Ores and Minerals; Additional Data Available on Wastes From: Federal Register: EPA

[Federal Register: March 1, 1995]

ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
[FRL-5163-1]

Ores and Minerals; Additional Data Available on Wastes From Extraction and Beneficiation

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency.

ACTION: Notice of availability.

SUMMARY: This notice announces the availability of technical documents issued by the Agency concerning wastes from non-coal extraction and beneficiation. Focused on selected mineral sectors, these documents update and supplement the information contained in the Agency's December 1985, Report to Congress on Wastes from the Extraction and Beneficiation of Metallic Ores, Phosphate Rock, Asbestos, Overburden from Uranium Mining, and Oil Shale. The documents were developed over the past four years, and take into account public comments received during that time. Therefore, the Agency is not soliciting comments on the information described in this notice, and is not reopening the comment period on the Report to Congress.

ADDRESSES: This information is available on paper at the RCRA docket, EPA Headquarters, Washington, DC and all EPA Regional Libraries. Copies of the documents may also be purchased from the National Technical Information Service at (703) 487-4650 or (800) 553-NTIS. The RCRA public docket room is located at EPA Headquarters, 401 M Street SW., Washington, D.C., Room M2616, 2nd floor, Waterside Mall and is available for viewing 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Monday through Friday, excluding federal holidays. Public review of the docket materials is by appointment only. Call (202) 260-9327. The documents are located under docket number F-95-MTDA-FFFFF.
As part of an interagency ``streamlining'' initiative, EPA is making this notice and most of the supporting documents available electronically. They can be accessed in electronic format on the Internet System through:
EPA Public Access Gopher Server: Go to: gopher.epa.gov; From the main menu, choose ``EPA Offices and Regions''; Next choose ``Office of Solid Waste and Emergency Response (OSWER)''; Finally choose ``Office of Solid Waste/Other Wastes/Bevill Amendment-Mining Waste.'' Through FTP: Go to: ftp.epa.gov; Login: anonymous; Password: Your Internet Address; Files are located in /pub/gopher. All OSW files are in directories beginning with OSW.
Through MOSAIC: Go to: http:// www.epa.gov; Choose the EPA Public Access Gopher; From the main (Gopher) menu choose ``EPA Office and Regions''; Next choose ``Office of Solid Waste and Emergency Response (OSWER)''; Finally, choose ``Office of Solid Waste/Other Wastes/Bevill Amendment-Mining Waste.''
Through Dial-up Access: Dial 919-558-0334; Choose EPA Public Access Gopher; From the main (Gopher) menu choose ``EPA Offices and Regions''; Next choose ``Office of Solid Waste and Emergency Response (OSWER)''; Then choose ``Office of Solid Waste/Other Wastes/Bevill AmendmentMining Waste.''
EPA is interested in learning whether people have obtained these documents electronically and what their experiences were in doing so. You are encouraged to provide feedback on the electronic availability of these documents by sending E-mail to OSW-Pilot@epamail.epa.gov.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For general information, contact the RCRA/Superfund Hotline at (800) 424-9346; for technical information contact Bonnie Robinson (5302W), U.S. Environmental Protection Agency SW., Washington, D.C. 20460, (703) 308-8429 or by sending an E-mail to: Robinson.Bonnie@epamail.epa.gov.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Background

A. Regulatory Activities

RCRA Section 3001(b)(3)(A)(i-iii) (``the Bevill Exemption'') exempted among other things solid wastes from the ``extraction, beneficiation, and processing of ores and minerals'' from regulation under RCRA Subtitle C, pending completion of a Report to Congress and a subsequent regulatory determination of whether such regulation is warranted. In particular, Section 8002 (f) and (p) of RCRA required EPA to conduct a detailed and comprehensive study and submit a Report to Congress on the adverse effects on human health and the environment, if any, of the disposal of these wastes.
EPA published the Report to Congress on Wastes from the Extraction and Beneficiation of Metallic Ores, Phosphate Rock, Asbestos, Overburden from Uranium Mining, and Oil Shale in December, 1985. This report addresses wastes from the extraction and beneficiation of metallic ores (with special emphasis on copper, gold, iron, lead, silver, and zinc), uranium overburden, and the nonmetals asbestos and phosphate rock. EPA selected these mining industry segments because they generate large quantities of wastes that are potentially hazardous.
On July 3, 1986 (51 FR 24496) EPA published a regulatory determination based on the findings of the Report to Congress. These findings concluded that non-coal extraction and beneficiation mining wastes should be regulated as solid wastes under RCRA Subtitle D, rather than as hazardous wastes under RCRA Subtitle C. The Agency has also promulgated rules that identify mineral processing wastes that meet the exemption criteria of being high-volume and low-hazard^{1. With the exception of 20 wastes, the majority of
the mineral processing wastes do not meet this criteria and are subject
to Subtitle C hazardous waste regulations^{2. Today's notice focuses
on the release of information concerning non-coal extraction and
beneficiation wastes and references no new mineral processing
information. For more information on Mineral Processing Wastes, consult
the RCRA docket (#F-90-RMPA-FFFF).}}

\1\See 54 FR 36592 September 1, 1989 and 55 FR 2322 January 23, 1990.
\2\Final Regulatory Determination on Special Wastes from Mineral Processing (56 FR 27300 June 13, 1991).

B. Non-Regulatory Activities

Since 1985, the Agency has collected information on selected mineral sectors to update and supplement the 1985 Report to Congress. EPA has been working closely with States, public interest groups, and industry to solicit input on waste management approaches and to gather information. Since the Report to Congress on Wastes from the Extraction and Beneficiation of Metallic Ores, Phosphate Rock, Asbestos, Overburden from Uranium Mining, and Oil Shale was published in 1985, the Agency has conducted site visits and prepared case study reports on waste generation and management practices of operating mines. Additionally, the Agency has compiled reports on the selected mineral sectors and has provided research grants to support continued study of the environmental impacts of non-coal mining, as well as current waste management and engineering practices. This new information is described in today's notice.

II. Description of Information

A complete list of the information described below is available from the RCRA Docket at the address and telephone number listed above. The new data include:

Technical Resource Documents--Mineral Sectors

The Agency has prepared technical resource documents on extraction and beneficiation practices of various mineral sectors. Each of the following documents contains a summary of current literature on waste management practices in the sector and site visit reports of operating mines. These documents have been peer reviewed by state representatives, federal land management agencies, mining companies, and public interest groups. Where appropriate, the reviewers' comments have been incorporated into each document. These documents will be available in Spanish in May 1995: (1) TRD Vol.1: Lead-Zinc (NTIS PB94- 170248); (2) TRD Vol.2: Gold (NTIS PB94-170305); (3) TRD Vol.3: Iron (NTIS PB94-195203); (4) TRD Vol.4: Copper (NTIS PB94-200979); (5) TRD Vol.5: Uranium (NTIS PB94-200987); (6) TRD Vol.6: Gold Placer (NTIS PB94-201811); and (7) TRD Vol.7: Phosphate & Molybdenum (NTIS PB94- 201001).

Technical Reports--Mining Waste Management and Engineering Practices

These documents discuss current mining waste management and engineering practices. These documents have been peer reviewed by state representatives, federal land management agencies and mining companies. Where appropriate, the reviewers' comments have been incorporated into each document. Additionally, the WASTE database will be available in the RCRA docket and electronically, however, it will be unavailable at NTIS. These documents will be available in Spanish in May 1995: (1) Innovative Methods of Managing Environmental Releases at Mine Sites (NTIS PB94-170255); (2) Design and Evaluation of Tailings Dams (NTIS PB94-201845); (3) Treatment of Cyanide Heap Leaches & Tailings (NTIS PB94-201837); (4) Acid Mine Drainage Prediction (NTIS PB94-201829); and (5) WASTE: An Information Retrieval System for Mill Tailings References (NOT AT NTIS).

Ores and Minerals; Additional Data Available on Wastes From: Federal Register: EPA

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