Hazardous Waste Generator Newsletter: Spring 2017

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hazardous waste generator newsletter

MPCA proposes cleanup plan for contaminated property in Brooklyn Center

The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) has proposed a cleanup plan for the Joslyn Manufacturing & Supply Company Superfund site, located in Brooklyn Center. Members of the community are encouraged to review the plan and comment on it. Comments will be accepted through May 5, 2017. 

The Joslyn Superfund site is located in Brooklyn Center, east of Middle Twin Lake and northwest of the intersection of Azelia Avenue North and Lakebreeze Avenue North. The site has been listed on federal and state Superfund lists since the mid-1980s, as a result of contamination in soil and groundwater from wood-treating chemicals. The majority of the site has already been cleaned up. However, some contamination remains in the portion closest to Middle Twin Lake.

Having studied several alternatives, the MPCA is proposing a cleanup plan that includes digging up the contaminated soil, trucking some of the soil to a landfill off site, and placing the remainder of the soil in a mound on site under a clean soil cap.

More information about the site is posted online. Formal comments must be submitted in writing to Andri Dahlmeier at andri.dahlmeier@state.mn.us or by mail to Andri Dahlmeier, MPCA, 520 Lafayette Rd. N, St. Paul, MN 55155. Dahlmeier is available to answer questions at 651-757-2718.

Provide feedback on how the state will use settlement funding to protect air quality

The State of Minnesota will receive $47 million over the next 10 years through a settlement with Volkswagen over allegations that the company violated the federal Clean Air Act by selling vehicles that emit air pollution over the legal limit.

The settlement includes a list of eligible project categories, which includes replacing or retrofitting older heavy-duty diesel engines with cleaner technology and developing electric vehicle infrastructure.
The comment period has been extended to June 30. Comments may be emailed to vwsettlement.pca@state.mn.us.

Hennepin County is involved in efforts to improve air quality as a member of Clean Air Minnesota, a coalition of business, government and nonprofit leaders working to reduce air pollution.

Download and print your license

For large quantity, small quantity and very small quantity hazardous waste generators, annual generator licenses are valid from May 1 of the license year through April 30 of the following year. To be eligible to receive a Hennepin County hazardous waste generator license that is effective on May 1, you must submit a hazardous waste management plan summary and pay your license fee.

Generator licenses are created for eligible generators beginning in mid-April. Once your license is created, the person designated as administrator in the hazardous waste portal will be notified via email that your license can be printed from the portal. You must print your license and post it at the licensed site.

The following is a guide to when licenses will be available in 2017, based on when your payment is posted:

  • Payment posted on or before March 31: license created mid-April
  • Payment posted April 1 to 16: License created first working day in May
  • Payment posted April 17 to May 16: License created first working day in June
  • Payment posted after May 16: Licenses continue to be created for eligible generators on the first working day of each subsequent month

See the licensing schedule and fees for more information about the licensing process.

Minimal Generator Licenses

If you are a minimal generator, you are not subject to the same annual licensing process as the larger generator sizes.  Instead, you are issued a license that is valid for a five year license period.  The current license period for minimal generators began on January 1, 2015, and runs through December 31, 2019.

A minimal generator that is registered in our customer portal may log into the portal and view the wastes covered by their license, they may add new wastes to their license, they may review and update the contact person information for their operation and they may print a copy of their current (2015) license.  Information for how to register in the customer portal was sent out to all minimal generators when the 2015 licenses were issued (see the back side of the license).

58 Generators without a violation

Hennepin County recognizes generators and facilities for having a hazardous waste program that is in full compliance with hazardous waste rules and regulations. 

Since August 2016, the county has conducted 58 inspections where generators have been in full compliance. The no violations listing not only shows that it is possible for any size generator and facility to be in full compliance at the time of the inspection, but that it also happens with some frequency.

Click here to see the list of the 58 generators. 

Enforcement outcomes and restitution cases

Hennepin County maintains a list of enforcement outcomes from hazardous waste violations on our website to reinforce the importance of compliance with hazardous waste and tank regulations. The list includes recently resolved civil and criminal cases, including fines and penalties assessed by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency or Hennepin County. All of the cases originated from violations found during hazardous waste generator, hazardous waste facility or tank inspections at businesses in Hennepin County.

The county has resolved four enforcement cases and one restitution case for hazardous waste violations since August 2016.

See the list of enforcement outcomes from August 2016 to April 2017.

If you have any questions regarding compliance with environmental regulations or wish to report a violation, call 612-348-3777 and ask for the environmental specialist on call or email environment@hennepin.us.

Discounts available to small businesses that switch to emission-reducing parts washers

Discounts are available to small businesses that switch from a petroleum-solvent parts washer to an aqueous-based parts washer. Switching to aqueous-based parts washers reducing emissions of volatile organic compounds (VOCs), which contribute to ground-level ozone or smog.

The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency has partnered with Safety-Kleen to offer a 25 percent discount, and businesses located in Minneapolis can get an additional 20 percent off.

Small businesses are those with 100 or fewer employees, and special consideration will be given to businesses located in environmental justice areas of concern. These are determined using the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s EJSCREEN tool.

Businesses are encouraged to take advantage of this opportunity soon as it will only be available for a limited time. Learn more, or contact your local Safety-Kleen location or Eric David at the MPCA (eric.david@state.mn.us or 651-757-2218) to participate.

Hazardous Waste Customer Portal – What’s still in the works?

The Hennepin County Hazardous Waste Customer Portal was developed and implemented in 2013. This project created a "Public Portal" into the commercial hazardous waste generator database, providing hazardous waste generators (generators) with the ability to view and print a real-time record of their annual report (Management Plan Summary), an invoice, or their current hazardous waste license. Today, over 99% of our generators are able to submit disclosure forms for new wastes not covered by their existing license and edit, sign and submit their annual report electronically.

The next phase of development will be to incorporate inspection response capabilities. The Inspection Response Manager will give generators capabilities to conduct business related to their hazardous waste compliance inspections. Generators will be able to use the Hazardous Waste Portal to:

  1. Review inspection compliance orders
  2. Submit compliance order responses and
  3. Send and receive other inspection correspondence

We envision implementing these changes within the next two years. We hope to reduce the time necessary to resolve corrective actions, improve the overall response rate for generators and provide generators with the ability to directly monitor the status of their inspection responses.

Save the date: 2017 RAM/SWANA Conference

The Recycling Association of Minnesota and the Solid Waste Association of North America, Land of Lakes Chapter, have hosted the very successful and well attended RAM/SWANA conference for twenty two years. This year's conference will be held on October 16 & 17 at the Minneapolis Marriott NW, located in Brooklyn Park, MN. The hazardous waste pre-conference training event will be held on October 16. 

For more information visit the RAM/SWANA website

Moves, closures, and ownership changes

Did you know that operations are required to notify Hennepin County when they move, shut down or undergo an ownership change? Failing to report these licensing changes creates delays in issuing new generator licenses, creates more work for licensing staff, and often causes Hennepin County to initiate enforcement procedures. To make these reporting requirements easier, Hennepin County has created the following e-forms that are also available on our website.

    Subscribe to the hazardous waste licensing schedule iCalendar feed

    Hennepin County has created an iCalendar feed to help you remember generator licensing deadlines, including due dates for management plan summaries, license payments and when your new generator license must be posted. 

    Contact us

    612-348-3777, ask for the environmentalist on call

    environment@hennepin.us

    Resources

    Hennepin County hazardous waste licensing portal

    Hennepin County hazardous waste training and resources

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