SB>A U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Pacific Southwest / Region 9 U.S. EPA Requests Public Comment on Proposed PCB Permit for Kettleman Hills Facility Land, Chemicals and Redevelopment Division August 2019 75 Hawthorne Street, San Francisco, CA 94105 866-EPA-WEST • www.epa.gov/region9 : • •• / \<^AVENAL KETTLEMAN CITY \ KETTLEMAN HILLS \ \ FACILITY ~/ '¦33J / \ / 0 12 3 y i i i i N 4 5 Miles a i i A Why am i receiving this mailing? The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is asking for your comments on its proposed permit to allow for polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) waste storage and disposal at Chemical Waste Management Inc.'s Kettleman Hills Facility, 3.5 miles southwest of Kettleman City. This mailing provides information on the proposed permit, where to learn more, and how to comment. What is included in the proposed permit? EPA is proposing a permit to allow the facility to continue to store and treat PCB waste at the PCB Flushing/Storage Unit, and dispose of PCB waste in its hazardous waste landfill. It also proposes to increase PCB waste disposal capacity at the facility. The proposal, if finalized by EPA, would require regular sampling of groundwater and air at the facility, and includes inspection and maintenance, recordkeeping and reporting requirements, an emergency response plan, and plans and funding for eventual safe closure and post-closure maintenance of the facility. What changes at the Kettleman Hills Facility are being proposed? The Kettleman Hills Facility currently stores and disposes of PCB waste under existing permits issued by EPA under the Toxic Substances Control Act. If the proposed permit is finalized, the facility will be able to place PCB waste into a new section of the hazardous waste landfill. This expanded area was approved by the California Department of Toxic Substances Control in 2014 for the disposal of other types of hazardous waste. Kettleman Hills hazardous waste landfill. Does the proposed PCB permit protect me, my family and my community from PCBs at the facility? Yes - EPA's analysis is that the proposed PCB permit, if finalized, will protect public health and the environment. EPA invites public comment on this analysis and on the conditions in the proposed PCB permit. The proposed permit includes a number of engineering and operational controls that are designed to mitigate the potential for PCB releases from this facility. It also includes facility PCB monitoring requirements for air and water that will provide additional information to protect the community. In addition, EPA has reviewed a number of multidisciplinary studies to better understand the exposure threat and potential health risk posed by facility operations. These site- and community- specific studies have shown no increased human health risk to the community from PCB operations at this facility. ------- Polychlorinated biphenyls, or RGBs, are a group of toxic chemicals that were widely used in electrical equipment because of their insulating and nonflam- mable properties. Congress banned the manufacture of PCBs in the United States in 1976 because of their potential environ- mental and public health hazards. Expo- sure to high levels of PCBs can harm the human immune, reproductive and nervous systems, and may cause cancer. of Basis"), including a Draft Environmental Justice Analysis and other documents related to this proposed permit, can be found on EPA's website at www.epa.gov/ca/kettleman-hills. Copies of these documents can be found at the Kettleman City Library at 104 Becky Pease Street. Library hours are 1 p.m. to 6 p.m., Tuesday through Thursday. EPA will hold a community meeting and answer questions before the public hearing on Thursday, October 10, 2019. The time and place for this meeting are shown in the box below. Who can I contact at EPA? Additional information may be obtained by contacting: Frances Wicher, Kettleman Hills Project Manager U.S. EPA, Region 9 (LND-4-2) 75 Hawthorne Street San Francisco, CA 94105 Office: 415-972-3957 Email: wicher. frances(S>epa. gov Information en Espanol se puede obtener contractando a: Soledad Calvino U.S. EPA, Region 9 Office: 415-972-3512 Email: calvino.mariataepa.gov EPA Public Meeting and Hearing on the Proposed PCB Permit for the Kettleman Hills Facility Date: October 10, 2019 Public Meeting and Questions & Answers: 5:30 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. Public Hearing: 7:30 p.m. Address: Kettleman City Elementary School 701 General Petroleum Ave. Kettleman City, CA How can II send EPA my comments and concerns? You may use the comment card in this mailer to send comments. You may also submit written comments to the EPA contact listed below, or on www.regulations.gov [docket number EPA-R09- RCRA-2019-0088], Email comments are also welcome. All comments must be submitted by Friday, November 1, 2019. EPA will hold a public hearing on this proposed permit at Thursday, October 10, 2019. You may provide spoken or written comments at that time. Spanish language translation will be available. Where can I get more information? The proposed permit and EPA's analysis of it (called the "Statement PCB storage building at Kettleman Hills facility. ------- |