Press "Enter" to skip to content

RELEASE: Boeing Co. receives final hazardous waste permit to continue hazardous waste cleanup activities

JEFFERSON CITY, MO, NOV. 15, 2017 – The Missouri Department of Natural Resources issued a final hazardous waste permit for The Boeing Co.-Tract 1 facility, requiring the company to continue performing cleanup activities at its facility.

From 1941 until 1997, the McDonnell Douglas Corp. operated an aerospace manufacturing facility at the site, located at James S. McDonnell Blvd. and N. Lindbergh Blvd., next to St. Louis Lambert International Airport, in Hazelwood. Approximately 48 different hazardous waste streams were produced as part of the facility operations. McDonnell Douglas stored the hazardous waste in several accumulation areas and three permitted hazardous waste container storage areas located on the facility property. In August 1997, McDonnell Douglas merged with The Boeing Co., who stopped operating as a permitted hazardous waste storage facility and closed the permitted hazardous waste container storage areas.

McDonnell Douglas, and later Boeing, have been conducting corrective action investigations and remediation activities at the site under a department-issued Missouri Hazardous Waste Management Facility Part I Permit and U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)-issued Hazardous and Solid Waste Amendments Part II Permit. On Feb. 28, 2007, Boeing submitted a permit application to the department and EPA, to renew their existing hazardous waste permits. In February 2012, Boeing also submitted a Corrective Measures Study Report, which identified and evaluated possible corrective measure alternatives for the remaining on-site soil and groundwater contamination.

After a thorough technical review of the permit application, Boeing’s preferred final remedy, other remedial alternatives, and opportunity for public comment, the department approved the proposed final remedy and issued a final Part I Permit, which requires the company to implement a facility-wide corrective action program and the approved final remedy. EPA decided not reissue the Part II Permit, since EPA has no site-specific conditions for the facility and Missouri is fully authorized for all permitting and corrective action activities at the facility. EPA will terminate the existing Part II Permit upon the issuance of the Part I Permit.

Please be aware that any parties adversely affected or aggrieved by department’s decision to issue the final Part I Permit, or specific conditions of the final Part I Permit, may be entitled to pursue an appeal before the Administrative Hearing Commission by filing a written petition by Dec. 15, 2017, as more fully described on page 7 of the final Part I Permit.  

The final Part I Permit and additional information are available on the department’s website at dnr.mo.gov/env/hwp/permits/notices.htm. For more information about the final Part I Permit, or to obtain a written copy of the final Part I Permit for review, please contact Christine Kump-Mitchell, PE, Missouri Department of Natural Resources, 7545 S. Lindbergh Blvd., Suite 210, St. Louis, MO 63125-4839, by telephone at 314-416-2464 or 800-361-4827, or by email at christine.kump@dnr.mo.gov. Hearing- and speech-impaired individuals may reach Kump-Mitchell through Relay Missouri at 800-735-2966.