AES Filing Compliance Date for Hazardous Waste Exports

This action announces that the Automated Export System (AES) filing compliance date for export shipments of hazardous waste and certain other materials is December 31, 2017. Under the ``Hazardous Waste Export-Import Revisions'' final rule published on November 28, 2016, that became effective on December 31, 2016, Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) provided flexibility to the regulated community by establishing a transition period prior to the required filing of EPA information into the AES for these export shipments. EPA had stated in the final rule that during the transition period, either paper processes or electronic processes at the port could be used until a future AES filing compliance date, which would be announced in a separate Federal Register action. EPA is making this announcement of the AES filing compliance date of December 31, 2017 in this action. On or after this AES filing compliance date, all exporters of manifested hazardous waste, universal waste, and spent lead-acid batteries for recycling or disposal, and all exporters of cathode ray tubes for recycling will be required to file EPA information in the AES or AESDirect for each export shipment. Paper processes will no longer be allowed on or after the compliance date.