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Executive Summary:
This notice announces the availability of additional
information on the electronic manifest (e-manifest) project.
Specifically, subsequent to EPA's proposal to develop a
nearly paperless electronic approach for implementing the
manifest requirements, EPA's Office of Solid Waste held a
two-day public meeting to discuss and obtain public input on
a national e-manifest system. The purpose of the meeting was
to discuss with stakeholders the rulemaking progress and to
solicit input and preferences on the development
and
implementation of the e-manifest project. EPA also presented
material on alternative information technology (IT)
approaches to the e-manifest, including a centralized
approach under which EPA would host a web-based national
system. As a result of these discussions and subsequent
analysis of possible means to fund the development and
operation of an e-manifest system, EPA now believes that a
centralized, national e-manifest system is the preferred
approach. EPA will consider the data obtained from the
public meeting and any new data from public comments
received on this notice in making a final decision on
whether to develop a national electronic manifest
(e-manifest) system. The Agency expects to go final based on
the comments it receives on this notice. |
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Key Elements of the Rule:
On May 22, 2001 (66 Federal Register 28240), EPA issued a
proposed rule allowing waste handlers (generators,
transporters, and treatment, storage or disposal facilities)
the option of preparing, transmitting, signing, and storing
their manifests electronically. E-manifesting could greatly
reduce the paperwork burdens of the current system, while
improving the effectiveness of tracking waste shipments and
managing data. The proposal included standardized
electronic data interchange formats and an Internet Forms
format for the e-manifest. The regulations promoted a
decentralized approach in which EPA would issue several
information technology (IT) standards and private parties
such as waste handlers, waste management firms and IT
vendors would develop and even market their own
e-manifesting systems which would comply with the EPA IT
standards. However, public comments criticized the
decentralized approach presented in the proposed rule.
Commenters raised concerns that under a decentralized system
there would be issues concerning the potential inability of
different systems to operate with each other, as well as
other concerns that arise regarding whether data from these
different systems could be exchanged and processed
consistently. The commenters believed that a centralized,
national web-based system would provide a more consistent,
secure, and cost effective platform for e-manifesting
services. They also believed that a national system would
offer greater benefits to users and regulators, such as
one-stop manifest reporting, more effective oversight and
enforcement of the manifest requirements, nearly real-time
tracking services for waste shippers and receivers, and the
possible consolidation of duplicative State and Federal
systems now in place to collect and manage manifest data and
similar waste receipt data collected for biennial reporting
purposes. A centralized e-manifest approach would result in
the development of a consistent, interoperable and secure IT
system that would offer more benefits than would result from
the operation of multiple decentralized private systems.
Therefore, this notice announces EPA's preferred approach
for proceeding with a centralized e-manifesting web-based IT
system that EPA will host on its IT architecture.
Conceptually, the initial centralized e-manifest system
would provide only core services necessary to manage waste
shipment tracking, waste data collection functions and the
archiving of official manifest records. The system would be
designed so additional EPA reporting functions or additional
commercial services could be added in the future.
Commenters to the proposed rule also indicated that they
would be willing to pay reasonable fees for their e-manifest
transactions in order to develop and maintain a centralized
system. EPA is working on securing the appropriate
authorizing legislation in order to award a contract in
FY2007 for the development of the centralized system.
Lastly,
EPA is soliciting comments on whether the use of the
e-manifest should be mandatory or voluntary. |
