Environmental Compliance at the West Valley Demonstration Project: The Vitrification Permitting Program

The major environmental laws that apply to the West Valley Demonstration Project (WVDP) are the: Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA), Clean Air Act (CAA), Clean Water Act (CWA), Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA), Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA), National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), and Emergency Planning and Community Right-To-Know Act (EPCRA). Regulations developed in accordance with these laws are administered by the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (NYSDEC) and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) through state and federal programs, and regulatory requirements such as permitting. The Environmental Permits & Reports (EP&R) Group of the Environmental Affairs (EA) Department has the primary responsibility for developing a site-wide permitting program for the WVDP and obtaining the necessary permits. This report discusses the permits and the permitting process associated with the Vitrification Facility (VF).