The U.S. Department of Energy Richland Operations Office (DOE-RL) is holding a 60-day public comment period from January 20 through March 21, 2014, on proposed modifications to the Hanford Facility Dangerous Waste Permit. These Class 2 modifications involve changes to control room monitoring and liner performance monitoring equipment for the Liquid Effluent Retention Facility (LERF)/200 Area Effluent Treatment Facility (ETF).  These modifications also include changes to several permit attachments and are necessary to respond to recent operational changes at the LERF/ETF due to decreased volumes in waste being processed at the ETF.

The proposed Class 2 modifications to LERF/ETF are:

• Changing the frequency at which specified alarms, leak detectors, and level/pressure indicators are monitored. 
• A different method to monitor leachate (leakage through the primary LERF basin liner into a collection system). 
• A temporary authorization (TA) request is included in this permit modification request to allow for the changes in control room alarm monitoring to be put into effect before the permit modification approval is complete.  The resulting action on the modification request (approval, denial, or approval with changes) will supersede any TA approval.

The DOE-RL contact for this permit change is Kim Ballinger, (509) 376-6332. The Washington State Department of Ecology contact is Rick Bond, (509) 372-7950.

The permittees’ compliance history during the life of the permit being modified is available from the Ecology contact.

The Administrative Record for the Class 2 modification can be found at the following link: http://pdw.hanford.gov/arpir/index.cfm/viewDoc?accession=0086779. A copy of a fact sheet on these modifications is attached.

How can the public provide input?

A public meeting will be held February 11, 2014, from 5:30-6:30 pm, at the Richland Public Library, 955 Northgate Dr. Richland, WA 99352.

Comments should be submitted by March 21, 2014, to:

Rick Bond
Washington State Department of Ecology
3100 Port of Benton Boulevard
Richland, WA 99354
Email:  Hanford@ecy.wa.gov

Fact Sheet