Progress in implementing the Federal Facility Compliance Act

Hazardous waste and hazardous components of mixed waste require treatment prior to disposal, in accordance with the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act as amended by the Federal Facility Compliance Act. The primary driver for the United States Department of Energy's mixed waste management strategy is the Federal Facility Compliance Act. This Act requires each site generating or storing mixed waste to prepare a treatment plan addressing all mixed waste at the site, with a schedule for treatment capacity construction, and milestones for treating waste when known treatment technologies exist. As of this writing, the Department has published conceptual site treatment plans identifying the technical on-site options and options at other Department or commercial sites. It is now finalizing the Mixed Waste Inventory and Technology Report required by the Act, providing additional detail on its waste streams and treatment capabilities. Now the Department, at its sites, is in the difficult process of winnowing down treatment options in conjunction with the States, with input from the public and other interested parties. Many technical questions, policy and funding issues, and equity concerns among the States must be addressed to enable the Department to propose its preferred treatment options by August 1994