NMFRC "Hot Topics"

• SERDP AND ESTCP Announce Expanded Technical Program and Training Opportunities at Annual Technical Symposium & Workshop

• EPA Finalizes Amendment to the F019 Hazardous Waste Listing

• NMFRC Fact Sheet: Proposed National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants (NESHAP) for Plating and Polishing Operations

• REACH — Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and Restriction of Chemical substances is a European Community Regulation (EC 1907/2006) that became effective on June 1, 2007.  It replaces a number of fragmented European directives and regulations within a single system. 

• The New England Regional Surface Finishing Conference will be held Nov 7th
  at the Cape Codder Hotel and Resort in Hyannis, MA.
  • Technical presentations from industry experts, regulatory agencies and metal finishing suppliers will be held in conjunction with a table top trade show.
  • Waste Water Treatment and TURI contact hours will be given out at the conference.
  • Following the day of presentations attendees will enjoy a New England Clambake dinner and all in attendance will receive a 2008 Regional computer carry case.
  • The Cape Codder boasts one of New England's largest indoor wave pools for families and friends to enjoy.

For more information contact Marc Pellessier from Valley Plating at 413.732.7053, John Gilbert from Gilbert and Jones @ 800.577.2962 or Marko Duffy of MacDermid @ 508.904.8899.

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• EPA Widens Window on Regulatory Process

  EPA is sharing more information about ways the public can get involved in environmental regulation.

  The agency has added new features to one of its most popular Web sites for environmental regulatory information. This site – titled "Laws, Regulations, Guidance and Dockets" - is often the public's first exposure to EPA's regulatory activities. Its user-friendliness has been enhanced with easily accessible ways to search and comment on EPA regulations and significant guidance documents, and to learn how environmental regulations are written. The site also includes new sections for finding regulations and related documents, plus regulatory history, statutory authority, supporting analyses, compliance information, and guidance for implementation. Also, for the first time, searches for regulatory information can be conducted by environmental topics, such as water or air, or by business sectors, such as transportation or construction.

  The new site is easily accessible from EPA's homepage and can be found by choosing "Laws, Regulations, Guidance & Dockets" from the left-hand navigation bar.

  See the new site: http://www.epa.gov/lawsregs/

  More information: Dave Ryan, (202) 564-4355 / ryan.dave@epa.gov

• Future of Metal Finishing Report
  The NMFRC has published a report entitled Future of Metal Finishing. The technology section is based on the results of a survey of experts from job and captive shops and suppliers/consultants. If you have a stake in the surface finishing industry, this report was written for you.

• EPA Proposes Changes to TRI Reporting and Requests Comments—Comments must be submitted by January 16, 2008.  

EPA has proposed the following changes to TRI reporting standards:

Provide more specific "basis of estimate'' codes (applies to Form R only.) Facilities may currently select among four codes to indicate how they calculate their release quantities: the use of monitoring data (code M), mass balance calculations (C), emission factors (E), and other approaches (O). The addition of more specific codes in the TRI Reporting Forms and Instructions will allow reporting facilities to provide more detailed information on their basis of estimate. Collecting more specific "basis of estimate'' data will help the TRI Program determine which methods are most often used and/or appropriate for use by particular industries for certain chemicals, as well as when new TRI guidance may be needed. Therefore, EPA will provide a more extensive list of codes for "basis of estimate'' in the TRI Reporting Forms and Instructions, including (M1) and (M2) for continuous and periodic/random monitoring, respectively; and (E1) and (E2) for published and site-specific emission factors, respectively. (Codes (C) and (O) will remain unchanged.) By using these codes, facilities will indicate the principal method used to determine the quantities reported to TRI.

Enhance Public Contact information (applies to Form and Form A.) EPA proposes to add a place on the form where a facility can provide the e-mail address for the "Public Contact'' on the Form R, in addition to the Public Contact name and telephone number which are already on the Form R. This should make it easier to contact the individual identified.

Add boxes for entering revision codes (applies to Form R and Form A.) The TRI Program currently receives many form revisions each year, but does not currently collect information on the reasons for the revisions. EPA proposes to add new revision codes that will help both the public and the TRI Program staff understand why a facility resubmitted a form. In addition, the TRI Program may be able to analyze the revision codes entered by facilities to identify and address recurring reporting issues that facilities may be facing, ultimately reducing errors and saving time for both the Agency and the reporting facilities. Facilities would be able to report up to two codes (listed and defined in the TRI Reporting Forms and Instructions) indicating the main reason(s) that a form is being revised.

Provide a field for withdrawing a form and add boxes for entering withdrawal Codes (applies to Form R and Form A.) Currently, a facility that wishes to withdraw a previously submitted form must submit its request, including the rationale, as a hard copy memorandum to the TRI Data Processing Center. Adding a "Withdrawal'' field and associated code boxes for reasons for withdrawal to Form R will (1) streamline the withdrawal process for facilities, (2) make it easier for EPA to automate the withdrawal process, and (3) improve the Agency's ability to analyze the reasons for withdrawals.

Comments must be submitted on or before January 16, 2008.  Submit your comments, referencing Docket ID No. EPA-HQ-TRI-2007-0355, to (1) EPA online using http://www.regulations.gov (our preferred method), by e-mail to oei.docket@epa.gov, or by mail to EPA Docket Center, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Mail Code 2822T, 1200 Pennsylvania Ave., NW., Washington, DC 20460, and (2) OMB by mail to Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs, Office of Management and Budget (OMB), Attention: Desk Officer for EPA, 725 17th Street, NW., Washington, DC 20503.

More Information

Agency Information Collection Activities, Proposed Collections; Toxic Chemical Release Reporting; Request for Comments on Proposed Changes and the Renewal of Form R.  Federal Register: December 17, 2007 (Volume 72, Number 241).  

• Will the Chemical Facility Anti-Terrorism Standards apply to your plating shop? Find out here ...

• The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has revised the Halogenated Solvent Cleaning NESHAP in May, 2007. Read more.

• The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has proposed to modify the definition of solid waste rule to streamline regulation of hazardous secondary materials. Read More

• The Hazardous Waste Manifest Has Changed and the Compliance Assistance Platform has prepared several resources that will inform you of the changes.

• The TRI Burden Reduction Rule expands eligibility for use of the Form A Certification Statement.

• OSHA Hexavalent Chromium PEL is Finalized. Find out the details at the NMFRC Cr PEL page.

• Stormwater regulations are changing and the the changes impact metal finishers. Read our new article, "Stormwater Rules Have Changed," which includes links to many more resources. You also find a state-by-state information tool.