By Anna Rossow
Capital News Service
A new Government Accountability Office study of hazardous waste facilities found them at risk of damage from climate-related events such as flooding and hurricanes.
Some are in the six-state Great Lakes region, including ones near southern Lake Michigan.
According to the study, there are more than 700 treatment, storage and waste facilities in the U.S., 68% of which are at risk of a climate hazard such as wildfires, storm surges and rising sea levels, which can be exacerbated by climate change.
The study recommended that the Environmental Protection Agency provide assistance and training on managing facility climate risks. Kimberly Tyson, the manager of the hazardous waste section in the materials management division at the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy, said hazardous waste includes ignitable chemicals that may harm people.
She said the department tries to inspect Michigan facilities at least four times a year.
The department’s district staff inspects waste containers to see if they are being stored properly and are of good integrity without any leaks, she said.
“They’re also looking at the facility and making sure that it’s in compliance with our rules and nothing is out of place,” said Tyson. “They’re not getting sloppy with housekeeping and stuff like that.”
Facilities have backup plans or contingency plans in case a leak occurs, Tyson said. For example, there may be a secondary containment area to catch leaked waste, and facilities may have dust on hand to soak up leaked waste as well. She said part of a facility’s contingency plan in case of a leak includes working with first responders and medical personnel in training scenarios so they know how to address any hazards.
Secondary containment areas are sloped to catch leaked material in one area, she said, and some facilities have a “blind sump” which pumps out the waste to dispose of it or put it through a treatment process until it is no longer hazardous.
However, according to the EPA website, flooding and rising water can cause facility infrastructure to fail.
Alan Steinman, the Allen and Helen Hunting Research professor at the Annis Water Resource Institute at Grand Valley State University, said that a hazardous waste spill can affect water quality in different ways, depending on what chemical leaks.
