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Re: Chem Waste Management exemption
For many years, ICI at Runcorn have disposed of many thousands of tonnes
per year of extremely toxic waste down disused brine boreholes (cavities
formed by injection of water into salt deposits then extraction of brine for
chlorine manufacture) near Northwich, England. This waste is contaminated
with approx 500 gm dioxin per year as well as being almost neat
organochlorine liquid residues anyway, from various plants (the water
content varies from 10ppm - 100 ppm). These residues are from the VC,
chlormethanes, Per/Tri and VDC plant. 1997 forecasts were 9000 tonnes fron
Runcorn Per/Tri plant, 5100 tonnes from Runcorn VC plant, 5775 tonnes
"lights" and 4537 tonnes "heavies" from Hillhouse VC plant, 6200 tonnes from
Runcorn chloromethanes plant, plus a couple of hundred tonnes from other plants
The UK Environment Agency are now saying that this has been a perfectly safe
method of disposal, but they do not now consider this to be a sustainable
solution for the future. So EVC will instead be burning their VC waste and
ICI's other liquid residues above, in an onsite incinerator in Runcorn,
about half a mile from housing and schools.
Viv
At 02:42 10/09/97 -0400, Jon Campbell wrote:
> Alex,
>
> Injection is actually permitted for many waste
>handlers
>as an on-site, non-destructive method of disposal of
>hazwaste, I learned with dismay. I know that Dow used
>to use it extensively at Midland, MI, and probably
>still
>does (though I haven't checked the RCRA database,
>so I can't be sure...).
>
>Regards
>Jon
>
>
>-----Original Message-----
>From: asagady@sojourn.com <asagady@sojourn.com>
>To: Multiple recipients of list
><dioxin-l@essential.org>
>Date: Thursday, August 21, 1997 12:02 AM
>Subject: Chem Waste Management exemption
>
>
>
>>I thought folks would be interested in this exemption
>>for Chem Waste Management to get around the
>>Land Disposal Ban rules that require hazardous
>>waste treatment.
>>
>>Folks in OHIO should be particularly forwarned...
>>
>>This is an example of EPA circumventing Congressional
>>intent with the requirement that wastes containing
>>significant amounts of organic compounds not be
>>permitted for land disposal without treatment to
>>destroy those compounds.
>>
>>When ChemWaste Management can poor them
>>in a hole in the ground perhaps one can begin
>>to understand the effects on pollution prevention
>>and more ligitimate waste treatment....
>>
>>
>>
>>[Federal Register: August 12, 1997 (Volume 62, Number
>155)]
>>[Rules and Regulations]
>>[Page 43109-43111]
>>>From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access
>[wais.access.gpo.gov]
>>[DOCID:fr12au97-16]
>>
>>------------------------------------------------------
>-----------------
>>
>>ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
>>
>>40 CFR Part 148
>>
>>[FRL-5873-8]
>>
>>
>>Final Decision To Grant Chemical Waste Management,
>Inc. a
>>Modification of an Exemption From the Land Disposal
>Restrictions of the
>>Hazardous and Solid Waste Amendments of 1984 Regarding
>Injection of
>>Hazardous Wastes
>>
>>AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
>>
>>
>>[[Page 43110]]
>>
>>
>>ACTION: Notice of final decision on a request to
>modify an exemption
>>from the hazardous and solid waste amendments of the
>Resource
>>Conservation and Recovery Act.
>>
>>------------------------------------------------------
>-----------------
>>
>>SUMMARY: Notice is hereby given by the Environmental
>Protection Agency
>>(EPA or Agency) that modification of an exemption to
>the land disposal
>>restrictions under the 1984 Hazardous and Solid Waste
>Amendments to the
>>Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) has been
>granted to
>>Chemical Waste Management, Inc. (CWM) of Oakbrook,
>Illinois. This
>>modification allows CWM to inject RCRA-regulated
>hazardous wastes which
>>will be banned from land disposal on August 11, 1997,
>as a result of
>>regulations promulgated on May 12, 1997. Wastes
>designated by a total
>>of 11 additional RCRA waste codes, may continue to be
>land disposed
>>through four waste disposal wells at the facility at
>Vickery, Ohio. As
>>required by 40 CFR part 148, CWM has demonstrated, to
>a reasonable
>>degree of certainty, that there will be no migration
>of hazardous
>>constituents from the injection zone utilized by CWM's
>waste disposal
>>facility located near Vickery, Ohio, for as long as
>the newly exempted
>>waste remains hazardous. This decision constitutes a
>final Agency
>>action for which there is no administrative appeal.
>>
>>DATES: This action is effective as of August 12, 1997.
>>
>>FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Harlan Gerrish or
>Nathan Wiser, Lead
>>Petition Reviewers, Region 5, telephone (312) 886-2939
>or (312) 353-
>>9569, respectively. Copies of the petition and all
>pertinent
>>information relating thereto are on file and are part
>of the
>>Administrative Record. It is recommended that you
>contact the lead
>>reviewer prior to reviewing the Administrative record.
>>
>>SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
>>
>>Background
>>
>> CWM submitted a petition for an exemption from the
>restrictions on
>>land disposal of hazardous wastes on January 19, 1988.
>Revised
>>documents were received on December 4, 1989, and
>several supplemental
>>submittals were subsequently made. The exemption was
>granted on August
>>7, 1990. On September 12, 1994, CWM submitted a
>petition to modify the
>>exemption to include wastes bearing 23 additional RCRA
>wastes codes.
>>Region 5 reviewed documents supporting the request and
>granted the
>>modification of the exemption on May 16, 1995. A
>notice of the
>>modification appeared on June 5, 1995, at 60 FR 29592
>et seq. On April
>>9, 1996, CWM submitted a petition to again modify the
>exemption to
>>allow 91 additional RCRA waste codes. Region 5
>reviewed documents
>>supporting the request and granted the modification on
>the exemption on
>>June 24, 1996. A notice of the modification appeared
>on July 15, 1996,
>>at 61 FR 36880 et seq.
>> On May 13, 1997, in response to the Land Disposal
>Restrictions Rule
>>published in the Federal Register at 62 FR 25998 et
>seq. on May 12,
>>1997, which set ban dates for a number of hazardous
>waste codes, CWM
>>submitted a request to add a total of 11 additional
>RCRA waste codes to
>>its exemption. Three (3) of these codes (F032, F034
>and F035) are
>>banned by the May 12, 1997, rule. The remaining eight
>(8) codes (F020,
>>F021, F022, F023, F025, F026, F027 and F028) have been
>banned since
>>1988, but CWM anticipates a future need for their
>injection. The
>>underlying chemicals found in all the codes of
>interest today were
>>already the subject of previous technical
>consideration during the
>>modeling for the originally-issued exemption. The
>newly-promulgated
>>rule bans codes F032, F034 and F035 from deep
>injection after August
>>11, 1997, unless CWM makes a no-migration
>demonstration. CWM made a no-
>>migration demonstration in 1990. After careful review
>of the material
>>submitted, the EPA has determined, as required by 40
>CFR part
>>148.20(f), that there is a reasonable degree of
>certainty that waste
>>streams containing constituents designated by these
>codes will behave
>>hydraulically and chemically like wastes for which CWM
>was granted its
>>original exemption and will not migrate from the
>injection zone within
>>10,000 years. The injection zone is the Mt. Simon
>Sandstone and the
>>Rome, Conasauga, Kerbel, and Knox Formations. The
>confining zone is
>>comprised of the Wells Creek and Black River
>Formations.
>> Effective May 29, 1997, the United States Court of
>Appeals for the
>>District of Columbia Circuit vacated 24 RCRA waste
>codes that had been
>>previously listed. These 24 RCRA waste codes therefore
>are not banned
>>from injection under Federal law as they no longer
>exist as Federally-
>>defined RCRA waste codes. Notwithstanding the effect
>of the Court's
>>action at the Federal level, the Ohio Environmental
>Protection Agency
>>rules governing these 24 RCRA waste codes prohibit
>injection of these
>>coded wastes without a Federal exemption from the Land
>Disposal
>>Restrictions. Hence, the action taken by modifying the
>exemption issued
>>to CWM remains effective for these RCRA waste codes
>since without the
>>inclusion of these codes, CWM would be barred from
>injecting them under
>>State law. CWM's modified exemption therefore contains
>these 24 RCRA
>>waste codes. The effect of this exemption is limited
>to those wastes
>>coded as K160, U277, U366, U375, U376, U377, U378,
>U379, U381, U382,
>>U383, U384, U385, U386, U390, U391, U392, U393, U396,
>U400, U401, U402,
>>U403 and U407, effective the date that these 24 RCRA
>waste codes were
>>originally promulgated. If these particular codes
>should be re-
>>promulgated as RCRA wastes, different in chemical
>character from the
>>originally-promulgated RCRA waste codes, the burden
>will be incumbent
>>on CWM to show that the injection of such
>newly-promulgated RCRA waste
>>codes will result in a reasonable degree of certainty
>that there will
>>be no migration from the injection zone within 10,000
>years, and a
>>modification of CWM's exemption will be required to
>inject them.
>> As a result of this action, CWM may continue to
>inject the wastes
>>bearing the codes:
>> F020, F021, F022, F023, F025, F026, F027, F028,
>F032, F034, and
>>F035,
>>
>>after wastes denoted by these codes are banned from
>land disposal on
>>August 11, 1997. These waste codes are added to the
>waste codes which
>>have been previously exempted and the current total
>approved listing of
>>codes follows.
>>
>>
>List of Approved RCRA
>>Waste Codes for Injection
>>D001..... D043 K015 K071 K142
>P030 P078
>>P190 U031 U076 U120 U162
>U208 U366
>>D002..... F001 K016 K073 K143
>P031 P081
>>P191 U032 U077 U121 U163
>U209 U367
>>D003..... F002 K017 K083 K144
>P033 P082
>>P192 U033 U078 U122 U164
>U210 U372
>>D004..... F003 K018 K084 K145
>P034 P084
>>P194 U034 U079 U123 U165
>U211 U373
>>D005..... F004 K019 K085 K147
>P036 P085
>>P196 U035 U080 U124 U166
>U213 U375
>>D006..... F005 K020 K086 K148
>P037 P087
>>P197 U036 U081 U125 U167
>U214 U376
>>D007..... F006 K021 K087 K149
>P038 P088
>>P198 U037 U082 U126 U168
>U215 U377
>>D008..... F007 K022 K088 K150
>P039 P089
>>P199 U038 U083 U127 U169
>U216 U378
>>D009..... F008 K023 K093 K151
>P040 P092
>>P201 U039 U084 U128 U170
>U217 U379
>>
>>[[Page 43111]]
>>
>>
>>
>>D010..... F009 K024 K094 K156
>P041 P093
>>P202 U041 U085 U129 U171
>U218 U381
>>D011..... F010 K025 K095 K157
>P042 P094
>>P203 U042 U086 U130 U172
>U219 U382
>>D012..... F011 K026 K096 K158
>P043 P095
>>P204 U043 U087 U131 U173
>U220 U383
>>D013..... F012 K027 K097 K159
>P044 P096
>>P205 U044 U088 U132 U174
>U221 U384
>>D014..... F019 K028 K098 K160
>P045 P097
>>U001 U045 U089 U133 U176
>U222 U385
>>D015..... F020 K029 K099 K161
>P046 P098
>>U002 U046 U090 U134 U177
>U223 U386
>>D016..... F021 K030 K100 P001
>P047 P099
>>U003 U047 U091 U135 U178
>U225 U387
>>D017..... F022 K031 K101 P002
>P048 P101
>>U004 U048 U092 U136 U179
>U226 U389
>>D018..... F023 K032 K102 P003
>P049 P102
>>U005 U049 U093 U137 U180
>U227 U390
>>D019..... F024 K033 K103 P004
>P050 P103
>>U006 U050 U094 U138 U181
>U228 U391
>>D020..... F025 K034 K104 P005
>P051 P104
>>U007 U051 U095 U139 U182
>U234 U392
>>D021..... F026 K035 K105 P006
>P054 P105
>>U008 U052 U096 U140 U183
>U235 U393
>>D022..... F027 K036 K106 P007
>P056 P106
>>U009 U053 U097 U141 U184
>U236 U394
>>D023..... F028 K037 K107 P008
>P057 P108
>>U010 U055 U098 U142 U185
>U237 U395
>>D024..... F032 K038 K108 P009
>P058 P109
>>U011 U056 U099 U143 U186
>U238 U396
>>D025..... F034 K039 K109 P010
>P059 P110
>>U012 U057 U101 U144 U187
>U239 U400
>>D026..... F035 K040 K110 P011
>P060 P111
>>U014 U058 U102 U145 U188
>U240 U401
>>D027..... F037 K041 K111 P012
>P062 P112
>>U015 U059 U103 U146 U189
>U243 U402
>>D028..... F038 K042 K112 P013
>P063 P113
>>U016 U060 U105 U147 U190
>U244 U403
>>D029..... F039 K043 K113 P014
>P064 P114
>>U017 U061 U106 U148 U191
>U246 U404
>>D030..... K001 K044 K114 P015
>P065 P115
>>U018 U062 U107 U149 U192
>U247 U407
>>D031..... K002 K045 K115 P016
>P066 P116
>>U019 U063 U108 U150 U193
>U248 U408
>>D032..... K003 K046 K116 P017
>P067 P118
>>U020 U064 U109 U151 U194
>U249 U409
>>D033..... K004 K047 K117 P018
>P068 P119
>>U021 U066 U110 U152 U196
>U271 U410
>>D034..... K005 K048 K118 P020
>P069 P120
>>U022 U067 U111 U153 U197
>U277 U411
>>D035..... K006 K049 K123 P021
>P070 P121
>>U023 U068 U112 U154 U200
>U278
>>D036..... K007 K050 K124 P022
>P071 P122
>>U024 U069 U113 U155 U201
>U279
>>D037..... K008 K051 K125 P023
>P072 P123
>>U025 U070 U114 U156 U202
>U280
>>D038..... K009 K052 K126 P024
>P073 P127
>>U026 U071 U115 U157 U203
>U328
>>D039..... K010 K060 K131 P026
>P074 P128
>>U027 U072 U116 U158 U204
>U353
>>D040..... K011 K561 K132 P027
>P075 P185
>>U028 U073 U117 U159 U205
>U359
>>D041..... K013 K062 K136 P028
>P076 P188
>>U029 U074 U118 U160 U206
>U364
>>D042..... K014 K069 K141 P029
>P077 P189
>>U030 U075 U119 U161 U207
>U365
>>------------------------------------------------------
>----------------------
>>------------------------------------------------------
>----------------------
>>
>>Conditions
>>
>> General conditions of this exemption are found at
>40 CFR part 148.
>>The exemption granted to CWM on August 7, 1990,
>included a number of
>>specific conditions. Conditions numbered (1), (2),
>(3), (4), and (9)
>>remain in force. Monitoring under condition 5, which
>called for
>>construction and operation of a deep monitoring well,
>will continue
>>through the life of the facility. Conditions numbered
>(5), (6), (7),
>>and (8) have been satisfied. The results of the work
>carried out under
>>these conditions confirms that the model used to
>simulate fluid
>>movement within the injection zone for the next 10,000
>years is valid
>>and results of the simulation bound the region of the
>injection zone
>>within which the waste will be contained.
>>Rebecca L. Harvey,
>>Acting Director, Water Division.
>>[FR Doc. 97-21275 Filed 8-11-97; 8:45 am]
>>BILLING CODE 6560-50-P
>>
>>
>>------------------------------------------------------
>----------------------
>>Alex J. Sagady & Associates Email:
>asagady@sojourn.com
>>Environmental Consulting and Database Systems
>>PO Box 39 East Lansing, MI 48826-0039
>>(517) 332-6971 (voice); (517) 332-8987 (fax)
>>
>>
>>
>
>
>