Document ID: EPA-HQ-RCRA-2003-0012-0205
Agency: epa
Document Type: Supporting & Related Material
Title: 
Posted Date: 2008-12-01T05:00Z

Kristin Fitzgerald/DC/USEPA/US 

12/20/2006 04:17 PM	To

	wmdiess@iastate.edu

	cc

	

	bcc

	Patricia Mercer/DC/USEPA/US@EPA; Meg McCarthy/DC/USEPA/US@EPA; James 

Michael/DC/USEPA/US@EPA

	Subject

	Follow-up Question to ISU Comment

	

	

William Diesslin

Iowa State University

 Thank you for your comments on EPA’s Proposed Rule: Subpart
K—Standards 

Applicable to Academic Laboratories (71 Federal Register 29712) on
behalf 

of Iowa State University (ISU).

In response to ISU’s comments (Docket Number 

EPA-HQ-RCRA-2003-0012-0096.1), EPA has a follow-up question.  In the 

preamble to the proposed rule (page 29720), EPA estimated that hazardous

laboratory waste constitutes 9% of the annual hazardous waste generated
by 

college and university large quantity generators.  EPA based this number

on data submitted to EPA by colleges and universities that are large 

quantity generators, as part of the 2001 Biennial Report.  

In contrast, on page 1 of ISU’s comments to the docket, you commented 

that, “The ISU experience is that laboratory waste is closer to 90% of
the 

waste generated on campus.  An informal poll of peer institutions leads
us 

to believe ISU is not the exception and that most facilities have a 

similar waste generation profile.”  EPA is very interested in any data

that ISU has and can provide to support this assertion.  This
information 

would be beneficial to EPA in its development of the final rule, in
order 

to have a fuller understanding of the laboratory waste generation
patterns 

at colleges and universities.  Unfortunately, this comment is not useful

to EPA without supporting data that can substantiate or validate ISU’s

waste generation or the results of the “informal poll.”  EPA would
find it 

helpful if you could provide an explanation of the origins of the data 

(e.g., what year are the data from, what is included/excluded in the 

categories of laboratory waste and hazardous waste), and how or why the 

data may differ from the Biennial Report data we relied on.  In
addition, 

we would appreciate a timely response to allow us to incorporate any 

information you may provide into the decision-making process, as 

appropriate.   Please provide a response by the end of January 2007.  If

you are unable to provide a response by then, please contact us to let
us 

know if and when you could provide a timely response.  

Any supporting information you provide to EPA will be made publicly 

available in the docket for the rulemaking, unless the information is 

claimed as Confidential Business Information (CBI). Therefore, if you 

submit any information that you claim as CBI, clearly mark all of the 

information that you claim to be CBI.  Information so marked will not be

disclosed, except in accordance with procedures set forth in 40 CFR part

2.  Please do not fax any information claimed as CBI.  For additional 

information on how to submit CBI, refer to page 29713, of the May 23, 

2006, Federal Register, proposed rule for academic laboratories, or 

contact LaShan Haynes, the Office of Solid Waste CBI contact, at (703) 

605-0516, Haynes.LaShan@epa.gov.

Again, thank you for your comments on the proposed standards for
academic 

laboratories.  Please direct any questions or response to this letter to

any member of EPA’s labs team:  

Patricia Mercer, (703) 308-8408, Mercer.Patricia@epa.gov

Meg McCarthy, (703) 308-8653, McCarthy.Meg@epa.gov

Kristin Fitzgerald, (703) 308-8286, Fitzgerald.Kristin@epa.gov

**************************************************************

Kristin Fitzgerald

US EPA - Office of Solid Waste

mail code:  5304P

phone:  703-308-8286

fax:  703-308-0522

email:  fitzgerald.kristin@epa.gov

work schedule:  Tuesday/Thursday