By Meagan Newman and Craig B. Simonsen
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has announced public meetings to “obtain public input from stakeholders” on a national electronic manifest (E-Manifest) database system intended to capture information on shipments of hazardous wastes.
Specifically, the purpose of the meetings is to solicit comments from the states, industry, communities, nongovernmental organizations, and other stakeholders on what expectations and technical requirements EPA should consider as the Agency begins the planning stages for the E-Manifest system. “EPA envisions that E-Manifest will facilitate the electronic transmittal of manifests throughout the hazardous waste shipping process, including enabling better transparency by sharing data with the public at appropriate stages.”
Each meeting is expected to be one and one-half days long. The dates and locations for each meeting are:
- February 25–26, 2013: Arlington, Virginia, EPA Headquarters, One Potomac Yard, 2777 S. Crystal Drive, Arlington, VA 22202.
- March 14–15, 2013: Chicago, Illinois, EPA Region 5, Ralph Metcalfe Federal Building, 77 West Jackson Blvd., Chicago, IL 60604–3590.
- March 21–22, 2013: Denver, Colorado, EPA Region 8, 1595 Wynkoop Street, Denver, CO 80202–1129.
Potentially interested parties may include information technology staff and personnel supporting hazardous waste generators, hazardous waste treatment, storage and disposal facilities, hazardous waste transporters, nongovernmental organizations and trade associations dealing with hazardous waste transportation issues.
EPA is requiring that all persons wishing to attend the meetings must register in advance of each meeting. Register online at: http://www.epa.gov/osw/hazard/transportation/manifest/e-man-meetings.htm .