Hazardous waste service providers

LQGs and MQGs must register for RCRAInfo

EPA has issued their final Third Rule, which integrates the e-Manifest system with exports and other manifest-related reports. Effective Jan. 22, 2025, large and medium quantity generators (LQGs and MQGs) must register for RCRAInfo to access the e-Manifest system to obtain their final signed manifest copies.

Hazardous waste service providers (or, waste service providers) are companies that dangerous waste generators hire to help them:

Transport waste.
Dispose of waste.
Designate or identify waste codes.
Create hazardous waste manifests.
Assist with recordkeeping.

Learn how to find a service provider that best suits your business needs.

I want to...

Do you have to hire a waste service provider?

This depends on your generator category:

Medium and large quantity generators (MQGs and LQGs)
Must hire a waste service provider to handle, transport, and dispose of their dangerous waste.
Small quantity generators (SQGs)
Can choose to hire a waste service provider, but it’s not required. SQGs may also choose to transport their own dangerous waste to an appropriate disposal facility themselves.

What waste service providers are available?

The table below lists commonly used permitted and non-permitted waste service providers in Washington. It describes the type of dangerous waste they handle and links to the company’s Enforcement and Compliance History Online (ECHO) record.

Waste service providers must adhere to all state and federal laws that apply to them, but only those operating a permitted dangerous waste facility (also referred to as TSDs, TSDRs, or TSDFs, which stands for some combination of Treatment, Storage, Disposal, or Recycling Facilities) are required to have a dangerous waste permit issued by the Department of Ecology.

Note: We do not endorse any company. This list is not exhaustive. You could also search online to find even more hazardous waste service providers near you. Before you choose a company, be sure to follow our guidance on how to choose a waste service provider.

City	Permit type	Provider name	Service type	ECHO look-up
Anacortes	Non-permitted	Venoil	Used oil transportation and storage	WAD980987622
Kent	Permitted	Clean Earth - Kent	Commercial permitted dangerous waste storage	WAD991281767
Kent	Non-permitted	Clean Harbors Environmental Services	Dangerous waste and used oil transfer facility	WAH000035842
Kent	Non-permitted	Ingenium	Dangerous waste and used oil transfer facility	WAH000029517
Pasco	Non-permitted	Safety Kleen Systems, Inc.	Dangerous waste and used oil transfer facility	WAH000042595
Richland	Permitted	Perma-Fix Northwest	Low-level radioactive and mixed waste	WAR000010355
Seattle	Permitted	Emerald Services, Inc.	Used oil re-refinery	WAD058367152
Seattle	Permitted	Emerald Services, Inc.	Dangerous waste and used oil transfer facility	WAD009492877
Seattle	Non-permitted	Marine Vacuum Services	Used oil processor	WAD980974521
Spokane	Permitted	Emerald Services, Inc.	Dangerous waste and used oil transfer facility	WAH000042987
Spokane Valley	Non-permitted	Thermo Fluids - Spokane Valley	Used oil processor	WAH000046471
Spokane Valley	Non-permitted	Safety Kleen Systems, Inc.	Dangerous waste and used oil transfer facility	WAH000025242
Sumner	Non-permitted	Thermo Fluids - Sumner	Used oil processor	WAD988475323
Tacoma	Permitted	Emerald Services, Inc.	Commercial permitted dangerous waste storage and treatment; used oil re-refinery	WAD981769110
Tacoma	Permitted	Clean Earth - Tacoma	Commercial permitted dangerous waste storage and treatment	WAD020257945
Tacoma	Non-permitted	Petroleum Reclaiming Services (PRS)	Used oil processor	WAD980511729
Vancouver	Permitted	Emerald Services, Inc.	Used oil and spent antifreeze transportation and storage	WAD068794387

How do you choose a waste service provider?

Consider balancing cost, liability, and service to find the right provider for your business. If you use a service provider that does not manage your waste properly, you are liable for the consequences, which could result in spendy cleanup costs.

What to research about a waste service provider

Your waste service provider’s compliance record is as important as costs and services. If they fail to manage your waste safely and legally, you could end up paying for an expensive and embarrassing cleanup.

Look up a waste service provider's compliance history

The EPA's Enforcement and Compliance History Online (ECHO) allows you to see a provider's past history:

Search by location: Enter the city or zip code of the facility, then scroll through the list or click the map.
Search by facility name: Click the "Explore Facilities" button. Enter the facility’s name in the search bar.

Violations

Violations that threaten, or have potential to threaten, human health or the environment are serious.

Examples include:

Unreported spills.
Drums or containers without secure lids.
Incorrect waste identification.

Citations

Do they have citations for:

Poor waste tracking?
Failing to keep records for waste shipments?

Citations for poor or missing records could impact your compliance as a generator if it calls into question what happened to a hazardous waste shipment.

Classification

Are they classified in ECHO as a:

Significant non-complier?
High priority violator?

These types of classifications could indicate the waste service provider has frequently failed to stay in compliance and could be a potential risk to your business.

Financial assurance (also known as financial responsibility) means the waste service provider ensures there is enough money available to cover cleanup costs should the need arise.

If a waste service provider is cheaper overall, it could be because the amount of financial assurance they offer is low.
Waste service providers that operate permitted dangerous waste facilities are often more expensive because they offer a high amount of financial assurance.

Remember, if a waste service provider mishandles your waste, you are still responsible for any cleanup costs. Using a waste service provider that offers enough financial assurance can save you peace of mind in the long run.

Permits help mitigate, control, and prevent hazards to human health and the environment. Not all waste service providers have (or require) dangerous waste permits because not all of them operate a dangerous waste facility in Washington.

A permitted dangerous waste facility is a physical site in Washington that is allowed to treat other businesses' dangerous waste or store dangerous waste on a long-term basis.

While all waste service providers must adhere to all state and federal laws that apply to them, only those operating a dangerous waste facility are required to have a dangerous waste permit issued by the Department of Ecology.

If a waste service provider does not have a dangerous waste permit, ensure you research them well.

Detail your scope of work and costs

Specifically, the unit and cost you want to see. For example, $/gallon or $/pound. Put all your expectations for costs, services, compliance record, and financial assurance into your scope of work. A clear, detailed scope of work can help you get bids that are comparable.

Frequently asked questions

Uniform hazardous waste manifests provide a record of your waste shipments and proof that your dangerous waste reached its designated facility. The designated facility must send you a signed copy of your manifest (in Item 20 of the form) documenting they received the waste.

If you don’t get the final signed copy of your manifest within the timeframes listed below, take these steps:

Within 35 days: Contact your transporter or designated facility for the status of the dangerous waste shipment.
Within 45 days: Submit an exception report to Ecology.

Track your dangerous waste shipments to ensure you receive all signed copies of your manifests within the required deadlines. Keep all your manifests on-site for at least five years from the date the initial transporter accepted the waste.

What’s an exception report?

If a signed manifest is not received, medium and large quantity generators must submit the following documents (which make up your exception report):

A copy of the manifest (sometimes called the transporter copy).
A cover letter explaining the efforts you made to determine what happened to your shipment and the results of those efforts.