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DEC extends comment period on CWM's draft permit renewal application

by jmaloni
Sat, Jan 12th 2013 12:15 pm

Hearings next week at Lew-Port

New York's Department of Environmental Conservation announced this week it has extended the public comment period for a draft permit renewal application on file from CWM Chemical Services LLC to 60 days, and will now close comments on March 29.

CWM, a Waste Management company, currently owns and operates a commercial facility for the treatment, storage and disposal of hazardous and industrial non-hazardous wastes on an approximately 710-acre site on Balmer Road in the Town of Porter. Its operations include a Residuals Management Unit 1 (RMU-1) hazardous waste landfill operating under a required DEC Part 373 Hazardous Waste Permit. If renewed, this permit will not authorize any expansion to CWM's currently operating RMU-1 or any new landfills.

CWM also has a separate permit application on file with DEC for consideration of future expansion at its Balmer Road facility that is under agency review. Under consideration is CWM's pursuit of a new RMU-2 landfill that if approved would enable the company to operate its hazardous waste landfill operations in Porter for decades into the future. The application is subject to both DEC scrutiny as well as being found as acceptable to the state's Siting Plan protocols.

Adopted on Oct. 18, 2010, the New York State Hazardous Waste Facility Siting Plan, required by ECL Section 27-1102, is primarily intended to assess the state's capacity for managing hazardous waste in accordance with state and federal law, and to assure adequate availability of industrial hazardous waste treatment, storage and disposal facilities into the future. The final adoption of a Siting Plan is a prerequisite for the siting or significant expansion of certain new hazardous waste facilities in New York.

As noted, DEC action on CWM's Part 373 permit renewal has no bearing whatsoever on the company's RMU-2 expansion permit application.

DEC reports a legislative public hearing to accept public comments on CWM's Part 373 permit renewal will be held on Monday, Jan. 14, in the Lewiston-Porter High School auditorium, 4061 Creek Road. Two sessions will be held, one at 5 p.m. and other at 7 p.m. A public availability session will take place on Jan. 14 from 4 to 5 p.m., prior to the legislative meeting. In the event of inclement weather, the hearing and availability session will be held on Jan. 16, at the same times.

Electronic copies of CWM's application and other CWM documents are available through CWM's website http://modelcity.wm.com/. Additional documents that provide further details on the draft permit, including DEC's fact sheet, Negative Declaration, and copy of the draft permit are available on DEC's website at http://www.dec.ny.gov/chemical/49051.html.

Hard copies of DEC's fact sheet, new draft permit and CWM's application are available for public review at the following locations: Porter Town Hall, 3265 Creek Road, Town of Porter; the Youngstown Free Library, 240 Lockport St., Youngstown; DEC's Region 9 office, 270 Michigan Ave., Buffalo (contact person: Bidjan Rostami at 851-7220); and DEC, Division of Environmental Remediation, 625 Broadway, 12th Floor, Albany, NY 12233-7017 (contact person: Matt Mortefolio at 518-402-9814).

DEC reports that comments will be accepted both verbally and in writing at the public hearing. It is not necessary to attend the hearing to submit a written comment. Written comments can be sent anytime throughout the comment period to: Mr. David Denk, Regional Permit Administrator, NYSDEC Region 9, 270 Michigan Ave., Buffalo, NY 14203-2915

All comments must be submitted no later than March 29.

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