United States
Environmental Protection
Agonoy
Office of the
Administrator
[MdilCodo 1802]
EPA-100-F-99-023
July 1999
(http:/Aw.w.oPQ.gov
*EPA
Project XL: New York State
_ < < ,
Department of
Environmental Conservation
3EINVEHTIOH
WHAT IS
PROJECT XL?
SUM MARY OF
THE NYSDEC
PROJECT
SUPERIOR
ENVIRONMENTAL
PERFORMANCE
Project XL, which stands for "excellence and Leadership," is a national
initiative that tests innovative ways of achieving better and more
cost-effective public health and environmental protection. The experience
and lessons learned from Project XL will assist EPA in redesigning its
current regulatory and policy-setting approaches. Project XL encourages
testing of cleaner, cheaper, and smarter ways to attain environmental
results superior to those achieved under current regulations and policies.
It also requires greater involvement by stakeholders, i.e., the people and
organizations affected by EPA's decisions. It is vital that each project test
new ideas with the potential for wide application and broad environmental
benefits. As of July 1999, thirteen pilot projects are being implemented
and about twentyfive additional experiments are in negotiation.
The Resource Conservation and Recovery Act currently requires
producers of hazardous wastes at remote locations (e.g., manholes and
pipelines away from their staffed facilities) to transport all quantities of
waste-no matter how small - to an often distant treatment, storage, and
disposal facility (TSDF). The waste producers, which include public
utilities, may keep the waste at the remote location for up to 90 days
before transporting it to the TSDF. Under the new Project XL agreement
between EPA and the New York State Department of Environmental
Conservation (NYSDEC), public utilities in New York State will be able to
transport wastes to a nearby central collection facility, provided they do it
as soon as the waste has been collected. They then can store the waste
at the central collection facility - designated by the state - for up to 90 days
before transporting it to a permitted TSDF. Approximately fifteen utilities -
- including gas, electric, and phone companies with locations throughout
the state - are expected to participate initially. The final project
agreement, EPA's 14th XL project, was signed on July 12, 1999.
The project provides the following environmental benefits:
Reduces the risk of accidental hazardous waste
releases at remote locations (e.g. manholes and
pipelines) by quickly moving the waste to a nearby
collection facility.
Allows consolidation of similar waste at central collection
Page 1
-------
FLEXIBILITY
STAKEHOLDER
INVOLVEMENT
APPROACHES TO
BE TESTED
facilities, which reduces the number of vehicle trips to
often-distant treatment, storage and disposal facilities
and avoids traffic disruptions.
Requires each participating utility to reinvest one-third of
its direct cost savings (e.g. staff time and paperwork)
into one or more new, environmentally beneficial
projects.
Under current regulations, New York State public utilities must transport
waste generated at remote locations to a permitted treatment, storage
and disposal facility. Under this XL project, the participating utilities will
instead be able to transport the waste to central collection facilities where
they may accumulate waste for up to 90 days. In addition, participating
utilities will be permitted to obtain a single identification number and
submit a single Biennial Report for the central collection facility and all
remote locations that ship waste to that facility.
The project was developed with extensive involvement by New York State
public utilities. Information on the project was disseminated to over 500
local environmental groups and published in the New York State Register
and the New York State Environmental Reporter. In addition, the project
provides for public notice and comment prior to designation of each
central collection facility.
Will immediate transport of hazardous waste to local facilities reduce
accidental releases and traffic congestion?
Are utility and agency costs significantly reduced by consolidating
reporting requirements and eliminating administrative requirements?
Can the reinvestment of a portion of the utilities' savings in
environmental projects provide better environmental protection than
current regulation?
Regional:
EPA/XL HQ:
State:
Phil Flax
Nancy Birnbaum
Lawrence Nadler
212-637-4143
202-260-2601
518-485-8988
CONTACTS
More information about Project XL is available on the Internet at
http://www.epa.gov/ProjectXL, or via Project XL's Information Line at
202-260-5754.
FOR ELECTRONIC
INFORMATION
Page 2
------- |