US Ecology Nevada Inc.
Facility Description
US Ecology Nevada, Inc. ("US Ecology or USEN") is located on a 480-acre site in the Amargosa Desert about 100 miles northwest of Las Vegas, Nevada, off Highway 95. The closest city is Beatty, Nevada, which is located approximately 11 miles northwest of the Facility (see Site Location Map). The US Ecology Facility ("Facility") treats, stores, and disposes of hazardous waste, polychlorinated biphenyls (“PCBs”), and non-hazardous industrial material. The site is owned by the State of Nevada and is operated by US Ecology.
June 2016 Facility Expansion Approval
On June 22, 2016, EPA approved a modification to the Toxic Substances Control Act Enables EPA to track the 75,000 industrial chemicals currently produced or imported into the U.S. EPA repeatedly screens these chemicals and can require reporting or testing of those that may pose an environmental or human-health hazard. EPA can ban the manufacture and import of those chemicals that pose an unreasonable risk. (TSCA) Approval (permit) that allows US Ecology to construct and operate a new 47.3 acre landfill for disposal of PCBs at its hazardous waste management facility located 11 miles outside Beatty, Nevada. A TSCA Approval is essentially a permit. For instance, EPA follows a similar administrative process for Approval issuance, renewal and modification as a permit.
US Ecology is now operating under an Approval to manage PCB wastes issued by EPA on November 5, 2012, and modified on June 22, 2016. The Approval authorizes, for the first time, the construction and operation of the Trench 13 landfill for disposal of PCB wastes. The Approval allows continued disposal of PCBs in the Trench 12 landfill, storage of PCBs, and limited treatment for disposal in two batch stabilization tanks. The Approval includes the following PCB Units: Trench 12 Landfill, Trench 13 Landfill, PCB Storage and Processing Building, PCB Tank Farm, Treatment Pans 4 and 5 (batch stabilization tanks), PCB Tank Truck Loading Pad, and the Evaporation Tank.
The modification of the 2012 Approval was subject to a 45-day public comment period that began on April 27, 2016 and ended on June 10, 2016. No comments were received. EPA's rationale for issuing the Approval and differences between the proposed and final Approval are discussed in EPA's "PCB Approval Decision" dated June 22, 2016 ("PCB Approval Decision").
Documents
For additional information on EPA's modification to the TSCA Approval, click on the links to the following key documents:
- EPA Fact Sheet: US Ecology Nevada Facility Expansion (pdf)
- PCB Approval Decision: US Ecology Nevada Inc. (pdf)
- Final Modified Approval (Permit) No. NVT330010000: US Ecology Nevada (pdf)
- Statement of Basis: US Ecology Nevada Inc. (pdf)
- Administrative Record Index: US Ecology Nevada Inc. (pdf)
- US Ecology Nevada Inc. TSCA Permit: Appendix A (pdf)
- US Ecology Nevada Inc. TSCA Permit: Appendices B1-B16 (pdf)
- US Ecology Nevada Inc. TSCA Permit: Appendix B17 (pdf)
November 2012 Approval
All content below is for historical reference only and has not been recently updated.
On November 5, 2012, EPA issued an Approval (permit) for US Ecology to operate a commercial PCB storage and chemical waste landfill facility (“Facility”). The Approval, which will be valid for ten years, allows US Ecology to continue (1) commercial storage of PCB wastes; (2) treatment of PCB wastes in two stabilization tanks for final disposal; and (3) disposal of PCBs in the Trench 11 landfill. The Approval also authorizes PCB disposal in the Trench 12 landfill which has been receiving hazardous wastes since 2008 under a hazardous waste permit issued by the State of Nevada.
The Approval is being issued pursuant to Section 6(e)(1) of the Toxic Substances Control Act (“TSCA”) of 1976, 15 U.S.C. § 2605(e)(1), and 40 C.F.R. Part 761.
EPA has concluded, based on a thorough review of the record, that this Approval satisfies the TSCA requirements for storage and disposal of PCBs. EPA has also concluded that PCB operations at the Facility do not pose an unreasonable risk of injury to human health or the environment.
Units Approved for PCB Waste Management
The Approval (“TSCA Approval or Approval”) includes conditions that US Ecology must follow in order to comply with TSCA to safely store, treat, and dispose of PCB wastes at the Beatty, Nevada Facility. For example, conditions in the proposed Approval limit the amount of PCB wastes that can be disposed of in the landfill units.
EPA prepared a Statement of Basis that summarizes the Approval and the rationale for its issuance. In addition, the Statement of Basis documents EPA's determination under the National Historic Preservation Act that historic properties will not be affected by the Approval’s renewal and modification.
The Approval allows US Ecology to:
- Store up to 59,400 gallons of PCB wastes in containers
- Store up to 28,000 gallons of PCB waste in tanks
- Treat for disposal up to 137,000 gallons per day of PCB waste
- Dispose of a maximum of 4.02 million cubic yards of PCB waste in the Trench 11 and Trench 12 landfills. Trench 12 is being constructed in three separate phases. The first phase was constructed in 2008 and the second phase in 2011.
The Approval will also require US Ecology to make the following improvements:
- Construct a new sealed concrete Tank Truck Loading Pad
- Construct new sealed concrete secondary containment for the PCB tank storage area
The Approval authorizes US Ecology to store, treat for disposal, and dispose of PCB wastes at the Facility as described in the table below.
| Waste Management Unit Name | Type and Number of Units | Authorized Activity | Maximum Total Capacity | Location in Approval |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| PCB Storage and Processing Building | 1 Building | Storage | 59,400 gallons | Section V |
| PCB Tank Farm | 5 Tanks | Storage | 28,000 gallons | Section V |
| PCB Tank Truck Loading Pad* | 1 Pad | Waste Transfer | Not Applicable | Section V |
| Stabilization Tanks (a.k.a. “Treatment Pans”) | Treatment Pans 4 and 5 | Treatment for Disposal | 137,000 gallons per day | Section VI |
| Evaporation Tank | 1 Tank | Treatment for Disposal | 10,000 gallons | Section VI |
| Trench 11 | 1 Landfill | Disposal | 2.36 million cubic yards | Section VII |
| Trench 12 | 1 Landfill | Disposal | 1.66 million cubic yards | Section VII |
*The PCB Tank Truck Loading Pad is an ancillary or support unit to the PCB Tank Farm. The Pad, which will be constructed after issuance of the Approval, will provide containment for tanker trucks that receive PCB liquids from the PCB Tank Farm.
For additional information on the units being approved for PCB waste management, see the November 2012 Statement of Basis.
Documents
- EPA PCB Approval: US Ecology Nevada Inc. (pdf)
-
PCB Approval Appendices: US Ecology Nevada Inc. (zip)
EPA PCB Approval Appendices for US Ecology Nevada Inc., Beatty, NV. Permit No. NVT330010000. EPA ID: NVT330010000. - Statement of Basis: US Ecology Nevada Inc. (pdf)