The Missouri Department of Natural Resources and U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) issued final hazardous waste permits for the International Paper Co. facility. The department issued a final Missouri Hazardous Waste Management Facility Part I Permit. EPA issued a final Hazardous and Solid Waste Amendments Part II Permit. These permits allow the company to continue operating at its Joplin facility.
Please be aware that any parties adversely affected or aggrieved by the department’s decision to issue the final Part I Permit, or specific conditions of the Part I Permit, may be entitled to pursue an appeal before the Administrative Hearing Commission by filing a written petition by Nov. 23, 2023, as more fully described on page 5 of the final Part I Permit.
To appeal the final Part II Permit, the written petition must be filed with the Environmental Appeals Board (EAB) by Nov. 27, 2023, according to the procedures outlined in Code of Federal Regulations 40 C.F.R. § 124.19(a). Contact information for the EAB can be found on online at epa.gov/eab.
International Paper operated a commercial wood treating facility at the site, located at 2609 Rangeline Road in Joplin, Missouri. The wood treating facility shut down in March 2006 and was officially decommissioned. International Paper currently is performing long-term monitoring, maintenance activities and conducting corrective action remediation activities at the site under a department-issued Missouri Hazardous Waste Management Facility Part I Permit and EPA-issued Hazardous and Solid Waste Amendments Part II Permit.
On March 30, 2023, International Paper submitted a permit application to the department and EPA to renew their existing hazardous waste permits. After a thorough technical review of the permit application and opportunity for public comment on the draft permits, the department and EPA issued final hazardous waste permits. The final permits requires International Paper to continue long-term maintenance and monitoring and corrective actions. The final Part I Permit also contains contingent corrective action conditions that may be exercised in the event there is a new release to the environment or if existing contamination poses a threat due to further migration.
The pubic can review an electronic copy of the final Part I Permit, Part II Permit and a summary and response to comments received during the public comment period below. Paper copies of the final permits, summary and response to comments and supporting documents are available during normal business hours at the Joplin Public Library, 1901 E. 20th St., Joplin, MO, the Missouri Department of Natural Resources, Elm Street Conference Center, Jefferson City, MO 65102 or EPA’s Information Resource Center, 11201 Renner Blvd. in Lenexa, Kansas. An Open Records/ Sunshine Law Request will need to be submitted to review or obtain copies of the department's files.