Skip to main content
U.S. Department of Energy
Office of Scientific and Technical Information

Public participation is an important component in risk communication for hazardous waste combustion facilities

Conference ·
OSTI ID:617728
 [1]
  1. Environmental Protection Agency, Chicago, IL (United States)

The US Environmental Protection Agency (US EPA) recognizes that many stakeholders have an interest in the permitting process under the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA). Consequently, EPA has sought to increase the role of public participation through the following guidance and regulations: the Waste Minimization and Combustion Strategy, the RCRA Expanded Public Participation Rule, and the RCRA Public Participation Manual. In addition to implementing regulatory requirements for public participation, EPA is encouraging additional voluntary activities to address public concerns over the operation and potential health risks associated with hazardous waste facilities. An example includes EPA`s voluntary activities regarding the RCRA permit application for the Rhone-Poulenc Basic Chemicals (RPBC) facility in Hammond, Indiana. These activities included a series of informal public availability sessions at which the EPA explained the combustion permit process, addressed public questions, and informed the public that the permitting process will evaluate whether burning of waste presents significant potential health risks. The Agency believes that these sessions are effective for promoting open participation in the permitting process. 7 refs., 1 tab.

OSTI ID:
617728
Report Number(s):
CONF-9704196--
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English

Similar Records

Enhanced Public Participation - A State's Perspective
Conference · Tue Jul 01 00:00:00 EDT 2008 · OSTI ID:21319743

Multipathway risk assessment using the EPA region 6 protocol
Conference · Thu Jul 01 00:00:00 EDT 1999 · OSTI ID:20002271

Annual Hanford Site environmental permitting status report
Technical Report · Thu Sep 17 00:00:00 EDT 1998 · OSTI ID:10148956