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   The Division of Environmental Health licenses, certifications, and permits

Learn more about the Division of Environmental Health

Perma-Fix Northwest Richland, Inc.

(Formerly Pacific EcoSolutions, Inc.)

The Waste Management Section issues two licenses to Perma-Fix to possess and process radioactive material.  One license is for mixed waste (MW), which is hazardous waste that contains both non-radioactive and radioactive components.  The other license is for low-level radioactive waste (LLRW), which is waste that contains radioactive material that is not high-level radioactive waste, spent nuclear fuel, or byproduct material as defined in section 11e.2 of the Atomic Energy Act of 1954.

An inspector is assigned to this facility.  Shipments of material coming to and leaving the facility are checked.  Inspections include examination of the shipping documents, a thorough radiation survey of the transport vehicle, and a visual inspection of the individual containers for appropriate marking, labeling and container integrity.  The inspector also performs licensing functions for the facility to ensure that old and new processes are conducted in accordance with applicable laws and regulations.  Frequent inspections of the facility's operations ensure compliance with the radioactive material license. Throughout the year, the licensee’s entire radiation protection program is reviewed by the inspector with assistance from other groups and agencies.

While the processing facility has been in operation since the early 1990's, Perma-Fix, started operating this facility in June 2007.  The facility has been involved with the completion of numerous projects supporting the nuclear industries.  Waste has been received from the federal government, reactor operators, medical facilities, and other waste brokers and processors.  The main purpose of the facility is volume reduction and stabilization of radioactive waste material.  The Perma-Fix facility uses several different methods to process mixed waste and low level radioactive waste. Processing methods are chosen according to waste volume and characteristics.

The methods used for processing are:

• Mixed Waste Non-Thermal Treatment

• Mixed Waste Thermal Treatment

• LLRW Non-Thermal Treatment

• LLRW Thermal Treatment

An ongoing inspection program ensures that the material is handled in a manner that protects workers and the environment around the site.  This includes checks for compliance with applicable state and federal requirements and regulations, the license, and procedures.  Shipments that are coming from and going to Perma-Fix are inspected to assure that they comply with U.S. Department of Transportation rules and regulations.

• Current Operating License

  • Low Level Radioactive Waste (438 KB PDF) Notice of Timely Renewal (26 KB PDF)

  • Mixed Waste (238 KB PDF) Notice of Timely Renewal (25 KB PDF)

• External Links

• Contact Information

Mixed Waste Non-Thermal Treatment

• Inorganic debris and soils treatment and stabilization – size reduction, screening, and mixing with reagents (a substance used in a chemical reaction to detect, measure, examine, or produce other substances) followed by packaging for offsite disposal.

• Inorganic liquid treatment – liquid consolidation, pre-treatment and stabilization.

• Metals and bulk lead treatment – cutting, shearing, polymer mixing.

• Solids and debris treatment – sorting, super-compacting, and enclosing the waste in Portland cement.

Mixed Waste Thermal Treatment

• Sludge and liquid treatment, sorting table, shredder, solid and liquid feeders, and plasma furnace/thermal desorber unit.  The thermal desorber removes organic vapors from solids and sludge, while the plasma arc destroys organic content of condensed liquids from the thermal desorber and liquid mixed waste.

LLRW Non-Thermal Treatment

• Dry active waste volume reduction – size sorting and segregation, in-container compaction, and super-compaction.

• Metals decontamination – bulk decontamination conveyor and pipe decontamination tool (blasting unit to descale, remove radioactive residue and decontaminate small and large metal objects).

LLRW Thermal Treatment

• Dry active waste and liquid volume reduction – bulk processing units (BPUs 1 & 2) heat the LLRW in a reduced oxygen atmosphere at 2,000 degrees F.  The final product, an ash-like material, is packaged for offsite disposal.

External Links

EPA  About Mixed Waste

Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC)

Links to external resources are provided as a public service and do not imply endorsement by the Washington State Department of Health.

Contact Information

Sean Murphy, Project Manager 509-943-6626

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Last Update : 01/25/2011 05:18 PM