Chemical Waste Management Inc. Kettleman Hills Facility

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• Current Status
• Background
• Related Documents
• Additional Permits

Current Status

On July 29, 2020, EPA issued a permit to Chemical Waste Management Inc. for the storage, treatment, and disposal of polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) waste at the Kettleman Hills Facility (KHF or Facility). EPA has determined that the Facility’s PCB operations as allowed by the permit will not pose an unreasonable risk of injury to health or the environment.

The permit allows the Facility to dispose of PCB waste in the hazardous waste landfill, Landfill B-18. The permit also allows the Facility to store and treat PCB waste at its PCB Storage/Flushing Unit which is a small building located north of the landfill. The permit requires the Facility to monitor groundwater, leachate, and ambient air for PCB releases as well as to conduct regular inspections of the PCB units.

The final permit, supporting determination and analyses including the Environmental Justice Analysis, and response to comment document are available under Related Documents.

Background

KHF is a commercial hazardous waste and chemical waste landfill located southwest of the Interstate 5 and Highway 41 intersection and approximately 3.5 miles southwest of Kettleman City in Kings County, California. KHF accepts PCB waste and most other types of hazardous waste for disposal. It also accepts non-hazardous solid waste for disposal.

Disposal operations at KHF started in 1975 under a permit to dispose of oilfield wastes issued to the McKay Trucking Company by Kings County. KHF became a hazardous waste disposal site in 1977 after McKay Trucking, renamed Environmental Disposal Services Inc., expanded the facility's size and operations. CWM acquired the site in 1979 and subsequently obtained permits from California to treat, store, and dispose of hazardous waste and EPA to treat, store, and dispose of PCB waste.

The disposal of PCB waste at KHF started in the early 1980s. Over time, KHF has disposed of PCB waste in four landfills: B-14, B-16, B-18, and B-19. Landfills B-14, B-16, and B-19 no longer accept PCB wastes. The only remaining active landfill permitted by EPA to accept PCB waste is Landfill B-18.

Related Documents

Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) final polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) approval (permit) and supporting documents for Chemical Waste Management Inc. Kettleman Hills Facility (KHF).

• Kettleman Hills Facility TSCA Approval (pdf) (2.51 MB, July 29, 2020)
  Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) Approval for Chemical Waste Management Inc. Kettleman Hills Facility, Kings County, California (EPA ID # CAT000646117). Please see Regulations.gov [docket number EPA-R09-RCRA-2019-0088] for Appendix B.
• Kettleman Hills Facility Statement of Basis Executive Summary (pdf) (186.71 KB, July 29, 2020)
  The document summarizes the Statement of Basis for the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) Approval for Chemical Waste Management Inc. Kettleman Hills Facility.
• Kettleman Hills Facility Statement of Basis (pdf) (8.96 MB, July 29, 2020)
  Statement of Basis for the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) Approval for Chemical Waste Management Inc. Kettleman Hills Facility. The document describes the basis for EPA’s decision to issue a PCB permit to the Kettleman Hills Facility.
• Environmental Justice Analysis for the Kettleman Hills Facility TSCA Permit with Updates and Revisions Document (pdf) (2.48 MB, July 29, 2020)
  The Environmental Justice Analysis (with updates and revisions document) provides information on how environmental justice concerns, including past outreach to seek the affected communities’ involvement, were considered in the drafting of the Approval.
• Response to Comments Document (pdf) (1.04 MB, July 29, 2020)
  EPA response to comments received on the August 2019 proposed permit and supporting documents.
• Public Comments (pdf) (13.88 MB, July 8, 2020)
  Appendix to the Response to Comment Document. Comments received on the August 2019 proposed permit and supporting documents.
• Resumen Ejecutivo de la Declaración de Base (pdf) (166.54 KB, 29 de julio de 2020)
  El documento resume la declaración de base para la aprobación de la Ley de Control de Sustancias Tóxicas (TSCA) para la instalación de Kettleman Hills de Chemical Waste Management Inc.
• Análisis de Justicia Ambiental para el permiso TSCA de la Instalación de Kettleman Hills con documento de actualizaciones y revisiones (pdf) (2.4 MB, 29 de julio de 2020)
  El Análisis de Justicia Ambiental (con documento de actualizaciones y revisiones) proporciona información sobre cómo se consideraron las preocupaciones de justicia ambiental, incluyendo el alcance para buscar la participación de las comunidades afectadas en el pasado, fueron consideradas en la redacción de la Aprobación.

Additional Permits

KHF also operates under a Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) permit issued by the California Department of Toxic Substances Control (DTSC) in 2003. DTSC modified the RCRA permit in 2014 to allow for the construction and operation of Landfill B-18 Phase III. Phase III has been constructed and is currently accepting hazardous waste.

KHF submitted an application to renew its RCRA permit. In April 2024, DTSC published a draft decision on the permit renewal application. Draft permit documents are posted on DTSC's Kettleman Hills Facility Draft Permit Documents Website and available for public comment until July 2, 2024.

DTSC is planning public meetings and dates are available on the DTSC website. More information on the RCRA permit and renewal application is available on DTSC's EnviroStor website.

In addition to EPA and DTSC permits, KHF is also regulated by the California Department of Resources Recycling and Recovery, Central Valley Regional Water Quality Control Board, Kings County, and San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District. The types of permits and links to other agencies are in the table below.

Permit Type and Agency Links

Type of Permit	Agency
Operating Permit	California Department of Toxic Substances Control
Solid Waste Facility Permit	California Department of Resources Recycling and Recovery (CalRecycle)
Waste Discharge Requirements	Central Valley Regional Water Quality Control Board
Underground Storage Tank Permits	Kings County Department of Public Health
Land Use Permits and Approvals	Kings County Community Development Agency
Air Pollution	San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District