yosr% \ UNITED STATES ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY m) WASHINGTON, D.C. 20460 PBO'14,0 JU. 20 MEMORANDUM office of — SOLID WASTE AND EMERGENCY RESPONSE SUBJECT: RCRA/Superfund Hotline Monthly Status Report - June 1983 Itoll Free - 800-424-9346 Wash DC/FTS 382-3000 FROM: Carolyn Barley, Project Officer Office of Solid Waste (382-5235) A Barbara Hostage, Project offioer^M^^^^"1^^ Office of Emergency and Remedial Response (382-7917) TO: Addressees (see last page) General The Hotline staff responded to approximately 3,153 calls in June. Approximately 79% of the callers asked specific questions on RCRA or CERCLA regulations, and 41% asked general regulatory questions or requested publications. Technical questions on RCRA totaled 1,489; technical questions on CERCLA totaled 906; and document requests totaled 758. Most Frequently Asked Questions Are releases of hazardous substances to a publicly owned treatment works subject to notification under Section 103(a) of CERCLA? Section 111(g) of CERCLA requires a newspaper notification to accompany the telephone notification requirements of Section 103(a). What information must this newspaper notice include? If my facility is in a State with Phase I interim authorization and the State calls Part B of my permit application, do I send my application to the State or . to EPA? Does my waste or a specific chemical which I want to dispose of meet the definition of a hazardous waste? When will the Uhiform Hazardous Waste Manifest be promulgated? Specific questions on pezmitting facilities. What liability does a generator of hazardous waste have for wastes delivered to a RCRA permitted disposal facility? ------- Which mixture rule should be used to compute a reportable release of a mixture of CERCLA hazardous substances? Are PCBs considered hazardous wastes? When are PCBs regulated under RCRA? If I report a release of a hazardous substance under Section 103(a)taf CERCLA, am I liable under any other section of CERCLA? What parts of the RCRA permit application must be certified by a professional engineer? How would the new definition of solid waste affect my waste and waste treatment process? Questions/Answers - RCRA Question: The preamble to the February 25, 1982, regulations on reduction of free liquids in containers states that the act of adding absorbent material to hazardous waste in a container is exempt frcm the require- ments of the hazardous waste management regulations if the absorbent is added "... at the time the waste is first placed in the container." If I transfer a hazardous waste frcm one container to another container and at the same time add an absorbent material to the waste, is my act of placing the waste in the second container and adding an absor- bent covered by this exemption? Answer: The February 25, 19 82, regulation was intended to reduce the amount of free liquids in containerized wastes by allowing anyone to add absor- bent material to the waste at the time the waste is first placed in the container. Thus, a hazardous waste can be transferred from one con- tainer to another container and absorbent material added at the tine of transfer and this activity not be subject to the permit require- ments for treatment under 40 CFR 264.1(g)(10) and 270.1(c)(2)(vii). Source: Fred Lindsey, Dov Vfeitnan RESOLUTION OF ISSUES - CERCLA ISSUE: Do the listings of hazardous substances under Section 101(14) of CERCLA stand by themselves, or are they dependent upon the applicability of the various statutes cited in Section 101(14) for their listing? Resolution: The CERCLA designations of various substances as hazardous stand by themselves. This means that a canmerical chemical product listed under RCRA (40 CFR 261.33) does not have to be a hazardous waste first before a release of an RQ of that substance is reportable. Similarly, a release of a substance listed under the Clean Water Act (40 CFR 117.3) does not have to be released into navigable waters in order to be designated a hazardous substance under CERCLA. Source: Jack Kooyoanjian, Susan Schmedes Other Items of Interest Section 104(i) of CERCLA establishes the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) within the Public Health Service. This Agency was formed ------- -3- in May 1983 (48 FR 22640), and its Administrator reports to the Assistant Secretary of Health, Department of Health and Hunan Services. The purpose of the ATSER is to investigate, monitor, test, and gather information on illnesses apd diseases which may be attributed to exposure to releases of hazardous substanoes. For further information on this new agency, contact William Hosking, Associate Director, ATSER (404-452-4111). Source: Ef. \fernon Houk, Assistant Adninistrator, AXSDR As a result of the May 25, 1983 FR notice (NPRM on Superfund Notification Requirements and Reportable Quantity Adjustments and ANPRM on the Designation of Additional Hazardous Substances Uhder CERCLA), the number of calls for CERCIA- related questions increased substantially this month. A list of these questions will appear in next month's report. The Interim Standards Operating Safety Guides (CERCLA sites clean-up) has been published and is available fran Tan Sell, ORD (FTS or 513-684-7537). This manual reflects experience which EPA personnel have gained in responding to environmental incidents involving hazardous substanoes and provides guidance on health and safety precautions for response personnel. FEDERAL REGISTER NOTICES June 13 - North Carolina requests 90-day extension of deadline for filing Phase II, Canponent C authorization under Part 271. June 21 - Kentucky requests extension of filing deadline for Phase II, Canponent C and Final Authorization under Part 271. June 24 - Oklahoma granted Interim Authorization for Phase II, Canponent C. - internal Revenue Service issues notice of proposed rulemaking relating to the collection of taxes on hazardous wastes, petroleun and certain chemicals under the Hazardous Substance Response Revenue Act. These taxes provide funds for the Superfund and the Post- Closure Liability Trust Fund. A public hearing will be held on September 1, 1983. Jme 29 - Connecticut granted Interim Authorization for Phrase II, Canponents A, B, and C. June 30 - Extension of application data (to 7-21-83) for Emergency and Remedial Response Inventory System funds. - Correction notice for Deconsolidated Permit Regulations which were published on April 1, 1983. ------- ADDRESSEES John Skinner, WH-562 Mike Cook, WH-562 Eileen Claussen, WH-562 John Lehman, WH-565 Fred Lindsey, WH-565 Bruce Weddle, WH-563 Lee Daneker, WH-562 Stephen Lingle, WH-565 Alan Corson, WH-565 Ken Shuster, WH-565 Dale Ruhter, WH-565 William Sanjour, WH-563 Truett DeQeare, WH-563 Stew Levy, WH-563 John Thompson, WH-563 George Garland, WH-562 William Hedeman, WH-548 Elaine Stanley, WH-548 Kenneth Biglane, WH-548-A Lee Herwig, A-107 Henry Van Cleave, WH-548-B Russ Wyer, WH-548-E i Bill Hanson, WH-548 -Ex Mary Ann Froehlich, WH-548-D Carol Law son, A-107 Marc Jones, PM-220 John Palmisano, PM-223 Sam Napolitano, PM-220 Gene Lucero, WH-527 Frank Biras, WH-527 Lee Herwig, A-107 Tbny Montrane, WH-527 Pete Rosenberg, WH-527 Mike Kosakowski, WH-527 Barbara Elkus, WH-527 Tbny Baney (Hotline) Beverly Spotswood (Hotline) Susan Moreland (ASTSWMO) Hazardous Waste Division Directors, Regions I-X ------- |