Proposed US Ecology
Nevada Facility Expansion

£EPA

United States
Environmental Protection
Agency

April 2016 EPAID#NVT3300100000 • CRA Permit Number NEVHW0025

Facility Description

RCRA Hazardous Waste Permit
and TSCA Approval Modification
US Ecology Nevada (USEN), Inc.

The Nevada Division of Environmental Protection
(NDEP) and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
(EPA) are requesting public comment on the following
actions for the US Ecology Nevada, Inc. (USEN) facility
located 11 miles south of Beatty, Nevada: (1) NDEP's
proposed modification to the Resource Conservation
and Recovery Act (RCRA) Permit (RCRA Permit);

(2)	EPAs proposed modification to the Toxic Substanc-
es Control Act (TSCA) Approval (TSCA Approval); and

(3)	EPA's proposed determination under the National
Historic Preservation Act that the modification of the
TSCA Approval will have "No Adverse Effect" on historic
properties.

If approved, the proposed modifications
will allow USEN to construct and operate
a new 47.3-acre landfill for disposal of
RCRA hazardous waste and TSCA
polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) at
the Beatty, Nevada facility.

The facility is located on a 480-acre site owned by the
State of Nevada. USEN operates a commercial hazar-
dous waste treatment, storage and disposal facility
under agreement with the State. The facility consists of:

• Four Hazardous Waste Landfills - One active iandfiil
(Trench 12), two closed landfills (Trenches 10 and
11), and one proposed new landfill (Trench 13) with
a design capacity of 8.6 million cubic yards, double
liner system, leachate collection, and an evapo-
transpiration cover for closure with a performance
monitoringsystem.

• Four PCB Storage Tanks - Maximum permitted
capacity is 25,000 gallons of PCB containing liquids.

• Five Container Storage Units - Both iiquids and
solids stored for treatment, storage, disposal, or for
off-site shipment. Liquid hazardous waste stored in
containers are inside secondary containment. The
PCB/RCRA Storage Buiiaing is the only unit at the
facility permitted for storage of PCBs under the TSCA
Approval.

• Five Batch Stabilization Tanks - Used to solidify
liquids, stabilize metals containing wastes, and
neutralize acidic wastes. The tanks are located
below ground and are double lined with a leak
detection system. Two of the tanks, which are
located indoors, are permitted to treat PCB con-
taining wastes.

(Continued on next page)

7.5' topographic map (Carrara Canyon Quadrangle)

Site Location Map, US Ecology Nevada


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(Continued from page 1)

• One Evaporation Tank - Used to treat (evaporate)
truck wash rinsate. The Evaporation Tank is located
outside, is installed below ground, and is construct-
ed of concrete with a high density polyethylene liner
and leak detection system,

USEN treats, stores, and disposes of many types of
hazardous wastes including, but not limited to, solvents,
pesticides, chlorinated hydrocarbons, reactives, inorgan-
ic acids/bases, metals, remediation wastes and PCBs.
These wastes originate from a wide variety of sources
including industrial operations and environmental
remediation. Any residues or wastes that cannot be
disposed or treated onsite must be shipped to an off-
site permitted treatment or disposal facility.

USEN is required to conduct environmental monitoring.
The environmental monitoring system includes ground-
water monitoring wells, leachate sumps, and a soil vapor
extraction well.

Basis for Action

RCRA Action

NDEP reviewed USEN's modification request (Modifica-
tion Request) to construct and operate a new hazard-
ous waste landfill and determined the facility can be
reasonably operated under the RCRA Permit conditions
in accordance with applicable regulations and in a
manner protective of public health and the environ-
ment.

Operation and maintenance requirements in the
Draft RCRA Permit also contain provisions for: waste
analysis for proper management of hazardous waste;
contingency plan and preparedness requirements
to prevent and respond to hazardous waste spills or
accidents; personnel training requirements; inspection
and record-keeping requirements; and unit-specific
closure requirements. USEN is also required to con-
duct corrective action due to historical releases of
hazardous chemicals at the facility. USEN has already
initiated corrective action at these sites. In the Draft
RCRA Permit, these sites are referred to as Solid Waste
Management Units (SWMUs).

Trench 12 Landfill
(active)

Trench 11
Landfill
(closed)

Trench IB Landfill
(proposed)

US Ecology Nevada Facility - Aerial Photograph

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TSCA Action

Based upon a review of the Modification Request and
supporting documents, EPA concluded the proposed
modification of the TSCA Approval for USEN, along with
the additional conditions included in the Approval, sat-
isfies the requirements of TSCA and 40 C.F.R. Part 761
for disposal of PCB's in a chemical waste landfill. EPA
has also concluded that PCB operations at the USEN
facility do not pose an unreasonable risk of injury to
human health and the environment.

In addition to the unit-specific operation and mainte-
nance requirements, the Draft TSCA Approval contains
provisions for: waste characterization, personnel train-
ing, health and safety, emergency preparedness and
spill cleanup, general inspection requirements, and
financial assurance for closure and post-closure.

Procedures for Reaching
a Final Decision

Provide Comments: Comments may be submitted
during the 45-day public comment period beginning on
April 27, 2016 and ending on June 10, 2016. Com-
ments on the RCRA Permit must be submitted to NDEP.
Comments on the TSCA Approval and the NHPA Deter-
mination must be submitted to EPA. If you wish both
agencies to consider your comments, submit them to
both NDEP and EPA. Comments may be submitted
in writing via mail or email. Written comments on the
proposed modification to the RCRA Permit should be
emailed or postmarked on or before June 10, 2016
and sent to:

Maureen Godbout, P.E., Staff Engineer, Department
of Conservation and Natural Resources, Nevada
Division of Environmental Protection, Bureau of
Waste Management, 901 South Stewart Street,

Suite 4001, Carson City, Nevada 89701-5249.
E-mail: mgodbout@ndep.nv.gov

Written comments on the proposed modification to the
TSCA Approval and the NHPA Determination should be
emailed or postmarked on or before June 10, 2016
and sent to:

Ronald Leach, P.E., Environmental Engineer,
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Region 9
(LND-4-2), 75 Hawthorne Street, San Francisco,
CA 94105. E-mail: leach.ronald@epa.gov

NDEP and EPA will each make a final decision on the
proposed Modification Request. When NDEP makes a
final decision to either issue or deny the modification
to the RCRA permit, notice will be given to USEN and
to each person who submitted written comments or
requested a notice of the final RCRA permit decision.
The final RCRA permit decision shall become effective
thirty (30) days after service of notice of the decision
unless a later date is specified or an appeal of the
NDEP Administrator's decision is brought to the State
Environmental Commission (within 10 days after notice
of the action of the Department) under NAC445B.890.
If no comments request a change in the draft permit,
the final permit shall become effective immediately
upon issuance, reflecting the conditions in the draft
permit.

Similarly, notification of EPA's final decision will be
given to USEN and to each person who submitted writ-
ten comments or requested a notice of the final TSCA
decision. EPA will prepare and distribute to the com-
menters a final decision document that responds to all
comments on the Draft TSCA Approval modification.

For More Information

Modification to the RCRA Permit
www.ndep.nv.gov/admin/public.htm#waste

Modification to the TSCA Approval and
NHPA Determination:
www.epa.gov/region9/pcbs/usecologv/

Each action has an administrative record that contains
the documents and information NDEP and EPA consid-
ered in proposing to approve the modifications to the
RCRA Permit, TSCA Approval, and for developing the
NHPA Determination. There is an administrative record
for the proposed modification to the RCRA Permit
(RCRA AR) and a separate administrative record for the
proposed modification to the TSCA Approval (TSCA AR):

Review RCRA AR: The administrative record for the
proposed modification to the RCRA Permit is available
by appointment for public review between the hours of
8:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday at
the NDEP Carson City office located at 901S. Stewart
Street, Suite 4001, Carson City, Nevada. Please call
Maureen Godbout, NDEP, at (775) 687-9482 if you
have questions or to make an appointment. A copy of
the proposed modifications to the RCRA permit, Modifi-
cation Request, and Fact Sheet may also be reviewed

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at the Beatty Public Library located at 400 North 4th
Street, Beatty, Nevada. The proposed modifications to
the RCRA Permit (without the Modification Request) is
also available at the NDEP offices in Las Vegas,
2030 E. Flamingo Road, Suite 230, Las Vegas,

Nevada; (702) 486-2850 (x227). Information is also
available on the NDEP website:
www.ndep.nv.gov/admin/public.htm#waste

Review TSCAAR and NHPA Determination: The

administrative record for the proposed modification
to the TSCA Approval is available by appointment for
public review between the hours of 8:30 a.m. and
5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday, at the EPA office in
San Francisco located at 75 Hawthorne Street, San
Francisco, California. Please call Ronald Leach, EPA,
at (415) 972-3362 if you have questions or to make
an appointment. Satellite information repositories
containing the most pertinent documents and an
index of the administrative record for the TSCA Approv-
al are located at the Beatty Library and NDEP offices
in Las Vegas. Information is also available on the EPA
website:

www.epa.gov/region9/pcbs/usecologv/


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