Title 45—Public Welfare--Volume 1
PART 671—WASTE REGULATION
§ 671.1   Purpose of regulations.
The purposes of these regulations in part 671 are to protect the Antarctic environment and dependent and associated ecosystems, to preserve Antarctica's value as an area for the conduct of scientific research, and to implement the Antarctic Conservation Act of 1978, Public Law 95-541, consistent with the provisions of the Protocol on Environmental Protection to the Antarctic Treaty, signed in Madrid, Spain, on October 4, 1991.
§ 671.2   Scope.
These regulations in part 671 apply to any U.S. citizen's use or release of a banned substance, designated pollutant or waste in Antarctica.
§ 671.3   Definitions.
(a) Definitions. In this part:
Act means the Antarctic Conservation Act of 1978, Public Law 95-541, 92 Stat. 2048 (16 U.S.C. 2401 et seq. )
Antarctic hazardous waste means any waste consisting of or containing one or more designated pollutants.
Antarctica means the area south of 60 degrees south latitude.
Banned substance means any polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), non-sterile soil, polystyrene beads, plastic chips or similar loose polystyrene packing material, pesticides (other than those required for scientific, medical or hygiene purposes) or other substance designated as such under subpart E of this part.
Designated pollutant means any substance designated as such by the Director pursuant to subpart E of this part; any pesticide, radioactive substance, or substance consisting of or containing any chemical listed by source, generic or chemical name at 40 CFR 61.01, Table 116.4A of 40 CFR 116.4; subpart D of 40 CFR part 261, 40 CFR 302.4, part 355, and part 372; and any substance which exhibits a hazardous waste characteristic as defined in subparts B and C of 40 CFR part 261; but shall not include any banned substance.
Director means the Director of the National Science Foundation, or an officer or employee of the Foundation designated by the Director.
Incinerate or Incineration means the processing of material by mechanisms that (1) involve the control of combustion air and/or fuel so as to maintain adequate temperature for efficient combustion; (2) contain the combustion reaction in an enclosed device with sufficient residence time and mixing for complete processing; and (3) control emission of gaseous or particulate combustion products.
Master permit means a permit issued to a federal agency, or its agents or contractors, or any other entity, covering activities conducted in connection with USAP or other group activities in Antarctica.
NSF or Foundation means the National Science Foundation.
Open burning means combustion of any material by means other than incineration.
Permit means a permit issued pursuant to subpart C of this part.
Private permit means any permit other than a master permit.
Protocol means the Protocol on Environmental Protection to the Antarctic Treaty, signed by the United States in Madrid on October 4, 1991, and any and all Annexes thereto, as amended or supplemented from time to time.
Release means any spilling, leaking, pumping, pouring, emitting, emptying, discharging, injecting, leaching, dumping, burying or disposing of a substance, whether intentionally or accidentally.
Station means McMurdo Station, Palmer Station, Amundsen-Scott South Pole Station and any other permanent USAP facility in Antarctica designed to accommodate at least 50 persons at any one time.
Substance means any gas, liquid, or solid, or mixture thereof, including biological material.
Treaty means the Antarctic Treaty signed in Washington, D.C., on December 1, 1959.
United States means the several States of the Union, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, American Samoa, the Virgin Islands, Guam and the Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands, including the Federated States of Micronesia and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands.
United States Antarctic Program or USAP means the United States national program in Antarctica.
U.S. citizen means any individual who is a citizen or national of the United States; any corporation, partnership, trust, association, or other legal entity existing or organized under the laws of any of the United States; and any department agency or other instrumentality of the Federal government or of any State, and any officer, employee, or agent of such instrumentality.
Use means to use, generate or create a substance, or to import a substance into Antarctica, but does not include the shipboard use of a substance, provided that substance is not released or removed from the vessel.
Waste means any substance that will no longer be used for any useful purpose, but does not include substances to be recycled in Antarctica, or substances to be reused in a manner different than their initial use, provided such substances are stored in a manner that will prevent their dispersal into the environment, and further provided that they are recycled, reused or disposed of in accordance with the provisions of this part within three years. Recycling includes, but is not limited to, the reuse, further use, reclamation or extraction of a waste through a process or activity that is separate from the process or activity that produced the waste.
(b) Pollutants, generally. All banned substances, designated pollutants and waste shall be considered pollutants for purposes of the Antarctic Conservation Act.
§ 671.4   Prohibited acts.
Unless one of the exceptions stated in § 671.5 is applicable, it is unlawful for any U.S. citizen to:
(a) Use or release any banned substance in Antarctica;
(b) Use or release any designated pollutant in Antarctica, except pursuant to a permit issued by NSF under subpart C of this part;
(c) Release any waste in Antarctica, except pursuant to a permit issued by NSF under subpart C of this part; or
(d) Violate any term or condition of a permit issued by NSF under subpart C of this part, or any term or condition of any of the regulations issued under this part.
§ 671.5   Exceptions
A permit shall not be required for any use or release of designated pollutants or waste allowed under the Act to Prevent Marine Pollution from Ships (33 U.S.C. 1901 et seq. ), as amended, or for any shipboard use of banned substances or designated pollutants, provided such substances are not removed from the vessel in Antarctica.
§ 671.6   Applications for permits.
(a) General content of permit applications. Each application for a permit shall be dated and signed by the applicant, and shall include the following information:
(1) The applicant's name, address and telephone number, the business or institutional affiliation of the applicant, or the name, address and telephone number of the president, principal officer or managing partner of the applicant, as applicable;
(2) A description of the types, expected concentrations and volumes of wastes and designated pollutants to be released in Antarctica; the nature and timing of such releases; arrangements for waste management, including, without limitation, plans for waste reduction, minimization, treatment and processing, recycling, storage, transportation and disposal; arrangements for training and educating personnel to comply with these waste management requirements and procedures, and arrangements for monitoring compliance; and other arrangements for minimizing and monitoring the environmental impacts of proposed operations and activities;
(3) A description of the types, expected concentrations and volumes of designated pollutants to be used in Antarctica; the nature and timing of such uses; the method of storage of designated pollutants; and a contingency plan for controlling releases in a manner designed to minimize any resulting hazards to health and the environment;
(4) The desired effective date and duration of the permit; and
(5) The following certification:
“I certify that, to the best of my knowledge and belief, and based upon due inquiry, the information submitted in this application for a permit is complete and accurate. Any knowing or intentional false statement will subject me to the criminal penalties of 18 U.S.C. 1001.”
(b) Address to which application should be sent. Each application shall be in writing, and sent to:
(c) Sufficiency of application. The sufficiency of the application shall be determined by the Director. The Director may waive any requirement for information, or require such additional information as he determines is relevant to the processing and evaluation of the application.
(d) Publication of permit applications. The Director shall publish notice in the Federal Register of each application for a permit and the proposed conditions of its issuance (including duration). The notice shall invite the submission by interested parties, the Environmental Protection Agency and other federal agencies, within 30 days after the date of publication of notice, of written data, comments, or views with respect to the application. Information received by the Director as a part of any application shall be available to the public as a matter of public record.
§ 671.7   General issuance criteria.
(a) Upon receipt of a complete and properly executed application for a permit, the Director will decide whether and on what conditions he will issue a permit. In making this decision, the Director will carefully consider any comments or suggestions received from interested parties, the Environmental Protection Agency and other federal agencies pursuant to § 671.6(d), and will determine whether the permit requested meets the objectives of the Act, the Protocol, and the requirements of these regulations.
(b) Permits authorizing the use or release of designated pollutants or wastes may be issued only if, based on relevant available information, the Director determines that such use or release will not pose a substantial hazard to health or the environment, taking into account available information on the possible cumulative impact of multiple releases.
§ 671.8   Permit administration.
(a) Issuance of permits. The Director may approve an application for a permit in whole or in part, and may condition such approval upon compliance with additional terms and conditions. Permits shall be issued in writing, shall be signed by the Director, shall specify duration, and shall contain such terms and conditions as may be established by the Director and as are consistent with the Act and this part.
(b) Denial. An applicant shall be notified in writing of the denial of any permit request or part of a request, and the reason for such denial. If authorized in the notice of denial, the applicant may submit further information, or reasons why the permit should not be denied. Such further submissions shall constitute amendments of the application.
(c) Amendment of applications or permits. An applicant or permit holder desiring to have any term or condition of his application or permit modified must submit full justification and supporting information in conformance with the provisions of this part. Any application for modification of a permit that involves a material change beyond the terms originally requested will be subject to the same procedures as a new application.
(d) Public notice of issuance or denial. Within 10 days after the date of the issuance or denial of a permit, the Director shall publish notice of the issuance or denial in the Federal Register, including the conditions of issuance or basis for denial, as appropriate.
§ 671.9   Conditions of permit.
(a) Conditions. All permits issued pursuant to subpart C of this part shall be conditioned upon compliance with the relevant provisions of the ACA, the Treaty, the Protocol, such specific conditions or restrictions as may be imposed by the Director under § 671.7, and the provisions of subpart D of this part.
(b) Possession of permits. Permits issued under this part, or copies of them, must be in the possession of persons to whom they are issued or their agents when conducting the authorized action. Any permit issued shall be shown to the Director or to any other person with enforcement authority upon request.
(c)(1) Reports. Permit holders must provide the Director with written reports of:
(i) Any non-permitted release of designated pollutants or waste within fourteen days after the occurrence of such release, including the date, quantity and cause of the release, and plans for remediation;
(ii) The identity and quantity of all designated pollutants removed from Antarctica or otherwise disposed of, and the method of disposal; and
(iii) Any other violations of the terms and conditions of their permits.
(2) The Director may also require permit holders to file reports of activities conducted under their permits. Such reports shall be submitted to the Director not later than June 30 for the preceding 12 month period ending May 31.
§ 671.10   Review, modification, suspension, and revocation.
(a) The Director may modify, suspend or revoke, in whole or in part, any permit issued under this part:
(1) In order to make the permit consistent with any change to any regulation in this part made after the date of issuance of the permit;
(2) If there is any change in conditions which makes the permit inconsistent with the Act and any regulation in this part; or
(3) In any case in which there has been any violation of any term or condition of the permit, any regulation in this part, or any provision of the Act.
(b) The Director shall review all unexpired permits issued under this part at least biennially to determine whether those permits should be modified, suspended or revoked as set forth in paragraph (a) of this section.
(c) Whenever the Director proposes any modifications, suspensions or revocations of a permit under this § 671.10, the permittee shall be afforded the opportunity, after due notice, for a hearing by the Director with respect to such proposed modification, suspension, or revocation. If a hearing is requested, the action proposed by the Director shall not take effect before a decision is issued by him after the hearing, unless the proposed action is taken by the Director to meet an emergency situation.
(d) Notice of the modification, suspension, or revocation of any permit shall be published in the Federal Register within 10 days from the date of the Director's decision.
§ 671.11   Waste storage.
(a) Pending the treatment, disposal or removal of any wastes pursuant to § 671.12, all wastes shall be contained, confined or stored in a manner that will prevent dispersal into the environment;
(b) All Antarctic hazardous wastes generated at or transported to any USAP station may be temporarily stored at such station prior to the treatment, disposal or removal of any wastes pursuant to § 671.12, provided all such Antarctic hazardous waste is stored in either closed containers or tanks labeled to indicate their contents and the beginning date of accumulation of such waste, and further provided the following conditions are satisfied:
(1) If Antarctic hazardous wastes, radioactive wastes, or medical wastes, are generated at or transported to McMurdo Station, they may be temporarily stored at that station for a period not to exceed 15 months;
(2) If Antarctic hazardous wastes, radioactive wastes, or medical wastes, are generated at or transported to South Pole Station, they may be temporarily stored at that station while awaiting transport to McMurdo Station, for a period not to exceed 15 months;
(3) If Antarctic hazardous wastes, radioactive wastes, or medical wastes, are generated at or transported to Palmer Station, they may be temporarily stored at that station while awaiting transport to McMurdo Station or other disposition, for a period not to exceed 28 months;
(4) Containers holding Antarctic hazardous wastes must be:
(i) In good, non-leaking condition with sufficient structural integrity for the storage of Antarctic hazardous waste;
(ii) Made of or lined with materials which will not react with, and are otherwise compatible with, the Antarctic hazardous waste to be stored, so that the ability of the containers to contain such waste is not impaired;
(iii) Stored in a manner that allows access for inspection and response to emergencies; and
(iv) Inspected at least weekly for leakage and deterioration. All inspections must be appropriately documented.
(5) Tank systems used for storing Antarctic hazardous wastes must be in good, non-leaking condition with sufficient structural integrity for the storing of hazardous wastes; and systems must be inspected weekly to detect corrosion or releases of waste and to collect data from monitoring and leak detection equipment, to the extent available, to ensure that they are functioning properly. All inspections must be appropriately documented. Prior to the expiration of the 15 month period referred to in § 671.11(b)(1), all Antarctic hazardous wastes shall be treated or removed from Antarctica in accordance with § 671.12.
(6) Ignitable, reactive or incompatible wastes shall be properly segregated and protected from sources of ignition or reaction, as appropriate.
(c) All Antarctic hazardous wastes generated at a location other than a permanent station may be temporarily stored at such location for a period not to exceed 12 months, in closed, non-leaking containers marked to indicate their contents. Such containers must be in good condition and made of or lined with material which will not react with and is otherwise compatible with the Antarctic hazardous waste stored therein so as not to impair the ability of the container to contain the waste. Prior to the expiration of the 12 month period referred to above, all such hazardous wastes shall be either:
(1) Treated or processed, disposed of or removed from Antarctica pursuant to § 671.12, or
(2) Removed to a permanent station and temporarily stored at that station in accordance with paragraph (b) of this section.
§ 671.12   Waste disposal.
(a)(1) The following wastes shall be removed from Antarctica:
(i) Radioactive materials;
(ii) Electrical batteries;
(iii) Fuel (both liquid and solid);
(iv) Waste containing harmful levels of heavy metals or acutely toxic or harmful persistent compounds;
(v) Poly-vinyl chloride (PVC), polyurethane foam, polystyrene foam, rubber and lubricating oils, treated timbers and other products containing additives which can produce harmful emissions or releases;
(vi) All other plastic wastes except low density polyethylene containers (such as bags for storing wastes) provided such containers are incinerated in accordance with paragraph (e) of this section;
(vii) Solid, non-combustible wastes; and
(viii) Fuel, oil and chemical drums that constitute waste.
(2) Notwithstanding paragraph (a)(1) of this section, the obligations set forth in paragraphs (a)(1) (vii) and (viii) of this section shall not apply if the Director determines that the removal of such wastes by any practicable option would cause greater adverse environmental impacts than would be caused by leaving them in their existing locations.
(b) All liquid wastes other than sewage and domestic liquid wastes and wastes referred in paragraph (a) of this section shall be removed from Antarctica to the maximum extent practicable.
(c) Sewage and domestic liquid wastes may be discharged directly into the sea, taking into account the assimilative capacity of the receiving marine environment, and provided that such discharge occurs, wherever practicable, where conditions exist for initial dilution and rapid dispersal, and further provided that large quantities of such wastes (generated in a station where the average weekly occupancy over the austral summer is approximately 30 individuals or more) shall be treated at least by maceration. If biological treatment processes are used, the by-product of such treatment may be disposed of into the sea provided disposal does not adversely affect the local environment.
(d) Residues of introduced animal carcasses, laboratory culture of micro-organisms and plant pathogens, and introduced avian products must be removed from Antarctica unless incinerated, autoclaved or otherwise sterilized.
(e) Combustible wastes not removed from Antarctica other than wastes referred to in paragraph (a) of this section, shall be burnt in incinerators which reduce harmful emissions or discharges to the maximum extent practicable and the solid residue of such incineration shall be removed from Antarctica; provided, however, that USAP may continue to bury such combustible wastes in snow pits at South Pole Station, but must phase out such practices before March 1, 1995. Any emission or discharge standards and equipment guidelines which may be recommended by the Committee for Environmental Protection constituted or to be constituted pursuant to the Protocol or by the Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research shall be taken into account.
(f) Sewage and domestic liquid wastes and other liquid wastes not removed from Antarctica in accordance with other provisions of this section, shall, to the maximum extent practicable, not be disposed of onto sea ice, ice shelves or grounded ice-sheet unless such wastes were generated by stations located inland on ice shelves or on the grounded ice-sheet. In such event, the wastes may be disposed of in deep ice pits if that is the only practicable option, provided the ice pits are not located on known ice-flow lines which terminate at ice-free land areas or in blue ice areas of high ablation.
(g) No wastes may be disposed of onto ice-free areas or into any fresh water system.
(h) Open burning of wastes is prohibited at all permanent stations, and shall be phased out at all other locations by March 1, 1994. If it is necessary to dispose of waste by open burning prior to March 1, 1994, allowance shall be made for the wind direction and speed and the type of waste to be burnt to limit particulate deposition and to avoid such deposition over areas of special biological, scientific, historic, aesthetic or wilderness significance.
(i) Each unauthorized release of waste in Antarctic shall be, to the maximum extent practicable, promptly cleaned up by the person responsible for such release.
§ 671.13   Waste management for the USAP.
(a) In order to provide a basis for tracking USAP wastes, and to facilitate studies aimed at evaluating the environmental impacts of scientific activity and logistic support, the USAP shall classify its wastes in one of the following categories:
(1) Sewage and domestic liquid wastes;
(2) Other liquid wastes and chemicals, including fuels and lubricants;
(3) Solid wastes to be combusted;
(4) Other solid wastes; and
(5) Radioactive material.
(b) USAP shall prepare and annually review and update a waste management plan (including plans for waste reduction, storage and disposal) specifying for each of its permanent stations, field camps and ships (other than small boats that are part of the operations of permanent stations or are otherwise taken into account in existing management plans for ships):
(1) Current and planned waste management arrangements, including final disposal;
(2) Current and planned arrangement for assessing the environmental effects of waste and waste management;
(3) Other efforts to minimize environmental effects of wastes and waste management; and
(4) Programs for cleaning up existing waste disposal sites and abandoned work sites.
(c) USAP shall designate one or more waste management officials to develop and monitor waste management plans and ensure that members of expeditions receive training so as to limit the impact of their activities on the Antarctic environment, and to inform them of the requirements of the Protocol and of this part.
(d) USAP shall, to the extent practicable, prepare an inventory of locations of past activities (i.e., traverses, fuel depots, field bases, crashed aircraft) so that such locations can be taken into account in planning future scientific, logistic and waste management programs.
(e) USAP shall clean up its past and present waste disposal sites on land and abandoned work sites, except that it shall not be required to:
(1) Remove any structure designated as a historic site or monument; or
(2) Remove any structure or waste in circumstances where the removal would result in greater adverse environmental impact than leaving the structure or waste in its existing location.
(f) USAP shall circulate waste management plans and inventories described in this section in accordance with the requirements of the Treaty and the Protocol.
§ 671.14   Annual review.
The Director shall review the list of banned substances and designated pollutants at least annually, and may propose the designation or redesignation of any substance as a banned substance, designated pollutant or other waste, based on the following criteria:
(a) If the Director determines that a substance, including a designated pollutant, poses a substantial immediate hazard to health or the environment and such hazard cannot be eliminated through waste management practices or other methods, or if the Parties to the Protocol or Treaty agree that a substance should be banned from use in Antarctica, the Director may designate such substance a banned substance.
(b) If the Director determines that a substance is liable to create a hazard to health or the environment if improperly treated or processed, stored, transported, or disposed of, the Director may designate such substance a designated pollutant.
(c) If the Director determines that a substance previously designated a banned substance no longer displays the characteristics described in paragraph (a) of this section, the Director may remove such substance from the list of banned substances (to the extent consistent with the provisions of the Protocol), but if the Director determines that such substance has the characteristics described in paragraph (b) of this section, it shall be redesignated a designated pollutant.
(d) If the Director determines that a substance previously designated a designated pollutant no longer displays the characteristics described in paragraph (b) of this section, the Director may remove such substance from the list of designated pollutants.
(e) In making the determinations referred to in paragraphs (a) through (d) of this section, the Director shall take into account all relevant new information obtained through monitoring activities or otherwise.
§ 671.15   Publication of preliminary determination
Prior to any designation or redesignation of substances pursuant to § 671.14 (including removal of such substances from lists of banned substances or designated pollutants), the Director shall publish notice in the Federal Register of any proposed designation or redesignation, including the basis therefor. The notice shall invite the submission by interested parties, the Environmental Protection Agency and other federal agencies, within 30 days after the date of publication of notice, of written data, comments, or views with respect to such action.
§ 671.16   Designation and redesignation of pollutants
After review of any comments or suggestions received from interested parties, the Environmental Protection Agency and other Federal agencies pursuant to § 671.15, the Director will make a final determination to designate and redesignate various substances as set forth above. Within 10 days after the date of such final determination, the Director shall publish notice of any action taken in the Federal Register. Such action shall become effective no earlier than thirty days following publication of notice.
§ 671.17   Cases of emergency.
The provisions of this part shall not apply in cases of emergency relating to the safety of human life or of ships, aircraft or other equipment and facilities of high value, or the protection of the environment. Notice of any acts or omissions resulting from such emergency situations shall be reported promptly to the Director, who shall notify the Treaty parties in accordance with the requirements of the Treaty and the Protocol, and publish notice of such acts or omissions in the Federal Register.