A hazardous waste facility can store treated waste in temporary piles before final disposal

US environmental regulators are proposing to let a hazardous waste facility in Oklahoma temporarily store treated hazardous waste in large outdoor piles. This means the facility can hold waste that has been processed but not yet verified as safe for permanent burial.

Hazardous waste facilities usually have strict rules about how and where waste can be stored before it is permanently disposed of. This change gives one facility more flexibility to manage its treated waste, potentially speeding up operations. It also means more treated hazardous waste will sit in temporary outdoor piles, rather than being immediately moved to a secure landfill.