On June 1, 2021, Green America Recycling LLC submitted a Class 3 Permit Modification request to the department and U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Region 7, requesting to modify its hazardous waste permits. After a thorough technical review of the permit modification request, the department and EPA prepared draft hazardous waste permit modifications. The department and EPA invite the public to review and offer written comments on the draft permit modifications until Oct. 4, 2022.
The department and EPA will hold a public meeting about the draft permit modifications on Thursday, Sept. 8, 2022. During the public comment period, anyone can request a public hearing about the draft permit modifications by calling either Jillian Hunt, Missouri Department of Natural Resources, at 573-751-6796 or 800-361-4827; or Patricia Murrow, EPA, at 913-551-7627 or 800-223-0425. Please follow the public meeting link below for more information.
The Green America Recycling facility is located at 10107 Highway 79 in Hannibal, Missouri, and is operated by Green America Recycling LLC and Continental Cement Co. Green America operates a hazardous waste treatment and storage facility that receives, “blends” and stores a variety of liquid and solid hazardous waste-derived fuels used to heat a cement kiln operated by Continental Cement. Green America and Continental Cement are operating at the facility under two hazardous waste permits, a department-issued Missouri Hazardous Waste Management Facility Part I Permit and an EPA-issued Hazardous and Solid Waste Amendments Part II Permit. On April 11, 2020, Green America discovered an explosion incident occurred in the former Ball Mill Building, when unpermitted processing of reactive waste occurred. All solids processing at the facility stopped while a formal investigation was conducted. In response to the explosion incident,
Green America and Continental Cement were required to submit a permit modification request to add and identify miscellaneous treatment processes and units, change ventilation equipment and revise and update multiple plans. Green America originally requested to add EPA Waste Code D003, Reactive Waste, for treatment at the facility, but rescinded the request Sept. 24, 2021. The department prepared draft Missouri Hazardous Waste Management Facility Part I Permit Modifications. EPA prepared draft Hazardous and Solid Waste Amendments Part II Permit Modifications. The draft hazardous waste permit modifications propose to allow additional storage and treatment capacities throughout the entire facility and direct burning of liquid hazardous waste in the cement kiln and pre-calciner. The department and EPA made additional modifications to the permits, along with the requested permit modifications. Additional information about all proposed permit modifications is available in the fact sheet below.
Electronic copies of the permit modification request, draft Part I and Part II Permit modifications and a fact sheet are available below. Paper copies of these documents and supporting documents are available at the Hannibal Free Public Library, 200 S. 5th St., Hannibal, MO (during normal business hours); EPA Region 7 Records Center, Lenexa, Kansas (by appointment only: 800-223-0425) or the Missouri Department of Natural Resources, Elm Street Conference Center, Jefferson City, Missouri. Supporting documents are not available online due to their file size. An Open Records/ Sunshine Law Request will need to be submitted to review or obtain copies of the department's files.
Comments on the draft permit modifications are more effective if they point out legal or technical issues or provide information that is not in the record. Only the conditions being modified are open for public comment. All other conditions of the existing hazardous waste permits will remain in effect for the length of the permits, or until the department, EPA or facility propose another permit modification. Written comments on the draft Part I Permit Modifications may be submitted by mail to Jillian Hunt, Missouri Department of Natural Resources, Waste Management Program, PO Box 176, Jefferson City, MO 65102-0176 or by email to jillian.hunt@dnr.mo.gov. Written comments on the draft Part II Permit Modifications may be submitted by mail to Patricia Murrow, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Region 7, RCRA Oversight, Authorization Grants and PCB Branch, 11201 Renner Blvd., Lenexa, KS 66219 or by email to murrow.patricia@epa.gov.