering characteristics of polluted
dredgings. U.S. Environmental Protection
Agency, May 1978. 356 p.
PB-282 781 Krizek, R. J., G. L. Roderick, and J. S.
Jin [Northwestern University]. Use of
dredgings for landfill. Technical report no. 2:
stabilization of dredged material. U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency, May 1978.
307 p.
PB-282 782 Krizek, R. J., and M. Casteleird [North-
western University]. Use of dredgings for
landfill. Technical report no. 3: mathematical
model for one-dimensional desiccation and
consolidation of dredged materials. U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency, May 1978.
126 p.
A-14
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PB-282 783 Krizek, R. J., B. J. Gallagher, and G. M.
Karadi [Northwestern University]. Use of
dredgings for landfill. Technical report no. 4:
water quality study for a dredgings disposal
area. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency,
May 1978. 129 p.
PB-282 784 Krizek, R. J., and A. M. Salem [North-
western University]. Use of dredgings for
landfill. Technical report no. 5: behavior of
dredged materials in diked containment areas.
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, May
1978. 349 p.
PB-284 261 Krizek, R. J., and M. W. Giger [North-
western University]. Use of dredgings for
landfill—summary technical report. U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency, May 1978.
100 p.
PB-284 652 Bailin, L. J. [Lockheed Palo Alto
Research Laboratory, Lockheed Missiles and
Space Company, Inc.]. Microwave plasma
detoxification process for hazardous
wastes—phase II: systems application
evaluation. U.S. Environmental Protection
Agency, 1978. 33 p.
PB-284 716 Wilkinson, R. R., G. L. Kelso, and F. C.
Hopkins [Midwest Research Institute].
State-of-the-art report: pesticide disposal
research. U.S. Environmental Protection
Agency, Aug. 1978. 247 p.
PB-284 927 Bailin, L. J. [Lockheed Palo Alto Research
Laboratory, Lockheed Missiles and Space
Company, Inc.]. Summary report—detoxification
of navy red dye by microwave plasma. U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency, June 1978.
34 p.
PB-284 937 Eichenberger, B., Jr., K. Y. Chen, and
R. A. Stephens [University of Southern
California]. A case study of hazardous wastes
input into class I landfills. U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency, Apr. 1978.
114 p.
A-15
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PB-285 000 Bell, B. A., and F. C. Whitmore [Dessign
Partnership, and Versar, Inc.]. Kepone
incineration test program. U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency, May 1978. 148 p.
PB-285 072 Lowenbach, W. [Mitre Corp.]. Compilation
and evaluation of leaching test methods. U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency, May 1978.
Ill p.
PB-285 228 Flowers, F. B., et al. [Cook College,
Rutgers University]. A study of vegetation
problems associated with refuse landfills.
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, May
1978. 142 p.
PB-285 230 Nelson, J. 0., et al. Beneficial disposal
of water purification plant sludges in
wastewater treatment. U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency, 1978. 33 p.
PB-285 232 Ettlich, W. F., and A. E. Lewis [Gulp,
Wesner, Gulp, Clean Water Consultants], A
study of forced aeration composting of
wastewater sludge. U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency, May 1978. 63 p.
PB-285 437 Material Systems Corp. A study of the
feasibility of utilizing solid wastes for
building materials—phase III and IV summary
reports. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency,
May 1978. 190 p.
PB-286 118 Rimkus, R. R., R. 0. Carlson, and D. B.
Winderlich [Metropolitan Sanitary District of
Greater Chicago]. Reclamation of a landfill
with digested sewage sludge. Report No.
600/2-78/120. U.S. Environmental Protection
Agency, Aug. 1978. 62 p.
PB-286 360 Tolley, G. S., V. S. Hastings, and G.
Rudzitis [University of Chicago, Department of
Economics]. Economics of municipal solid waste
management: the Chicago case. Report No.
600/8-78/013. U.S. Environmental Protection
Agency, June 1978. 118 p.
A-16
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PB-286 836 Environmental Effects Laboratory, U.S.
Army Engineer Waterways Experiment Station.
Chemical and physical effects of municipal
landfills on underlying soils and groundwater.
Report No. 600/2-78/096. U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency, May 1978. 156 p.
PB-286 905 Tolman, A., et al. [A. W. Martin Assoc.,
Inc.]. Guidance manual for minimizing pollution
from waste disposal sites. Report No.
600/2-78/142. U.S. Environmental Protection
Agency, 1978. 95 p.
PB-286 936 Hecht, N. L., D. S. Duvall, and B. L. Fox
[University of Dayton Research Institute].
Investigation of advanced thermal-chemical
concepts for obtaining improved MSW-derived
products. Report No. 600/7-78/143. U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency, Aug. 1978.
119 p.
PB-286 956 Shultz, D. W., ed. [Dept. of Resource and
Environmental Engineering, Southwest Research
Institute]. Land disposal of hazardous wastes,
proceedings; 4th annual research symposium.
Report No. 600/9-78/016. U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency, Aug. 1978. 438 p.
PB-286 973 Anderson, R. C. [Environmental Law
Institute]. Evaluation of economic benefits of
resource conservation. Report No. 600/5-78/015.
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 1978.
51 p.
PB-286 995 Fuller, W. H. [University of Arizona].
Investigation of landfill leachate pollutant
attenuation by soils. Report No. 600/2-78/158.
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Aug.
1978. 239 p.
PB-287 080 Phung, T., et al. [SCS Engineers]. Land
cultivation of industrial wastes and municipal
solid wastes: state-of-the-art study, v.l.
Technical summary and literature review.
Report No. 600/2-78/140a. U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency, 1978. 220 p.
A-17
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PB-287 081 Phung, T., et al. [SCS Engineers]. Land
cultivation of industrial wastes and municipal
solid wastes: state-of-the-art study. v.2.
Field investigations and case studies. Report
No. 600/2-78/140b. U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency, 1978. 173 p.
PB-287 140 Griffin, R. A., and N. F. Shimp [Illinois
State Geological Survey]. Attenuation of
pollutants in municipal landfill-leachate by
clay minerals. Report No. 600/2-78/157. U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency, 1978. 159 p.
PB-288 236 Caller, W. S., et al. [North Carolina
State University]. Animal waste composting
with carbonaceous materials. Report No.
600/2-78/154. U.S. Environmental Protection
Agency, 1978. 108 p.
PB-288 406 Westlake, D. W. S., F. D. Cook, and A. M.
Jobson [University of Alberta]. Microbial
degradation of petroleum hydrocarbons. Report
No. 600/7-78/148. U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency, 1978. 79 p.
*PB- Abeles, T. P., et al. [OASIS 2000,
University of Wisconsin Center]. Energy and
economic assessment of anaerobic digesters and
biofuels for rural waste management. Report
No. 600/7-78/174. U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency, 1978.
*PB- Stewart, W. S. [Exxon Research and
Engineering Company]. State-of-the-art study
of landfill impoundment techniques. Report No,
600/2-78/196. U.S. Environmental Protection
Agency, 1978.
*PB- Ware, S. A., and G. S. Jackson [Ebon
Research Systems]. Liners for sanitary
landfills and chemical and hazardous waste
disposal sites. Report No. 600/9-78/005. U.S,
Environmental Protection Agency, May 1978.
92 p.
*0rder number not yet assigned by the National Tech-
nical Information Service. Limited copies are avail-
able from Office of Research and Development, EPA.
A-18
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Robert S. Kerr Environmental Laboratory
PB-280 189 Huffman, W. J., J. E. Halligan, and R. L.
Peterson [Texas Technical University].
Conversion of cattle feedlot manure to ethyiene
and ammonia synthesis gas. U.S. Environmental
Protect-on Agercy, Feb. 1978. 71 p.
PB-281 277 Manges, H. L. , et al. [Kansas State
University]. Ultimate disposal of beef feedlot
wastes onto land. U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency, Mar. 1978. 55 p.
P3-233 389 Magdoff, F. R., et al. [University of
Vermont]. Alternate methods of manure
handling. U.S. Environmental Protection
Agency, Apr. 1978. 48 p.
PB-285 250 White, R. K., and D. L. Focster [Ohio
Agricultural Research and Development Center].
A manual on: evaluation and economic analysis
of livestock waste management systems. U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency, May 1978.
317 p.
P3-23S 926 Whetstone, G. A., et al. [Texas Technical
University]. Analysis of 'State laws and
regulations impacting animal wasce management.
Repcrc No, 600/2-78/155. U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency, 1978. 235 p.
PE-238 513 Fiscus, D. S., et al. [Midwest Research
Institute]. Assessment of bacteria and virus
emissions at a refuse derived fuel plant -rind
other waste handling facilities. Report No.
600/2-73/152. U.S. Environmental Protection
Agency, 1973. 220 p.
ya 1820
SW-755
GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE t979-281•147/48
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U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Region 5, Library (PL-12J)
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Chicago, IL 60604-3590
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U.S. EPA, Region 1
So*id Waste Program
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617 223-5775
U.S. EPA, Region 2
Solid Waste Section
26 Federal Plaza
New York, NY 10007
212-264-0503
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Solid Waste Program
6th and Walnut Sts.
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Solid Waste Program
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Altonta, GA 30308
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Solid Waste Program
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Solid Waste Section
1201 Elm St
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214-767-2734
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Solid Waste Section
1735 Baltimore Ave.
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816-374-3307
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Solid Waste Section
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303-837-2221
U.S. EPA, Regions)
Solid Waste Progiarn
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Solid Waste Program
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