Governor proposes stricter regulation of hazardous waste

North Carolina Gov. Mike Easley on Friday announced a set of proposals designed to better protect neighborhoods from hazardous waste facilities and to help local communities better respond in case of an emergency.

The proposals were developed by a task force Easley appointed in the wake of the Oct. 5 explosion and fire at the EQ Industrial Services' hazardous waste storage facility in Apex, N.C.

Easley has ordered the state Department of Environment and Natural Resources to evaluate the location, design and operating requirements for commercial hazardous waste treatment, storage and disposal facilities and recommend changes. He is also directing the Division of Waste Management to provide inspection reports and compliance orders for hazardous waste facilities to local emergency response agencies and to invite local fire marshals to accompany division inspectors on annual hazardous waste facility inspections.

In addition, the governor will propose legislation in the next session of the General Assembly to tighten state laws regulating the handling, storage and disposal of hazardous waste and licensing of hazardous waste sites. The legislation would:

* Require hazardous waste treatment storage and disposal facilities to provide insurance so they can pay for cleanup and off-site screening for potential contamination in the event of a release;

* Require all applicants for commercial hazardous waste facility permits to seek local government input on plans for response to emergencies at the proposed sites;

* Require facilities to have around-the-clock, seven-day-a-week security with either an electronic system or trained security personnel who meet state standards;

* Require facility operators to make information on the types of waste on the site accessible to the state Department of Environment and Natural Resources, local governments and emergency responders from off-site sources;

* Include changes in the land use and population of neighborhoods around a hazardous waste facility as criteria for determining the frequency of inspections of the sites; and

* Authorize state emergency response agencies to seek reimbursement for deployment costs when dispatched in a hazardous waste emergency.

Furthermore, Easley will consider funding in his 2007-08 state budget proposals to:

* Develop a computerized system to report the items being stored by facilities that handle hazardous materials and toxic chemicals;

* Increase funding for the state’s seven Hazardous Materials Regional Response Teams; and

* Provide funding for public health planning and response-related training for emergency responders to a chemical, biological or radiological contamination accident.

For more details, see the governor's Dec. 15 announcement here.