Commodity-Grade Mercury: Notice of Stakeholder Panel Process, Notice of Public Meeting, and Solicitation of Public Comment, 14805-14807 [E7-5813]
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Federal Register / Vol. 72, No. 60 / Thursday, March 29, 2007 / Notices
The names and biosketchs of qualified
nominees identified by respondents to
the Federal Register notice and
additional experts identified by the SAB
Staff will be posted on the SAB Web
Site at: https://www.epa.gov/sab. Public
comments on this ‘‘Short List’’ of
candidates will be accepted for 21
calendar days. The public will be
requested to provide relevant
information or other documentation on
nominees that the SAB Staff Office
should consider in evaluating
candidates.
For the EPA SAB Staff Office, a
balanced subcommittee or review panel
includes candidates who possess the
necessary domains of knowledge, the
relevant scientific perspectives (which,
among other factors, can be influenced
by work history and affiliation), and the
collective breadth of experience to
adequately address the charge. In
establishing the final Acrylamide
Review Panel (ARP), the SAB Staff
Office will consider public comments
on the ‘‘Short List’’ of candidates,
information provided by the candidates
themselves, and background
information independently gathered by
the SAB Staff Office. Selection criteria
to be used for Panel membership
include: (a) Scientific and/or technical
expertise, knowledge, and experience
(primary factors); (b) availability and
willingness to serve; (c) absence of
financial conflicts of interest; (d)
absence of an appearance of a lack of
impartiality; and (e) skills working in
committees, subcommittees and
advisory panels; and, for the Panel as a
whole, (f) diversity of, and balance
among, scientific expertise, viewpoints,
etc.
The SAB Staff Office’s evaluation of
an absence of financial conflicts of
interest will include a review of the
‘‘Confidential Financial Disclosure
Form for Special Government
Employees Serving on Federal Advisory
Committees at the U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency’’ (EPA Form 3110–
48). This confidential form allows
Government officials to determine
whether there is a statutory conflict
between that person’s public
responsibilities (which includes
membership on an EPA Federal
advisory committee) and private
interests and activities, or the
appearance of a lack of impartiality, as
defined by Federal regulation. The form
may be viewed and downloaded from
the following URL address: https://
www.epa.gov/sab/pdf/epaform3110–
48.pdf.
The approved policy under which the
EPA SAB Office selects subcommittees
and review panels is described in the
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following document: Overview of the
Panel Formation Process at the
Environmental Protection Agency
Science Advisory Board (EPA–SAB–EC–
02–010), which is posted on the SAB
Web Site at: https://www.epa.gov/sab/
pdf/ec02010.pdf.
Dated: March 21, 2007
Anthony F. Maciorowski,
Deputy Director, EPA Science Advisory Board
Staff Office.
[FR Doc. E7–5810 Filed 3–28–07; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6560–50–P
ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION
AGENCY
[EPA–HQ–OPPT–2007–0148; FRL–8120–8]
Commodity-Grade Mercury: Notice of
Stakeholder Panel Process, Notice of
Public Meeting, and Solicitation of
Public Comment
Environmental Protection
Agency (EPA).
ACTION: Notice.
AGENCY:
SUMMARY: The Environmental Protection
Agency, in conjunction with other
Federal agencies and offices, is
announcing a stakeholder panel process
to provide approaches for management
of non-Federal supplies of commoditygrade mercury. The need for
management arises from concern that
some mercury supplies may ultimately
be released into the environment,
resulting in human exposure with the
potential to cause adverse health effects.
A stakeholder panel will hold a series
of meetings with the kickoff meeting in
Washington, DC on May 8, 2007. EPA
invites the public to submit written
comments to the EPA on the issues the
stakeholder panel will address.
Stakeholder panel meetings will be
open to the public and there will be
opportunity for public comment at each
meeting. Information on the public
meetings will be available at https://
www.epa.gov/mercury/roadmap.htm.
DATES: Meeting: The first meeting will
be held on May 8, 2007, from 9 a.m. to
5 p.m., in Washington, DC. Dates of
future meetings will be announced on
https://www.epa.gov/mercury/
roadmap.htm.
Participation: Requests to participate
in the meeting must be received on or
before April 12, 2007. See also Unit IV.
of the SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION.
Special Accommodations: To request
accommodation of a disability, please
contact the technical person listed
under FOR FURTHER INFORMATION
CONTACT, preferably at least 10 days
prior to the meeting, to give EPA as
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14805
much time as possible to process your
request.
Comments: Comments must be
received on or before September 30,
2007.
Meeting: The first meeting
will be held at Marriott Learning
Complex, Ronald Reagan Building and
International Trade Center, 1300
Pennsylvania Ave., NW. (Federal
Triangle), Washington, DC.
Participation: Requests to participate
in the meeting must be sent to the
technical person listed under FOR
FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT. See also
Unit IV. of the SUPPLEMENTARY
INFORMATION.
Comments: Submit your comments,
identified by docket identification (ID)
number EPA–HQ–OPPT–2007–0148, by
one of the following methods:
• Federal eRulemaking Portal: https://
www.regulations.gov. Follow the on-line
instructions for submitting comments.
• Mail: Document Control Office
(7407M), Office of Pollution Prevention
and Toxics (OPPT), Environmental
Protection Agency, 1200 Pennsylvania
Ave., NW., Washington, DC 20460–
0001.
• Hand Delivery: OPPT Document
Control Office (DCO), EPA East Bldg.,
Rm. 6428, 1201 Constitution Ave., NW.,
Washington, DC. Attention: Docket ID
Number EPA–HQ–OPPT–2007–0148.
The DCO is open from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.,
Monday through Friday, excluding legal
holidays. The telephone number for the
DCO is (202) 564–8930. Such deliveries
are only accepted during the DCO’s
normal hours of operation, and special
arrangements should be made for
deliveries of boxed information.
Instructions: Direct your comments to
docket ID number EPA–HQ–OPPT–
2007–0148. EPA’s policy is that all
comments received will be included in
the docket without change and may be
made available on-line at https://
www.regulations.gov, including any
personal information provided, unless
the comment includes information
claimed to be Confidential Business
Information (CBI) or other information
whose disclosure is restricted by statute.
Do not submit information that you
consider to be CBI or otherwise
protected through regulations.gov or email. The regulations.gov website is an
‘‘anonymous access’’ system, which
means EPA will not know your identity
or contact information unless you
provide it in the body of your comment.
If you send an e-mail comment directly
to EPA without going through
regulations.gov, your e-mail address
will be automatically captured and
included as part of the comment that is
ADDRESSES:
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placed in the docket and made available
on the Internet. If you submit an
electronic comment, EPA recommends
that you include your name and other
contact information in the body of your
comment and with any disk or CD-ROM
you submit. If EPA cannot read your
comment due to technical difficulties
and cannot contact you for clarification,
EPA may not be able to consider your
comment. Electronic files should avoid
the use of special characters, any form
of encryption, and be free of any defects
or viruses. For additional information
about EPA’s public docket, visit the EPA
Docket Center homepage at https://
www.epa.gov/epahome/dockets.htm.
Docket: All documents in the docket
are listed in the docket index available
in regulations.gov. To access the
electronic docket, go to https://
www.regulations.gov, select ‘‘Advanced
Search,’’ then ‘‘Docket Search.’’ Insert
the docket ID number where indicated
and select the ‘‘Submit’’ button. Follow
the instructions on the regulations.gov
website to view the docket index or
access available documents. Although
listed in the index, some information is
not publicly available, e.g., CBI or other
information whose disclosure is
restricted by statute. Certain other
material, such as copyrighted material,
will be publicly available only in hard
copy. Publicly available docket
materials are available electronically at
https://www.regulations.gov, or, if only
available in hard copy, at the OPPT
Docket. The OPPT Docket is located in
the EPA Docket Center (EPA/DC) at Rm.
3334, EPA West Bldg., 1301
Constitution Ave., NW., Washington,
DC. The EPA/DC Public Reading Room
hours of operation are 8:30 a.m. to 4:30
p.m., Monday through Friday, excluding
Federal holidays. The telephone number
of the EPA/DC Public Reading Room is
(202) 566–1744, and the telephone
number for the OPPT Docket is (202)
566–0280. Docket visitors are required
to show photographic identification,
pass through a metal detector, and sign
the EPA visitor log. All visitor bags are
processed through an X-ray machine
and subject to search. Visitors will be
provided an EPA/DC badge that must be
visible at all times in the building and
returned upon departure.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For
general information contact: Colby
Lintner, Regulatory Coordinator,
Environmental Assistance Division
(7408M), Office of Pollution Prevention
and Toxics, Environmental Protection
Agency, 1200 Pennsylvania Ave., NW.,
Washington, DC 20460–0001; telephone
number: (202) 554–1404; e-mail address:
TSCA-Hotline@epa.gov.
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For technical information contact:
Joshua Novikoff, National Program
Chemicals Division (7404T), Office of
Pollution Prevention and Toxics,
Environmental Protection Agency, 1200
Pennsylvania Ave., NW., Washington,
DC 20460–0001; telephone number:
(202) 566–0502; e-mail address:
novikoff.joshua@epa.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION
I. General Information
A. Does this Action Apply to Me?
You may be potentially affected by
this action if your work involves
commodity-grade mercury, mercury byproducts, or mercury waste. Potentially
affected entities may include, but are
not limited to:
• Chlor-alkali manufacturers (NAICS
code 325181), e.g. facilities that use
mercury processes.
• Metals mining companies (NAICS
code 2122), e.g. gold mines.
• Mercury recovery facilities (NAICS
code 562920), i.e., facilities that recover
elemental mercury from waste.
• Waste Treatment and Disposal
(NAICS code 5622), e.g. treatment,
storage, and disposal facilities that
manage hazardous mercury waste.
• Public Administration (NAICS code
92), e.g. State and local agencies
responsible for municipal waste.
This listing is not intended to be
exhaustive, but rather provides a guide
for readers regarding entities likely to be
affected by this action. Other types of
entities not listed in this unit could also
be affected. The North American
Industrial Classification System
(NAICS) codes have been provided to
assist you and others in determining
whether this action might apply to
certain entities. If you have any
questions regarding the applicability of
this action to a particular entity, consult
the technical person listed under FOR
FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT.
B. What Should I Consider as I Prepare
My Comments for EPA?
1. Submitting CBI. Do not submit this
information to EPA through
regulations.gov or e-mail. Clearly mark
the part or all of the information that
you claim to be CBI. For CBI
information in a disk or CD-ROM that
you mail to EPA, mark the outside of the
disk or CD-ROM that you mail to EPA,
mark the outside of the disk or CD-ROM
as CBI and then identify electronically
within the disk or CD-ROM the specific
information that is claimed as CBI. In
addition to one complete version of the
comment that includes information
claimed as CBI, a copy of the comment
that does not contain the information
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claimed as CBI must be submitted for
inclusion in the public docket.
Information so marked will not be
disclosed except in accordance with
procedures set forth in 40 CFR part 2.
2. Tips for preparing your comments.
When submitting comments, remember
to:
i. Identify the document by docket ID
number and other identifying
information (subject heading, Federal
Register date and page number).
ii. Follow directions. The Agency is
asking you to respond to specific
questions.
iii. Explain why you agree or disagree;
suggest alternatives and substitute
language for your requested changes.
iv. Describe any assumptions and
provide any technical information and/
or data that you used.
v. If you estimate potential costs or
burdens, explain how you arrived at
your estimate in sufficient detail to
allow for it to be reproduced.
vi. Provide specific examples to
illustrate your concerns and suggest
alternatives.
vii. Explain your views as clearly as
possible, avoiding the use of profanity
or personal threats.
viii. Make sure to submit your
comments by the comment period
deadline identified.
II. Background
In EPA’s Roadmap for Mercury (July
2006), EPA committed to working with
other Federal agencies to initiate a
process with technical experts and
interested parties to assess options for
managing domestic elemental,
commodity-grade mercury surpluses. In
order to meet this commitment, a
stakeholder process has been
established to provide the Federal
Government with input on a reasonable
range of options and an assessment of
these options. The options will apply to
the commodity-grade mercury in the
United States not held by the Federal
Government.
The stakeholder panel process is
supported by EPA and its Federal
partners: Department of Commerce,
Department of Defense, Department of
Energy, Department of the Interior,
Department of State, and the Executive
Office of the President (Office of
Management and Budget, Council on
Environmental Quality, Office of
Science and Technology Policy, and
Office of the U.S. Trade Representative).
The stakeholder panel will consist of a
balanced mix of representatives from
academia, industry (e.g., chlor-alkali,
mining, mercury brokers), nongovernmental organizations (NGOs), and
States. Representatives from various
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Federal agencies will serve as technical
advisors, and will provide background
information and technical support to the
stakeholder panel as needed.
Composition of the stakeholder panel
may vary somewhat by meeting,
depending on which topics will be
discussed. This notice is not a
solicitation for stakeholder panel
participants.
EPA anticipates that the stakeholder
panel will meet on several occasions
over a 6–month period. The meetings
will be open to the public, with
opportunities for the public to make oral
comments to the stakeholder panel.
EPA will ask the stakeholder panel to
consider two questions:
1. How should the various nonFederal stocks of commodity-grade
mercury be managed both in the short
term and the long term?
2. How do current and future supply
and demand affect this determination
for each of the various stocks?
For more information, see the EPA
background paper, entitled Options for
Managing U.S. Non-Federal Supplies of
Commodity-Grade Mercury. To access
the background paper, see ADDRESSES.
jlentini on PROD1PC65 with NOTICES
III. Issues for Public Comment
EPA invites the public to send written
comments on the same two questions
addressed to the stakeholder panel:
1. How should the various nonFederal stocks of commodity-grade
mercury be managed both in the short
term and the long term?
2. How do current and future supply
and demand affect this determination
for each of the various stocks?
EPA advises commenters to use the
background paper as they prepare
comments. The background paper is
entitled Options for Managing U.S. NonFederal Supplies of Commodity-Grade
Mercury. To access the background
paper, see ADDRESSES.
IV. How Can I Request to Participate in
the Meeting?
Persons interested in attending the
public meeting are encouraged to preregister and state whether they intend to
make an oral comment. Pre-registration
assists in planning adequate seating and
in securing access to the building. Oral
comments should address the two
questions in the charge to the
stakeholder panel which are found in
Unit II. To pre-register, provide your
name, organization, telephone number,
and the docket ID number EPA–HQ–
OPPT–2007–0148 to the technical
person listed under FOR FURTHER
INFORMATION CONTACT. Pre-registration
requests must be received on or before
April 12, 2007. Do not submit any
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information in your pre-registration that
is considered CBI.
Oral comments will be scheduled in
the order the requests are received by
EPA. EPA may need to limit the length
of oral comments to allow for
participation by all parties.
EPA requests that oral comments be
included in the docket. Please follow
the instructions under ADDRESSES.
14807
Environmental Protection
Agency (EPA).
ACTION: Notice of public comment
period.
should be in writing and must be
received by EPA by April 28, 2007.
ADDRESSES: The draft ‘‘A Screening
Assessment of the Potential Impacts of
Climate Change on the Costs of
Implementing Water Quality-Based
Effluent Limits at Publicly-Owned
Treatment Works in the Great Lakes
Region’’ is available primarily via the
Internet on NCEA’s home page under
the Recent Additions and the Data and
Publications menus at https://
www.epa.gov/ncea. A limited number of
paper copies are available from NCEA’s
Technical Information Staff (telephone:
202–564–3261, facsimile: 202–565–
0050). If you are requesting a paper
copy, please provide your name, your
mailing address, and the document title.
Comments may be submitted
electronically via https://
www.regulations.gov, by mail, by
facsimile, or by hand delivery/courier.
Please follow the detailed instructions
provided in the SUPPLEMENTARY
INFORMATION section of this notice.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For
information on the public comment
period, contact the Office of
Environmental Information Docket;
telephone: 202–566–1752; facsimile:
202–566–1753; or e-mail:
ORD.Docket@epa.gov.
For technical information, contact
Thomas Johnson, NCEA; telephone:
202–564–3406; facsimile: 202–564–
2018; or e-mail:
Johnson.thomas@epa.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
SUMMARY: EPA is announcing a 30-day
public comment period for the draft
document titled, ‘‘A Screening
Assessment of the Potential Impacts of
Climate Change on the Costs of
Implementing Water Quality-Based
Effluent Limits at Publicly-Owned
Treatment Works in the Great Lakes
Region’’ (EPA/600/R–07/034A). The
document was prepared by the National
Center for Environmental Assessment
(NCEA) within EPA’s Office of Research
and Development.
EPA is releasing this draft document
solely for the purpose of predissemination peer review under
applicable information quality
guidelines. This document has not been
formally disseminated by EPA. It does
not represent and should not be
construed to represent any Agency
policy or determination. EPA will
consider any public comments
submitted in accordance with this
notice when revising the document.
DATES: The 30-day public comment
period begins March 29, 2007, and ends
April 28, 2007. Technical comments
I. Information About the Project/
Document
This report describes the potential
scope and magnitude of climate change
impacts on the cost of meeting water
quality based effluent limits at publicly
owned treatment works (POTWs)
discharging to rivers and streams in the
Great Lakes Region (GLR). The report is
a screening level analysis focusing on
costs of meeting water quality based
effluent limits for a single pollutant,
biochemical oxygen demand at all
POTWs in the region discharging to
currently impaired stream reaches.
POTWs discharge billions of gallons of
effluent daily to receiving water bodies
throughout the United States. One of the
principal pollutants associated with
POTW effluent is organic matter.
Naturally, occurring microbial
populations in receiving waters
consume dissolved oxygen (DO) as they
decompose organic matter. Low DO is a
significant source of water quality
impairment. Climate change in many
parts of the country is expected to
increase the proportion of rainfall
List of Subjects
Environmental protection, Chemicals,
Hazardous substances, Mercury.
Dated: March 22, 2007.
Wendy C. Hamnett,
Acting Assistant Administrator, Office of
Prevention, Pesticides and Toxic Substances.
[FR Doc. E7–5813 Filed 3–28–07; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6560–50–S
ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION
AGENCY
[Docket ID No. EPA–HQ–ORD–2007–0240;
FRL–8293–8]
A Screening Assessment of the
Potential Impacts of Climate Change
on the Costs of Implementing Water
Quality-Based Effluent Limits at
Publicly Owned Treatment Works in
the Great Lakes Region
AGENCY:
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]]>Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 72, Number 60 (Thursday, March 29, 2007)]
[Notices]
[Pages 14805-14807]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E7-5813]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
[EPA-HQ-OPPT-2007-0148; FRL-8120-8]
Commodity-Grade Mercury: Notice of Stakeholder Panel Process,
Notice of Public Meeting, and Solicitation of Public Comment
AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
ACTION: Notice.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: The Environmental Protection Agency, in conjunction with other
Federal agencies and offices, is announcing a stakeholder panel process
to provide approaches for management of non-Federal supplies of
commodity-grade mercury. The need for management arises from concern
that some mercury supplies may ultimately be released into the
environment, resulting in human exposure with the potential to cause
adverse health effects. A stakeholder panel will hold a series of
meetings with the kickoff meeting in Washington, DC on May 8, 2007. EPA
invites the public to submit written comments to the EPA on the issues
the stakeholder panel will address. Stakeholder panel meetings will be
open to the public and there will be opportunity for public comment at
each meeting. Information on the public meetings will be available at
https://www.epa.gov/mercury/roadmap.htm.
DATES: Meeting: The first meeting will be held on May 8, 2007, from 9
a.m. to 5 p.m., in Washington, DC. Dates of future meetings will be
announced on https://www.epa.gov/mercury/roadmap.htm.
Participation: Requests to participate in the meeting must be
received on or before April 12, 2007. See also Unit IV. of the
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION.
Special Accommodations: To request accommodation of a disability,
please contact the technical person listed under FOR FURTHER
INFORMATION CONTACT, preferably at least 10 days prior to the meeting,
to give EPA as much time as possible to process your request.
Comments: Comments must be received on or before September 30,
2007.
ADDRESSES: Meeting: The first meeting will be held at Marriott Learning
Complex, Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center, 1300
Pennsylvania Ave., NW. (Federal Triangle), Washington, DC.
Participation: Requests to participate in the meeting must be sent
to the technical person listed under FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT.
See also Unit IV. of the SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION.
Comments: Submit your comments, identified by docket identification
(ID) number EPA-HQ-OPPT-2007-0148, by one of the following methods:
Federal eRulemaking Portal: https://www.regulations.gov.
Follow the on-line instructions for submitting comments.
Mail: Document Control Office (7407M), Office of Pollution
Prevention and Toxics (OPPT), Environmental Protection Agency, 1200
Pennsylvania Ave., NW., Washington, DC 20460-0001.
Hand Delivery: OPPT Document Control Office (DCO), EPA
East Bldg., Rm. 6428, 1201 Constitution Ave., NW., Washington, DC.
Attention: Docket ID Number EPA-HQ-OPPT-2007-0148. The DCO is open from
8 a.m. to 4 p.m., Monday through Friday, excluding legal holidays. The
telephone number for the DCO is (202) 564-8930. Such deliveries are
only accepted during the DCO's normal hours of operation, and special
arrangements should be made for deliveries of boxed information.
Instructions: Direct your comments to docket ID number EPA-HQ-OPPT-
2007-0148. EPA's policy is that all comments received will be included
in the docket without change and may be made available on-line at
https://www.regulations.gov, including any personal information
provided, unless the comment includes information claimed to be
Confidential Business Information (CBI) or other information whose
disclosure is restricted by statute. Do not submit information that you
consider to be CBI or otherwise protected through regulations.gov or e-
mail. The regulations.gov website is an ``anonymous access'' system,
which means EPA will not know your identity or contact information
unless you provide it in the body of your comment. If you send an e-
mail comment directly to EPA without going through regulations.gov,
your e-mail address will be automatically captured and included as part
of the comment that is
[[Page 14806]]
placed in the docket and made available on the Internet. If you submit
an electronic comment, EPA recommends that you include your name and
other contact information in the body of your comment and with any disk
or CD-ROM you submit. If EPA cannot read your comment due to technical
difficulties and cannot contact you for clarification, EPA may not be
able to consider your comment. Electronic files should avoid the use of
special characters, any form of encryption, and be free of any defects
or viruses. For additional information about EPA's public docket, visit
the EPA Docket Center homepage at https://www.epa.gov/epahome/
dockets.htm.
Docket: All documents in the docket are listed in the docket index
available in regulations.gov. To access the electronic docket, go to
https://www.regulations.gov, select ``Advanced Search,'' then ``Docket
Search.'' Insert the docket ID number where indicated and select the
``Submit'' button. Follow the instructions on the regulations.gov
website to view the docket index or access available documents.
Although listed in the index, some information is not publicly
available, e.g., CBI or other information whose disclosure is
restricted by statute. Certain other material, such as copyrighted
material, will be publicly available only in hard copy. Publicly
available docket materials are available electronically at https://
www.regulations.gov, or, if only available in hard copy, at the OPPT
Docket. The OPPT Docket is located in the EPA Docket Center (EPA/DC) at
Rm. 3334, EPA West Bldg., 1301 Constitution Ave., NW., Washington, DC.
The EPA/DC Public Reading Room hours of operation are 8:30 a.m. to 4:30
p.m., Monday through Friday, excluding Federal holidays. The telephone
number of the EPA/DC Public Reading Room is (202) 566-1744, and the
telephone number for the OPPT Docket is (202) 566-0280. Docket visitors
are required to show photographic identification, pass through a metal
detector, and sign the EPA visitor log. All visitor bags are processed
through an X-ray machine and subject to search. Visitors will be
provided an EPA/DC badge that must be visible at all times in the
building and returned upon departure.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For general information contact: Colby
Lintner, Regulatory Coordinator, Environmental Assistance Division
(7408M), Office of Pollution Prevention and Toxics, Environmental
Protection Agency, 1200 Pennsylvania Ave., NW., Washington, DC 20460-
0001; telephone number: (202) 554-1404; e-mail address: TSCA-
Hotline@epa.gov.
For technical information contact: Joshua Novikoff, National
Program Chemicals Division (7404T), Office of Pollution Prevention and
Toxics, Environmental Protection Agency, 1200 Pennsylvania Ave., NW.,
Washington, DC 20460-0001; telephone number: (202) 566-0502; e-mail
address: novikoff.joshua@epa.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION
I. General Information
A. Does this Action Apply to Me?
You may be potentially affected by this action if your work
involves commodity-grade mercury, mercury by-products, or mercury
waste. Potentially affected entities may include, but are not limited
to:
Chlor-alkali manufacturers (NAICS code 325181), e.g.
facilities that use mercury processes.
Metals mining companies (NAICS code 2122), e.g. gold
mines.
Mercury recovery facilities (NAICS code 562920), i.e.,
facilities that recover elemental mercury from waste.
Waste Treatment and Disposal (NAICS code 5622), e.g.
treatment, storage, and disposal facilities that manage hazardous
mercury waste.
Public Administration (NAICS code 92), e.g. State and
local agencies responsible for municipal waste.
This listing is not intended to be exhaustive, but rather provides
a guide for readers regarding entities likely to be affected by this
action. Other types of entities not listed in this unit could also be
affected. The North American Industrial Classification System (NAICS)
codes have been provided to assist you and others in determining
whether this action might apply to certain entities. If you have any
questions regarding the applicability of this action to a particular
entity, consult the technical person listed under FOR FURTHER
INFORMATION CONTACT.
B. What Should I Consider as I Prepare My Comments for EPA?
1. Submitting CBI. Do not submit this information to EPA through
regulations.gov or e-mail. Clearly mark the part or all of the
information that you claim to be CBI. For CBI information in a disk or
CD-ROM that you mail to EPA, mark the outside of the disk or CD-ROM
that you mail to EPA, mark the outside of the disk or CD-ROM as CBI and
then identify electronically within the disk or CD-ROM the specific
information that is claimed as CBI. In addition to one complete version
of the comment that includes information claimed as CBI, a copy of the
comment that does not contain the information claimed as CBI must be
submitted for inclusion in the public docket. Information so marked
will not be disclosed except in accordance with procedures set forth in
40 CFR part 2.
2. Tips for preparing your comments. When submitting comments,
remember to:
i. Identify the document by docket ID number and other identifying
information (subject heading, Federal Register date and page number).
ii. Follow directions. The Agency is asking you to respond to
specific questions.
iii. Explain why you agree or disagree; suggest alternatives and
substitute language for your requested changes.
iv. Describe any assumptions and provide any technical information
and/or data that you used.
v. If you estimate potential costs or burdens, explain how you
arrived at your estimate in sufficient detail to allow for it to be
reproduced.
vi. Provide specific examples to illustrate your concerns and
suggest alternatives.
vii. Explain your views as clearly as possible, avoiding the use of
profanity or personal threats.
viii. Make sure to submit your comments by the comment period
deadline identified.
II. Background
In EPA's Roadmap for Mercury (July 2006), EPA committed to working
with other Federal agencies to initiate a process with technical
experts and interested parties to assess options for managing domestic
elemental, commodity-grade mercury surpluses. In order to meet this
commitment, a stakeholder process has been established to provide the
Federal Government with input on a reasonable range of options and an
assessment of these options. The options will apply to the commodity-
grade mercury in the United States not held by the Federal Government.
The stakeholder panel process is supported by EPA and its Federal
partners: Department of Commerce, Department of Defense, Department of
Energy, Department of the Interior, Department of State, and the
Executive Office of the President (Office of Management and Budget,
Council on Environmental Quality, Office of Science and Technology
Policy, and Office of the U.S. Trade Representative). The stakeholder
panel will consist of a balanced mix of representatives from academia,
industry (e.g., chlor-alkali, mining, mercury brokers), non-
governmental organizations (NGOs), and States. Representatives from
various
[[Page 14807]]
Federal agencies will serve as technical advisors, and will provide
background information and technical support to the stakeholder panel
as needed. Composition of the stakeholder panel may vary somewhat by
meeting, depending on which topics will be discussed. This notice is
not a solicitation for stakeholder panel participants.
EPA anticipates that the stakeholder panel will meet on several
occasions over a 6-month period. The meetings will be open to the
public, with opportunities for the public to make oral comments to the
stakeholder panel.
EPA will ask the stakeholder panel to consider two questions:
1. How should the various non-Federal stocks of commodity-grade
mercury be managed both in the short term and the long term?
2. How do current and future supply and demand affect this
determination for each of the various stocks?
For more information, see the EPA background paper, entitled
Options for Managing U.S. Non-Federal Supplies of Commodity-Grade
Mercury. To access the background paper, see ADDRESSES.
III. Issues for Public Comment
EPA invites the public to send written comments on the same two
questions addressed to the stakeholder panel:
1. How should the various non-Federal stocks of commodity-grade
mercury be managed both in the short term and the long term?
2. How do current and future supply and demand affect this
determination for each of the various stocks?
EPA advises commenters to use the background paper as they prepare
comments. The background paper is entitled Options for Managing U.S.
Non-Federal Supplies of Commodity-Grade Mercury. To access the
background paper, see ADDRESSES.
IV. How Can I Request to Participate in the Meeting?
Persons interested in attending the public meeting are encouraged
to pre-register and state whether they intend to make an oral comment.
Pre-registration assists in planning adequate seating and in securing
access to the building. Oral comments should address the two questions
in the charge to the stakeholder panel which are found in Unit II. To
pre-register, provide your name, organization, telephone number, and
the docket ID number EPA-HQ-OPPT-2007-0148 to the technical person
listed under FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT. Pre-registration requests
must be received on or before April 12, 2007. Do not submit any
information in your pre-registration that is considered CBI.
Oral comments will be scheduled in the order the requests are
received by EPA. EPA may need to limit the length of oral comments to
allow for participation by all parties.
EPA requests that oral comments be included in the docket. Please
follow the instructions under ADDRESSES.
List of Subjects
Environmental protection, Chemicals, Hazardous substances, Mercury.
Dated: March 22, 2007.
Wendy C. Hamnett,
Acting Assistant Administrator, Office of Prevention, Pesticides and
Toxic Substances.
[FR Doc. E7-5813 Filed 3-28-07; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6560-50-S
