BRIEFS
Saturday, March
13, 2004
Local news briefs
DEQ approves permit
for Depot
HERMISTON — The state Department of Environmental Quality has approved
a Class II permit modification request, allowing the Umatilla Chemical Depot
Facility to use a larger capacity agent collection tank system as the primary
agent feed tank for liquid incinerator operations.
The 13,000-gallon tank replaces a smaller 660-gallon capacity tank
which was required previously by the permit.
The smaller Agent Collection Tank System provides about four hours
of continuous agent feed for the liquid incinerators, according to the DEQ’s
notice of decision.
That had proven adequate at other facilities, but the larger tank
will provide the ability to process agent uninterrupted for almost eight
hours. It will also improve the operational efficiency of the UMCDF, the
notice said.
Under the previous requirements, the larger ACS tank was held in
reserve to handle spills and emergency agent storage needs. Under the new
scenario, this function will be served by a combination of the smaller ACS
tank and one of the Spent Decontamination System tanks that will be maintained
empty at all times.