Implementing Climate Resilience in Hazardous Waste Permitting
On December 12, 2023, EPA issued for public comment a draft memorandum that would provide guidance to EPA Regions, states, and territories on when and how to consider potential adverse climate change impacts in the hazardous waste permitting process under the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act. This draft guidance includes expectations for conducting climate change vulnerability screenings and assessments for treatment, storage, and disposal facilities to determine whether there are climate vulnerabilities that hazardous waste permits should address. The memo’s recommendations would ensure that controls provide long-term effectiveness through resilience to adverse climate change impacts into the future. Read the draft memorandum (pdf)(241 KB).
We accepted comments on the draft memo through January 26, 2024, and are working on reviewing the comments and finalizing the memo.