The U.S. Department of Energy, Richland Operations Office (DOE-RL) is holding a 60-day comment period on proposed modifications to the Hanford Facility Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) Permit. These Class 2 modifications involve two operating Treatment, Storage, and Disposal units (TSD units) in Part III of the permit (Unit Specific Conditions for Final Status Operations). The first modification is to replace an out-of-service tank in the Liquid Effluent Retention Facility (LERF) and 200 Area Effluent Treatment Facility (ETF). The second modification proposes to make changes to the inspection and contingency plans for the 400 Area Waste Management Unit as a result of the inspection frequency being changed from semi-annually to weekly.

The Public Comment Period for proposed Class 2 modifications to the Hanford Facility RCRA Permit will run from April 23 – June 21, 2012.  A public meeting on the permit modifications will be held on Tuesday, May 8, 2012, 6 – 7 p.m. at the Washington State Department of Ecology office, 3100 Port of Benton Boulevard, Richland, WA 99354. 

For information on permit compliance history, contact Ron Skinnarland, Washington State Department of Ecology, at (509) 372-7924 or email Hanford@ecy.wa.gov.  Copies of the permit modification request and supporting documentation are available at the Administrative Record, 2440 Stevens Drive, Richland. The LERF & 200 Area ETF and 400 Area Waste Management Unit  modifications are available electronically in the Administrative Record.

Please submit comments by June 21, 2012 to:
Tifany Nguyen
U.S. Department of Energy
Richland Operations Office
P.O. Box 550, MS: A7-75
Richland, WA 99352
Email: TSDRCRAMods@rl.gov

DOE-RL is proposing these modifications to the current enforceable permit while the entire Hanford RCRA permit is about to be reissued for public comment in May.  We have a requirement to keep the current permit accurate and these changes need to be in place before the entire permit becomes final, which will not happen before December 2012.  You can comment on these proposed changes during this comment period, in addition to the comment period for the entire permit starting in May.  Before the entire permit becomes final, Ecology will consider the outcome of this comment period and integrate it with the rest of the permit.

Fact Sheet