Solid waste
Comment period: Nov. 12 – Dec. 12, 2019
Waste was found to not contain enough harmful chemicals to be considered hazardous
We invite you to comment on our proposed decision to allow Emerald Kalama Chemical (Emerald) and Fire Mountain Farms (FMF) to change how they manage some of their waste. While state and federal law currently consider the waste to be “listed” as hazardous waste, the companies collected data shows it does not contain enough harmful chemicals to be considered dangerous.
Petitions
Emerald and FMF submitted petitions to exclude (or “delist”) a one-time amount of up to 20,100 cubic yards of material containing trace amounts of benzene, toluene, and other chemicals from the list of federal hazardous wastes. In the events that led to this petition process, FMF mixed Emerald’s wastewater treatment plant sludge with treatment solids from other facilities and land-applied or stored the mixed material at its facilities.
If approved, these petitions would allow the companies to manage the mixed material that is currently stored at three facilities owned and operated by FMF in Lewis County (Big Hanaford, Burnt Ridge, and Newaukum Prairie) as solid waste instead of hazardous waste.
If the petitions are granted, the mixed material will be moved out of Lewis County to a permitted municipal solid waste landfill. There are no landfills currently operating in Lewis County.
The mixed material currently located at the three locations in Lewis County is categorized as hazardous waste. However, tests show that the trace levels of benzene, toluene, and other chemicals are beneath human health and environmental threshold levels. This is why the material is eligible to be delisted as a hazardous waste. The material will be tested again to reconfirm these findings before it can be reclassified as a solid waste and moved to a solid waste landfill.
No, the mixed material is not biosolids. It is defined as a hazardous waste and ceased being biosolids as soon as it was mixed with industrial sludge.
Commenting is a two-step process
Step 1: The United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is currently holding a comment period on its decision to grant the petitions. Visit https://www.federalregister.gov (Docket # EPA-R10-RCRA-2019-0662) to comment on the EPA's decision.
Step 2: We're holding a comment period on our proposed decision to approve the petitions.
Read the comment notice for more information, such as how to submit comments.
Facility information
This organic chemical plant began operating in 1962 and has about 215 employees. The plant processes toluene into chemicals for food, flavor, fragrance, and pharmaceutical industries.
- It produces about 194,000 tons of chemicals each year.
- Wastewater from the chemical-making process is treated and sent to the Columbia River. This makes up approximately 2 percent of all the wastewater from this facility.
- About 98 percent of what is sent to the Columbia River is non-contact cooling water.
Permit information
The Southwest Clean Air Agency regulates the plant's air quality activities. Visit the Southwest Clean Air Agency website or call 360-574-3058 for more information.
Emerald Kalama Contacts
Company website
Facility phone: 360-673-2550
Location: 1296 Third St. NW, Kalama, Wash.