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Permitting and Corrective Action

Today’s Reality

We are meeting the goal of preventing releases to the air, soil, and groundwater through permits, technical assistance, and monitoring of compliance with the regulations at active waste management facilities. Ecology oversees corrective action at 22 high-priority and 17 medium- and low-priority facilities. By 2020, Ecology expects to have cleanup remedies constructed for releases of hazardous wastes at 95 percent of the 39 facilities under Ecology oversight.

We completed much work with corrective action facilities over the last five years. EPA created tools to develop accurate cost estimates for closure/corrective action facilities and Ecology staff has received training on how to use them. We implemented regulatory flexibility and streamlined permits. The Legislature provided more funding to continue making progress on cleanups. We put a certificate program in place for recyclers. We still need to continue ongoing work with facilities permitted in part by local government, as well as encouraging legitimate hazardous waste recycling. Also, we need to update older permits to ensure they cover the full costs of closure.

Goals: What Washington will look like in 30 years (by 2035)

The permitting and corrective action activities for the HWTR Program will maximize effectiveness and help achieve the Beyond Waste vision through these goals:

Ensure full financial responsibility.

Hazardous waste management and recycling facilities assume full financial responsibility for facility closures and corrective action cleanups.

Acquire more technical assistance.

Ecology seeks technical assistance from EPA on financial assurance, including cost modeling.

Educate the public.

The public is aware of the possible risks and costs of waste mismanagement at facilities handling hazardous wastes.

Transform existing TSDs.

As we meet the goals of Beyond Waste and diminish the need for waste management facilities, we provide TSDs with technical assistance to allow them to mature into “second generation” TSDs. Second generation TSDs provide treatment (reclamation, reuse, or recovery for beneficial value) of remaining wastes, or stocking and distribution of reusable materials for industrial and commercial uses.

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