Public Notice of Comment Period and Meeting for a Class 2 Permit Modification

Effluent Management Facility Concentrate Offsite Treatment and Disposal Pathway

The U.S. Department of Energy in coordination with the Washington State Department of Ecology launches a 60-day public comment period on a proposed Class 2 permit modification to the Hanford Dangerous Waste Permit. If approved, it will continue momentum in the Hanford waste treatment operations.

The proposed modification would allow a secondary waste stream generated during vitrification at the Waste Treatment and Immobilization Plant’s Effluent Management Facility (EMF), commonly called “EMF concentrate” to be transferred a short distance for solidification at a licensed facility. Once solidified, the material would be managed for disposal at licensed commercial facilities out of the State of Washington.

This approach supports vitrification as an important component of DOE’s broader Hanford cleanup strategy while adding operational flexibility that enables steady treatment, accelerates risk reduction, and upholds safety and regulatory compliance. To learn more about vitrification, please visit https://www.hanford.gov/page.cfm/wtp.

A 60-day public comment period runs Feb. 25 through April 26, 2026. A hybrid public meeting will be held March 24 at 5:30 p.m. in the Gallery Room of the Richland Public Library, 955 Northgate Drive, Richland, WA 99352. It will include a presentation on the proposed permit modification. During the meeting, you can view the presentation, hear the speakers and ask questions. To participate via Microsoft Teams, please follow the instructions below:

Join on your computer or Teams mobile app
https://bit.ly/4bVUR7R
Or call in (audio only)
509-931-1284 United States
833-633-0875 United States (toll-free)
Phone Conference ID: 648 068 062#  

All comments must be submitted by April 26, (electronically preferred) to https://bit.ly/4rqodjJ, or mail to:

Washington State Department of Ecology
3100 Port of Benton Boulevard
Richland, WA  99354

See a summary fact sheet with details here. The proposed permit modification and supporting documentation can be found in the Hanford Administrative Record at https://bit.ly/4tImVlA and Hanford Public Information Repositories.

At the conclusion of the 60-day public comment period, the Washington State Department of Ecology will address public comments and make a final permit decision. The permittee’s compliance history during the life of the permit being modified is available from the Washington State Department of Ecology’s contact person listed below.

For additional information, please contact Dana Cowley, Hanford Mission Integration Solutions, at Dana_C_Gribble@rl.gov or 509-961-5609. For the Washington State Department of Ecology, please contact Daina McFadden at Hanford@ecy.wa.gov or 509-372-7950.