Petitions to the Office of Land and Emergency Management
This page makes available petitions for rulemaking received by the Office of Land and Emergency Management (formerly named "Office of Solid Waste and Emergency Response") on or after January 1, 2013. For the purposes of this page, the agency has posted incoming communications styled as "petitions" for generally applicable, national rulemakings. Petitions provided as comments in a publicly available rulemaking docket are not reproduced here. Additional petitions will be added on an ongoing basis as they are received or identified; petitions on this page were last updated on September 26, 2016.
The presence of a petition on this page does not indicate an EPA decision to grant or deny the petition. Any regulatory action that follows as a result of a petition for rulemaking would still be shaped by the typical outreach used by the agency to gather stakeholder input, and is still subject to any applicable notice and comment requirements. Petitions for rulemaking from other offices.
| Date Received | Petitioners | Related Statutes | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| April 1, 2013 |
National Wildlife Federation, Sierra Club and Vermont Law School; Environmental and Natural Resources Law Clinic |
Administrative Procedure Act, Oil Pollution Act, Clean Water Act, Pipeline Safety Act |
More stringent regulations for transporting diluted bitumen, also known as “tar sands crude oil,” than those already existing for transportation of conventional crude oil; detailed industry reporting and the specific composition of diluted bitumen; spill response plans and training; independent review and public comment of facility spill response plans; increased inspections, and rigorous pre-operation review of written integrity management programs. Read the petition. |
| April 3, 2013 |
Treated Wood Council |
RCRA |
Treated Wood Council is petitioning EPA to make a finding that non-hazardous secondary treated wood biomass is, as a class, not a waste. Treated Wood Council asks that this material be added to the materials identified in 40 CFR § 241.4 (a) as a material that is not a solid waste when used as a fuel in a combustion unit. Read the petition. |
| April 23, 2013 | US Defense Logistics Agency, Department of Defense | TSCA |
The US Department of Defense generates polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) at their bases in other countries. DOD’s Defense Logistics Agency (DLA) arranges to ship the PCBs to the United States for proper disposal. To import the PCBs into the United States, the DLA needs an exemption from the TSCA PCB import restrictions. DLA is specifically requesting an exemption to allow DLA to import foreign-manufactured PCBs that the DOD currently owns in Japan for proper disposal in the United States. Read the petition. |
| November 12, 2013 | An Association of Responsible Recyclers; Inc. (NORA) | RCRA |
NORA is seeking a determination that off-specification used oil fuel does not constitute a waste when combusted in specific categories of combustion units. Read the petition. |
| June 2014 | The Citizens’ Coalition to Ban Toxic Dispersants (and joined by others) | Clean Water Act, 33 U.S.C. § 1321(d)(2)(G) and the Administrative Procedures Act Title 5. Sec. 553(e) |
Petitioner supplemented the requests in their original petition, based on new evidence and scientific information, as well as the U.S. Department of Transportation’s recent emergency regulations for handling crude oil by rail. Petitioner undertook a comprehensive rewrite of Subparts A, B, C, D, and J (related to use of dispersants and other chemical agents) and noted where revisions are needed in other subparts and in the appendices. Read the petition. |
| July 29, 2014 | Center for Biological Diversity | Section 7004 of RCRA and Section 21 of TSCA | Petitioner requests EPA to promulgate regulations governing safe treatment, storage and disposal of polyvinyl chloride (“PVC”), vinyl chloride, and associated chemical additives, commonly known as Phthalate plasticizers. Read the petition. |
| May 10, 2016 | Anthony G. Patchett, on behalf of SAN PEDRO PENINSULA HOMEOWNERS UNITED, INC. TONGV A ANCESTRAL TERRITORIAL TRIBAL NATION | Clean Air Act (CAA) | The Petition calls for “EPA to re-examine the risks associated with the Plains/Rancho LPG facility (located at 2110 N. Gaffey Street - San Pedro/Wilmington, CA) and to require Plains All American Pipeline (Rancho LPG LLC) to resubmit Rancho LPG LLC's (severely minimized) worst case blast radius reporting to the EPA (under rule 40 CFR part 68.25) using the proper "TNT" equivalency calculation for all flammables.” Read the petition. |
| June 8, 2016 | Earthjustice (and joined by 9 others) | Resource Conservation and Recovery (RCRA) | Earthjustice et al submitted a petition for rulemaking to promulgate regulations governing the safe disposal of coal combustion residuals (CCR) in municipal solid waste landfills. Specifically, Earthjustice requests that EPA amend the federal minimum criteria under 40 CFR part 258 to ensure that the disposal of CCR in municipal solid waste landfills does not pose an unreasonable probability of adverse effects on human health and the environment. Read the petition. |