Jump to main content.

Capacity Analysis Background Document

You will need Adobe Reader to view some of the files on this page. See EPA's PDF page to learn more.

This document presents the capacity analysis that EPA conducted to support the proposed Land Disposal Restrictions (LDRs) Phase IV: Newly Identified Mineral Processing Wastes (Supplemental Rule). EPA conducts capacity analyses to evaluate the need for national capacity variances from the land disposal prohibitions. The capacity analysis provides estimates of the quantities of wastes that will require alternative commercial treatment prior to land disposal as a result of the LDRs and estimates alternative commercial treatment capacity available to manage wastes restricted from land disposal. In this rule, EPA is proposing LDRs for newly identified and listed mineral processing wastes.

EPA's analysis of the data in Exhibit 3-1 indicates that, at most, approximately 160 facilities will be affected by today's proposed rule. The number of facilities represent the facilities in each mineral processing commodity sector. Some facilities, however, have processes that fall into more than one commodity sector. This would reduce the indicated total number of facilities affected.

Exhibit 3-2 presents ranges of quantities of newly identified mineral processing wastes that are likely to be affected by today's proposed rule under both a prior treatment baseline and a no prior treatment baseline. The lower bound and upper bound estimates of the affected wastes were developed using the assumptions described in Section 3.3. The results indicate that a total of approximately 3.2 million to 37 million metric tons of waste per yearÄthe majority (approximately 85 percent) being wastewater ill require alternative treatment capacity.

Top of Page

Local Navigation

Jump to main content.