US Ecology has received approval from the Idaho state government to restart some operations at a waste facility where an explosion in November killed one worker and injured eight others.
The Idaho Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) said Monday it had signed off Feb. 7 on the Jan. 25 request from US Ecology Idaho. The state agency’s authorization came after “certification that the landfill cells are ready to receive waste and a subsequent letter certifying that necessary equipment is in place and can support the safe disposal of waste,” according to a DEQ press release.
The state is allowing US Ecology to conduct acceptance and disposal of select bulk wastes, but not yet to resume waste treatment operations. The company was required to meet several safety requirements to reach this point.
The Nov. 17 incident blew holes in the roof used for processing waste barrels at US Ecology’s 328-acre hazardous waste disposal facility near the city of Grand View. Equipment operator Monte Green, 48, was killed and eight employees suffered non-life-threatening injuries.
Boise, Idaho-based US Ecology operates facilities throughout the United States for disposal and treatment of radioactive waste and other waste types. The US Ecology Idaho site is used for disposal and treatment of hazardous and nonhazardous wastes covered by the U.S. Resource Conservation and Recovery Act. Disposal of radioactive materials at the facility is limited to waste from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Formerly Utilized Sites Remedial Action Program and very low-activity waste as designated by the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
“US Ecology has a quantity of FUSRAP waste in rail cars awaiting disposal,” Brian English, DEQ hazardous waste permitting manager, said by email. “USEI also has waste onsite that meets the disposal criteria. Disposal of the onsite waste will make storage space available for the clean-up/recovery effort.”
