Missouri DNR grants final hazardous waste permit to BASF Hannibal Plant

The Missouri Department of Natural Resources’ Waste Management Program has issued a final hazardous waste permit for the BASF Corp. Hannibal Plant facility, allowing the company to continue operating at its Palmyra facility.

BASF, formerly American Cyanamid Company, operates an agricultural chemical manufacturing facility at the site located at 3150 Highway JJ in Palmyra. A variety of hazardous wastes, including herbicides and insecticides, are produced as part of the facility operations. BASF manages and incinerates both off-specification or expired products, and other wastes generated during the manufacturing processes. BASF currently operates three hazardous waste container storage areas, with a combined capacity of 501,600 gallons, and four hazardous waste incinerators, with a total treatment capacity of 92,600 pounds per hour.

BASF has been operating, performing long-term maintenance activities and conducting corrective action investigations at the site under a department-issued Missouri Hazardous Waste Management Facility Part I Permit and U.S. Environmental Protection Agency-issued Hazardous and Solid Waste Amendments Part II Permit. While the company submitted multiple applications over the years, BASF most recently replaced those applications with one the department received Oct. 31, 2015.

After a thorough technical review of the permit application and opportunity for public comment on the draft permit, the department issued a final permit with a conditional schedule of compliance. The final permit allows the company to store and treat hazardous waste.

EPA decided not to issue a Part II permit, because EPA has no site-specific conditions for the facility, beyond those contained in the final permit, and Missouri is fully authorized for all permitting and corrective action activities at the facility. EPA intends to terminate the current Part II permit upon issuance of the Missouri permit.

Any parties adversely affected or aggrieved by department’s decision issue the final permit, or specific conditions of the final permit, may be entitled to pursue an appeal before the Administrative Hearing Commission by filing a written petition by March 24 as more fully described on page 6 of the final permit.

The final permit, summary and response to comments received on the draft permit, and additional information are available online at dnr.mo.gov/waste-recycling/what-were-doing/public-notices or at the Marion County Library’s Sub District #1 Branch, 212 S. Main St., Palmyra (during normal business hours).

For more information about the final permit, or to obtain a written copy of the final permit for review, please contact Breanon Dowling, EIT, Missouri Department of Natural Resources, Waste Management Program, by mail at P.O. Box 176, Jefferson City, MO 65102-0176; by telephone at 573-751-8361; or by e-mail at breanon.dowling@dnr.mo.gov. Hearing- and speech-impaired individuals may reach Dowling through Relay Missouri at 800-735-2966.