J* % UNITED STATES ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY J WASHINGTON, D.C. 20460 rt«S& NOV 23 m MEMORANDUM office of " SOLID WASTE AND EMERGENCY RESPONSE SUBJECT: RCRA/Superfund Hotline Monthly Status Report — We'i'rmbiiig 1984 (800-426-9346; FTS 8-382-3000; Washington, DC area 382-3000) FROM: Carolyn Barley, Project Officer Office of Solid Waste (382-5235) yT" /j Barbara Hostage, Project Officer Office of Emergency and Remedial Response (382-2186) 0 TO: Addressees I. ACTIVITIES The Hotline responded to 4,056 questions and requests for documents in October. II. INFORMATION UPDATE The purpose of this section is to list rulemakings and publications that have been published or are being developed and should be published within the next few months. RCRA 1. President Reagan signed the RCRA Reauthorization bill (PL 98-616) on November 8, 1984. Copies of the bill may be obtained from the Documents Office of Congress at (202) 225-3456. 2. The revised Definition of Solid Waste final rule is scheduled to be published in late December or January. This rule will modify the definition of solid waste and the applicability of RCRA standards to recycled solid wastes. 3. The October 1, 1984, Federal Register (49 FR 38786) proposed four amendments concerning EPA's test methods (SW-846), ground-water testing requirements, ground-water screening tests, and a hierarchical approach for ground-water testing. (See Section VII in this report for further information.) CERCLA 1. The revised National Contingency Plan (NCP) is at the Office of Management and Budget (0MB) for review. It is expected to be published in the Federal Register in late December cr January. 2. The Reportable Quantity (RQ) final rule is also at OMB for review. It is expected to be published in the Federal Register in December or January. ------- -2- 3. The Remedial Investigation and Feasibility Study (RI/FS) guidance documents are currently undergoing internal Agency review. The Feasibility Study document will soon be undergoing Red Border review, then sent to OMB for review. The Remedial Investigation document has not reached this review stage yet. The documents should be available within several months. III. SPECIAL SECTION: NATIONAL PRIORITIES LIST UPDATE »2 On October 2, 1984, Lee Thcmas, Assistant Administrator for the Office of Solid Waste and Emergency Response, announced the proposed addition of 244 sites to the National Priorites List (NPL). These proposed additions to the NPL will bring the total number of proposed and final NPL sites to 786. The Hotline is accepting requests for informational materials on Update #2. IV. SIGNIFICANT QUESTIONS AND RESOLVED ISSUES A. RCRA 1. At land treatment units, operators often dump the waste to be treated on the ground, and within a few hours or a day, spread it on the land treatment area. Does this dumping of waste constitute storage in a waste pile subject to regulation? This process is typical at nany land treatment units. It may not be viewed as storage in a waste pile if the waste is dumped on the actual treatment area, and only remains for a limited period of time prior to spreading. If the waste is dumped in an area other than the treatment area, then it should be regulated as a waste pile or landfill. In general, though, EPA does not recamaend such dumping and spreading of waste as an adequate land application procedure since the waste is not applied evenly. EPA would specify another method of application in the permit for the land treatment unit. Source: Mike Flynn (382-4489) Research: Denise Wright 2. Solid wastes that result from the extraction, beneficiation, and processing of ores and minerals (including coal) are excluded from the RCRA regulations per §261.4(b)(7). Solvents are often used to clean the equipment used for such extraction, beneficiation, and processing. Are these cleaning solvents also exempted per §261.4(b)(7) or are they RCRA hazardous wastes? The §261.4(b)(7) exemption is for wastes which are generated in direct association with the extraction, beneficiation, and processing of ores and minerals. The cleaning of equipment with solvents is not directly associated with these processes. Therefore, solvents used in cleaning the machinery would be RCRA hazardous wastes.if they are listed or raee a §261 Subpart C characteristic. Source: Alan Corson (382-4770) Research: Hilary Sommer ------- -3- B. CRRfTA 1. The Hazard Ranking System (HPS) is used to evaluate the relative potential of uncontrolled hazardous substance sites to cause risk or danger to public health cr welfare cr the environment. Evaluators assign three HRS scores to a hazardous site: 1) Migration; 2) Fire and explosion; and 3) Direct contact. The migration scare computed fran components fee three "pathways" (air, surface water, groundwater), is used as the principal basis for listing sites on the National Priorities List. The minimum score for listing is 28.50. The other two scares, fire and explosion and direct contact, are used to determine if an emergency situation exists, possibly warranting an emergency removal action. Is there a minimum score that triggers an emergency removal? There is no minixium score that triggers an emergency removal action. Any site having a scare greater than zero could trigger a field investigation by the appropriate Region. A field investigation may include sampling to determine the extent of contamination. The results of the field investigation will assist in the determination of whether a removal is necessary. Source: Hans Crump (382-3328) Research: Tom Gainer ------- -4- V. ANALYSES OF QUESTIONS Hie Hotline responded to 4,056 questions and requests for documents in October. Of the questions asked, the percentage of callers was: Generators 26 % Transporters 2 % TSDF' s 12 % EPA H3's 2 % State Agencies 9 % Consultants 26 % Press 2 % EPA Regions 6 « Federal Agencies 3% Trade Associations 2 % Citizens Others 5 % 5 % More calls were received from Region 3 than from any other Region. Breakdown by Region: 1 6 % 3 22 % 5 18% 74% 99% 2 14 % 4 12 % 6 8% 85% 10 2% Canada 0% RCRA TSDF General Information 307 A-Scope/Applicabi1itv 73 Notification (3010) 49 B-General Facility Standards 24 Definitions (260.10) 52 C-Preparedness/Prevent i on 14 i Petitions/Delistinq (260.22) 31 D-Contingency Plans 19^ Definitions (261.2 & 3) 73 E-Manifest/Reccrdkeepinq/Reportinq 7 Exclusions (261.4) 67 F-Groundwater Monitcrinq 69 Small Quantity Generator (261.5) 90 G-Closure/Poet-Closure 66 Recycle/Reclaim (261.6) 102 H-Financial Requirements 25 Container Residues (261.7) 37 I-Containers 45 Waste ID (261 C&D) 421 J-Tanks 55 262 Generator K-Surface Impoundments 65 Manifest Infomation 116 L-Waste Piles 4 Pre-transport 22 M-Land Treatment 13 Accumulation 67 N-Landfills 41 Recordkeepinq & Reportinq 14 O-Incineratcrs 16 International Shipments 4 P-Thermal Treatment 5 263 Transporter 40 Q-Chemical, Physical, Biological Treat. 3 270 B - Permit Application 77 R-Underground Injection 6 D - Chanaes to Permits 14 X-Misoellaneous Facility 6 F - Special Permits 5 Y-Experimental 0 G - Interim Status 50 266/267 0 271 State Proqrams 105 124 Decision Makinq 7 CERCLA General 139 Hazardous Substances/RQ 83 Liability/Enfcrcement 35 Hazardous Site/NPL/104 181 Other /Referrals 287 NCP 34 Document Reauests 222 TaxesARS 10 RCRA Reauthorization 595 ------- -5- VI. PUBLICATIONS RCRA 1. "Summary of the 1984 Anendments to RCRA" is available through the RCRA docket. The Hotline will accept requests far this sunmary. CERCLA 1. "Hazardous Waste Sites: Description of Sites in Update #2 to the National Priorities List," October 1984, HW 8.4, is available fran EPA's Hazardous Site Control Division. The Hotline will accept requests for this publication. 2. "National Priorities Lists 786 Current and Proposed Sites in Order of Ranking and by States," October 1984, HW 7.2, is also available frcra EPA's Hazardous Site Control Division. The Hotline will accept requests. 3. "Superfund Comprehensive Acccmplishments Plan (SCAP)" sunmarizing all planned site-related activities, including removal, remedial, and enforcement projects for Fiscal Year (FY) 1985 is available in sections from the OERR Staff as follows: Remedial: Kirby Biggs (202) 382-7993 Removal: Steve Heare (202) 382-2206 Enforcement: Kirk Maconaughy (202) 382-4836 (SCAP replaces RAP(Remedial Accomplishment Plan)) VII. FEDERAL REGISTER NOTICES October 1, 1984 49 FR 38786 Four Amendments were proposed. First, an amendment was proposed making EPA Publication "Test Methods for Evaluating Solid Waste" (SW-846) mandatory. Second, the Agency proposed to eliminate certain groundwater testing requirements in circumstances where no test methods exist, or the constituent inmediately converts to another sutetanoe on contact with water. Third, the Agency proposed to allow the use of screening tests for ground-water monitoring to test for classes of constituents. Finally, the Agency proposed a conceptual hierarchical approach (screening) for ground-water testing. ------- -6- October 1, 1984 49 FR 38671 Tentative approval to grant New Hampshire final authorization under RCRA. October 4, 1984 49 FR 39175 Tentative approval to grant Vermont final authorization under RCRA. October 5, 1984 49 FR 39328 North Dakota granted final authorization effective at 1:00 p.m. on October 19, 1984. October 10, 1984 49 FR 39683 Utah granted final authorization effective 1:00 P.M. on October 24, 1984. October 11, 1984 49 FR 39929 Lodging of consent decree pursuant to RCRA and CERCLA in United States v. Berlin and Farro Liquid Incineration, Inc., et al., Civil Action No. 84-CV- 8473-FL in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan. October 12, 1984 49 FR 40055 Tentative approval to grant Arkansas final authorization under RCRA. October 15, 1984 49 FR 40320 EPA proposes the second update to the National Priorities List. October 17, 1984 49 FR 40610 Tentative approval to grant Massachusetts final authorization under RCRA. October 19, 1984 49 FR 41036 Colorado granted final authorization effective 1:00 p.m. on October 19, 1984. October 22, 1984 49 FR 42138 EPA published its Regulatory Agenda. October 23, 1984 49 FT* 42580 Delisting petitions sutmitted under 40 CFR 260.20 and 260.22 were published to exclude from the hazardous waste listings in 40 CFR 261.31 and 261.32. October 24, 1984 49 FR 42759 Tentative approval to grant Kansas final authorization under RCRA. October 24, 1984 49 FR 42761 Tentative approval to grant New Mexico final authorization under RCRA. October 25, 1984 49 FR 42959 Tentative approval to grant South Carolina final authorization under RCRA. October 26, 1984 49 FR 43072 Tentative approval to grant Maryland final authorization under RCRA. ------- -7- ADDRESSEES John Skinner, WH-562 Mike Cook, WH-562 Eileen Claussen, WH-562 Robert Knox, WH-562 Carl Reeverts, WH-562 Devarah Zeitlin, WH-562 Cora Beebe, WH-562A Jack McGraw, WH-562A John Lehman, WH-565 Fred Lindsey, WH-565 Bruce Weddle, WH-563 Clan Rastatter, WH-563 Elizabeth Cotsworth, WH-563 Penny Hansen, WH-565 Alan Corson, WH-565 Ken Shuster, WH-565 Dale Ruhter, WH-565 William Sanjour, WH-563 Walter Kovalick, WH548 Truett DeGeare, WH-563 Steve Levy, WH-563 Peter Guerrero, WH-563 John Thompson, WH-563 Mike Shannon, WH-563 Susan Mann, WH-563 George Garland, WH-562 William Hedeman, WH-548 Elaine Stanley, WH-548 James Makris, WH-548A Robert Landers, WH-548A Jim Jowett, WH-548B Henry Van Cleave, DOD/DLA Russ Wyer, WH-548E Bill Hanson, WH-548E Mary Ann Froehlich, WH-548D Carol Lawson, 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-104 Tony Montrone, WH-527 Pete Rosenberg, WH-527 Mike Kosakcwski, WH-527 Barbara Elkus, WH-527 Hotline Staff Alvin K. Joe, Jr., Geo/Resource Sue Moreland (ASTSWMO) Diane McCreary, Region III Library Joyce Baker, Region III Library Lisa Friedman, LE-132S Steve Darrler, EPA - Edison, NJ John Gilbert, EPA - Cincinnati, OH Thad Juszczak, WH-562A Jack Stanton, WH-548B John Riley, WH-548B Mike Flaherty, WH-548B Jack Kooyoomjian, WH-548B Rick Horner, WH-548B John Bosky, EPA - Kansas City, KS Hazardous Waste Division Directors, Regions I-X Hazardous Waste Management Branch Chiefs, Regions I-X ------- |