Non-Hanford Work

In addition to providing oversight and permitting for cleanup at the United States Department of Energy, USDOE's  Hanford site, the Department of Ecology's Nuclear Waste Program provides oversight to the Low-Level Radioactive Waste Disposal Facility leased by US Ecology, French nuclear fuels fabricator AREVA, waste treatment facility Perma-Fix, and the Puget Sound Naval Shipyard. These activities fall within the guidelines of the Northwest Interstate Compact.

Northwest Interstate Compact

In 1980, Congress enacted legislation authorizing states to form interstate compacts and to develop new regional disposal facilities for low-level radioactive waste. This legislation, the Low-Level Radioactive Waste Policy Act of 1980 as amended in 1985 (Low-Level Radioactive Waste Policy Amendments Act of 1985), was the result of efforts on the parts of the governors of the three states with existing commercial low-level radioactive waste (LLRW) disposal facilities (Washington, Nevada, South Carolina - the "sited states") to bring about a more equitable policy of low-level radioactive waste disposal across the nation.

Three years later, Congress ratified the Northwest Interstate Compact on Low-Level Radioactive Waste Management. The guiding policy of the Compact is the protection of the health and safety of the citizens through the cooperative effort of the party states, while providing for the economical management of low-level radioactive wastes within the Compact region. The original seven member states were Alaska, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Oregon, Utah, and Washington. The eighth state, Wyoming, joined the Compact in March of 1992.

As allowed by the Policy Act, the Richland, Washington disposal site stopped accepting out-of-region LLRW as of January 1, 1993, except for that volume agreed to in a contract with the Rocky Mountain Compact.

The Department of Ecology provides staff resources in addition to chairing the Compact for the State of Washington.

US Ecology, Inc. - Low-Level Radioactive Waste Disposal Facility

The Department of Ecology is responsible for ensuring that waste shipped to the commercial low-level waste disposal facility operated by US Ecology, Inc., near Richland, meets the criteria for handling and disposal as set by law.  Ecology is also responsible for seeing that the conditions of the contract between the State of Washington, the Northwest Interstate Compact and the Rocky Mountain Interstate Compact are met.

The commercial low-level radioactive waste disposal site is located in Benton County, about 23 miles northwest of Richland, Washington. It is situated near the center of the 560 square mile United States Department of Energy (USDOE) Hanford Site (Hanford) on approximately 100 acres of federal land leased to the state of Washington. It has been in operation since 1965 and is currently operated by US Ecology, Inc.  Follow this link for more detail about how wastes are handled at the Commercial LLRW Disposal Facility.

Under an Agreed Order between the State of Washington, Department of Ecology and US Ecology Washington, Inc. share the mutual objective of providing sitewide investigation and other remedial action at a facility where there has been a release or threatened release of hazardous substances.  The Washington State Department of Ecology believes the actions required by this Order are in the public interest. US Ecology Agreed Order link.

Permits

Final Environmental Impact Statement New!

EIS Technical Support Documents

Data Quality Objectives Summary Report

AREVA

Perma-Fix

Perma-Fix Northwest is a waste treatment facility specializing in treating low-level and mixed low-level waste.  The majority of the waste they treat is USDOE waste, primarily from Hanford.

Puget Sound Naval Shipyard

Ecology has issued a permit for storage of mixed wastes at the Mixed Waste Storage Area at the U.S. Navy's Puget Sound Naval Shipyard, located in Bremerton Washington.