Waste Treatment

In addition to regulating the generation of hazardous waste, Environmental Programs is also responsible for administering the separate state-mandated requirements related to the treatment of hazardous waste, also known as the Tiered Permitting program.

Tiered Permitting is a State of California hazardous waste treatment and storage program that establishes requirements for each permitted tier based on the degree of risk associated with those hazardous waste treatment activities.

The 5 Tiers of Tiered Permitting program are as follows:

  • Full Permit
  • Standardized Permit
  • Permit by Rule (PBR)
  • Conditionally Authorized (CA)
  • Conditionally Exempt (CE)

The State of California Department of Toxic Substances Control (DTSC) has regulatory oversight for Full Permit and Standardized Permit facilities.

The 3 lower tiers - Permit by Rule (PBR), Conditional Authorization (CA), and Conditionally Exempt Tier (CE).

Environmental Programs provides regulatory oversight of the Tiered Permitting Program, including:

  • Permitting of all authorized waste treatment activities.
  • Triennial inspection for all tiered permitting waste treatment activities.
  • Oversight of all waste treatment unit closures.

The Full Permit Tier
The full permit allows treatment and storage of RCRA and Non-RCRA (California only) hazardous waste. Examples would include incinerators and hazardous waste landfills.

The Full Permit includes all facilities requiring a Resource Conservation and Recovery Act permit (RCRA - federal statute that regulates facilities that treat, store or dispose of hazardous waste), plus selected non-RCRA activities pursuant to the Title 22 California Code of Regulations (22 CCR), Chapter 14, section 66264.1 et. seq.

The Full Permit involves considerable document preparation and review, substantial fees, and various other requirements.

The Standardized Permit Tier
The Standardized Permit allows offsite treatment and storage of Non-RCRA and RCRA exempt hazardous wastes. Examples would include recyclers, oil transfer stations, and precious metals recyclers.

The Permit By Rule Tier (PBR)
The Permit By Rule (PBR) tier allows onsite treatment of Non-RCRA and RCRA exempt hazardous wastes. This tier is for treating waste streams that exhibit more than one hazardous characteristic and higher volume waste streams.

The Conditionally Authorized Tier (CA)
The Conditionally Authorized (CA) tier allows onsite treatment of Non-RCRA and RCRA exempt hazardous wastes. This tier is generally for single hazard waste streams and has some treatment volume limits.

The Conditionally Exempt Tier (CE)
The Conditionally Exempt (CE) tier allows onsite treatment of Non-RCRA and RCRA exempt hazardous wastes. This tier is for less risky hazardous waste treatment or treatment in smaller volumes.

Please contact Environmental Programs if you have any question about hazardous waste treatment and Tiered Permitting