US Ecology has received approval from the Idaho state government to restart some operations at a waste facility where an explosion in November killed one worker and injured eight others.
The Idaho Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) said Monday it had signed off Feb. 7 on the Jan. 25 request from US Ecology Idaho. The state agency’s authorization came after “certification that the landfill cells are ready to receive waste and a subsequent letter certifying that necessary equipment is in place and can support the safe disposal of waste,” according to a DEQ press release.
The state is allowing US Ecology to conduct acceptance and disposal of select bulk wastes, but not yet to resume waste treatment operations. The company was required to meet several safety requirements to reach this point.
The Nov. 17 incident blew holes in the roof of the facility used for processing waste barrels at US Ecology’s 328-acre hazardous waste disposal operation near the city of Grand View. Equipment operator Monte Green, 48, was killed and eight employees suffered non-life-threatening injuries.
US Ecology continues to investigate the cause of the explosion, as do DEQ, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, and the federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration. In the release, the company said it had made significant progress in understanding the event and is analyzing samples and other data collected in the wake of the explosion.
Both US Ecology and DEQ said they could not discuss further details of their probes.
Boise-based US Ecology operates facilities throughout the United States for disposal and treatment of radioactive and other waste types. The US Ecology Idaho site is used for disposal and treatment of hazardous and nonhazardous wastes.
That includes material designated as very low-activity radioactive waste by the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission and waste from U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Formerly Utilized Sites Remedial Action Program (FUSRAP) cleanup sites. US Ecology Idaho can also take in naturally occurring radioactive material (NORM) and technologically enhanced naturally occurring radioactive material (TENORM).
The Idaho landfill was not damaged in the incident. The DEQ approval enables US Ecology Idaho to begin receiving off-site waste for direct disposal, meaning it goes to the landfill without stopping for storage or treatment.
That happened only after a professional engineer certified the state of the landfill cells and US Ecology demonstrated it had support equipment available, according to Brian English, DEQ hazardous waste permitting manager. The Department of Environmental Quality also performed several site visits and inspections and reviewed the company’s temporary authorization request for operations. The state agency signed off only after finding that US Ecology could resume limited landfill disposal “in a compliant and environmentally protective manner,” English said by email.
The landfill received a number of shipments on Feb. 8, with more to come in short order, the US Ecology release says. The company said it could not provide a shipment update by deadline Friday for RadWaste Monitor.
“US Ecology has a quantity of FUSRAP waste in rail cars awaiting disposal,” English wrote. “USEI also has waste onsite that meets the disposal criteria. Disposal of the onsite waste will make storage space available for the clean-up/recovery effort.”
Details of waste amounts or customers are not made public, US Ecology spokesman Dave Crumrine said by email.
The company said drum processing, waste treatment, and other services would be phased back in at a later, unspecified time.
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NEW: Via public records request, I’ve been able to confirm reporting today that a warrant has been issued for DOE deputy asst. secretary of spent fuel and waste disposition Sam Brinton for another luggage theft, this time at Las Vegas’s Harry Reid airport. (cc: @EMPublications)
DOE spent fuel lead Brinton accused of second luggage theft.
by @BenjaminSWeiss, confirming today's reports with warrant from Las Vegas Metro PD.
Waste has been Emplaced! 🚮
We have finally begun emplacing defense-related transuranic (TRU) waste in Panel 8 of #WIPP.
Read more about the waste emplacement here: https://wipp.energy.gov/wipp_news_20221123-2.asp
Editorial: Sam Brinton’s credibility is now an issue 🔓