Hazardous Waste-Related Permits

The permitting process is an integral part of hazardous waste regulations and regulatory compliance. The department works with Missouri businesses, state and federal officials and the public to ensure businesses treat, store and dispose of hazardous waste safely. If you have any questions about applying for a hazardous waste-related permit, contact the department’s Waste Management Program.

For information about draft permits currently on public notice or public meetings and hearings scheduled for any permits under review, visit Public Notices/ Public Comments. To view issued hazardous waste permits, visit Hazardous Waste Treatment, Storage and Disposal (TSD) Facilities. You can “click” on a specific facility’s name to view the hazardous waste permits, administrative orders, court orders or other regulatory agreement(s) the facility is regulated under. 

Emergency Permit

Emergency permits are temporary permits issued in the event there is a situation that presents an immediate and significant threat to human health or the environment. The department may issue an emergency permit to a company that already has a hazardous waste permit, to allow them to treat, store or dispose of a hazardous waste not covered by their effective permit. The department may also issue an emergency permit to non-permitted companies, to allow them to temporarily treat, store or dispose of hazardous waste. The emergency permit clearly specifies the hazardous wastes the company intends to handle and how they are allowed to treat, store or dispose of the wastes. An emergency permit can be effective for up to 90 days.

For more information about emergency permits, please review Code of Federal Regulations 40 C.F.R. § 270.61. To apply for an emergency permit, contact the department’s Waste Management Program.

Hazardous Waste Permit

A hazardous waste permit is a legally binding, enforceable document that lists how and what kind of hazardous waste a company can treat, store or dispose. Companies that want to actively treat, store (for more than 90 days) or dispose of hazardous waste in Missouri are required to get a hazardous waste permit. Certain “inactive” hazardous waste treatment, storage or disposal facilities may also be required to get a hazardous waste permit in order to investigate, monitor and clean up hazardous waste releases to the environment at their facility. 

In Missouri, a hazardous waste permit may actually include two separate permits, depending on the facility activities. EPA has the authority to authorize the states to administer all or part of the federal hazardous waste management law, known as the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA), through a state “RCRA-equivalent” hazardous waste program. The federal regulations Missouri adopted and EPA authorized Missouri to administer are contained in a Missouri Hazardous Waste Management Facility Part I Permit, which is issued by the Missouri Department of Natural Resources. In some instances, EPA will issue a Hazardous and Solid Waste Amendments Part II Permit, which contains the federal RCRA requirements administered by EPA that Missouri has either not adopted or has adopted but EPA has not yet given Missouri temporary or final authorization to administer. EPA does not issue a Part II Permit if EPA has no site-specific conditions for that particular facility, beyond those contained in the Part I Permit. 

A typical permit outlines the facility design and operation, safety standards and what monitoring and reporting activities the company must perform. It also includes detailed plans outlining how the company will remove and clean their equipment, structures and soil when they are no longer managing hazardous waste. The permit may contain facility-specific requirements such as long-term monitoring and maintenance plans for areas of the property where hazardous waste will remain in place after closure is finished, such as hazardous waste landfills or surface impoundments. The permit also contain conditions requiring the company to investigate and clean up releases of hazardous waste from their facility and provide financial assurance to ensure they have enough funds set aside to close their facility and cleanup any hazardous waste releases, even if the facility declares bankruptcy. 

If both a Part I and Part II Permit are required, they are usually issued together and are normally effective for 10 years, the maximum period currently allowed by state and federal laws and regulations. During that time, we can make changes to the permit, allowing the facility to improve operations and change in response to new laws. The permits may be reissued, with department and EPA approval, for as long as necessary.

To apply for a hazardous waste permit, the company owner or operator submits a permit application fee and two paper copies and one searchable electronic copy of a two-part permit application to the department, and one paper copy and one searchable electronic copy EPA. Part A of the application, EPA RCRA Hazardous Waste Part A Permit Application - EPA 8700-23, contains general information about the facility. Part B is often a very detailed, highly technical document consisting of hundreds or thousands of pages of facility-specific information. For more information about the hazardous waste permitting process, review the Getting Involved in the Hazardous Waste Permitting Process - PUB0916 fact sheet. 

PCB Facility Permit

Companies that want to commercially treat, store or dispose of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and PCB items in Missouri are required to get a PCB Facility Permit. According to Code of Federal Regulations 40 C.F.R. Part 761, the company is also required to get a separate Toxic Substance Control Act (TSCA) approval from EPA. PCB Facility Permits list similar requirements to what is found in a hazardous waste permit and are also normally effective for 10 years. The permit may be reissued, with department and EPA approval, for as long as necessary.

To apply for a PCB Facility Permit, the company owner or operator submits to the department, a complete Polychlorinated Biphenyl (PCB) Facility Application MO 780-1897 form and facility-specific information listed in the application. 

Remedial Action Plan

A Remedial Action Plan (RAP) is a list of conditions a company must follow in order to treat, store or dispose of hazardous remediation waste at a remediation waste management site in Missouri. Hazardous remediation waste is waste, soil, water or debris that was produced during a hazardous waste cleanup activity and contains listed hazardous waste or exhibits a hazardous waste characteristic. A RAP may be a stand-alone document or may be part of another document, such as a hazardous waste permit or remedy decision document used in the corrective action process. RAPs can be effective for up to 10 years and may be renewed, with department approval, for as long as the activity continues.

For more information about RAPs, please review Code of Federal Regulations 40 C.F.R. Part 270 Subpart H. To apply for a RAP, contact the department’s Waste Management Program.

Research, Development and Demonstration Permit

A Research, Development and Demonstration (RD&D) Permit is a special permit that may be issued to owners and operators of hazardous waste treatment facilities that want to use new and experimental treatment technologies for which no regulation standards exist. The permit outlines the facility design and operation, safety standards and closure, corrective action and financial assurance requirements. The permit also lists the type and amounts of hazardous waste the department believes is necessary to determine the effectiveness of the technology or process and its effects on human health and the environment. RD&D permits are effective for up to one year and may be renewed, with department approval, up to three times. Each renewal cannot exceeding one year.

For more information about RD&D permits, please review Code of Federal Regulations 40 C.F.R. § 270.65. To apply for an RD&D permit, contact the department’s Waste Management Program.