U.S. Round 2 Part 503 Sewage Sludge Regulations

Posted to the SludgeWatch List Serv by Maureen Reilly ...
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EPA NODA for Round 2 Part 503 Regulations Show Very Low Risks from Dioxin

EPA published in the 6-12-02 Federal Register a notice of data availability for the
Round 2 Part 503 sewage sludge regulations. This document summarizes the new sewage
sludge data and risk assessment for dioxin. Based on a revised risk assessment
(probabilistic) for land application of sewage sludge, the Agency estimates that its
highly exposed population to land-applied sewage sludge using the current cancer
slope factor is very low, ranging from 2 x 10-5 to 1 x 10-6. EPA had proposed a 300
ppt dioxin limit for land application of biosolids in 1999 and is inviting comment on
whether setting such a limit would make no detectable difference in risk or if no
further action or rulemaking should be taken. In addition, the Agency is inviting
comment on whether a voluntary methodology should be used to identify, reduce, and
eliminate sources of dioxin from entering wastewater facilities that contribute to
occasional elevated levels of dioxin in sewage sludge.
In addition, EPA is inviting comment on the effect of applying approaches in EPA's
current Draft Dioxin Reassessment concerning non-cancer health effects of exposure to
dioxins as they relate to land application of sewage sludge. EPA also conducted a
screening analysis of the effects of dioxins in land-applied sewage sludge on
ecological species, which is addressed in this notice. EPA is requesting comments on
the new data and risk analysis, as well as dioxin exposure information, and any
impact that this may have on the proposed rule with respect to land application of
sewage sludge. EPA is under a court-ordered deadline to take final action by 10-17-02
on the proposed land application rule. The deadline was recently extended to October
17, 2003 with respect to land application; EPA met the previous court-ordered
deadline of December 15, 2001 for taking final action on the Round Two proposal
concerning surface disposal and incineration in a sewage sludge incinerator.

There is a list of 12 request for comments that are posted at the end of the Federal
Register notice. Comments on this document must be submitted to EPA in writing and
must be received or postmarked on or before midnight September 10, 2002.

To view the 6-12-02 Federal Register notice, click on ...

http://www.epa.gov/fedrgstr/EPA-WATER/2002/June/Day-12/w14761.pdf