Pacific Southwest, Region 9
Serving: Arizona, California, Hawaii, Nevada, Pacific Islands, Tribal Nations
Romic Environmental Technologies Corporation Southwest Hazardous Waste Storage and Treatment Facility
Romic Environmental Technologies Corporation - Southwest (or "Romic") is a hazardous waste storage and treatment facility that was primarily engaged in recycling of solvents. They are located on the Gila River Indian Community (GRIC) near Chandler, Arizona. At this facility, Romic had several recycling units that worked via a process called distillation. Distillation consists of heating the wastes to evaporate and purify the desired chemical. The chemical is then captured and condensed back into a liquid so that it may be sold as a product to customers.
Romic began operation in 1988 when they purchased its predecessor Southwest Solvents. Southwest Solvents had been operating at this site since 1975. Each year, Romic received about 13,000 tons of waste from across the United States. Less than 1% of this waste is received from outside the US primarily from Mexico. About half of the waste that Romic received was considered hazardous by EPA.
Federal laws regulating hazardous wastes were passed in 1980, well after the facility had been in operation. In those cases, EPA grants “interim status” to a facility that allows them to continue operations until EPA makes a permit decision. Romic was granted interim status in 1988. Under interim status, Romic had to comply with extensive regulations which are designed to protect human health and the environment.
On This Page:
- Facility Closure
- Corrective Action
- Denial of RCRA Permit
- Permit Application
- Health Risk Assessment
- Public Participation
- Romic Fact Sheets
Facility Closure
You will need Adobe Reader to view some of the files on this page. See EPA's PDF page to learn more about PDF, and for a link to the free Adobe Reader.
Romic submitted a draft Facility Closure Plan (Plan) to EPA on November 15. 2007. The following Notice of Deficiency (NOD) on the draft Plan was issued by EPA on February 21, 2008. Romic revised the draft Plan to incorporate the NOD comments. A 30 day public comment period on the revised version was held from June 16 to July 16, 2008. EPA prepared the following Response to Comments and approved the Final Closure Plan below.
- Final Romic Facility Closure Plan August 2008 (PDF) (139 pp, 5.1M)
- Response to Comments to May 2008 Draft Closure Plan (PDF) (4 pp, 21K)
- Closure Plan Notice of Deficiency (PDF) (24 pp, 2.0M)
- Draft Romic Closure Plan May 2008 (PDF) (140 pp, 3.5M)
- Closure Plan Public Notice (1 pg, 24K)
- Closure Plan Public Notice Mailer (2 pp, 71K)
Please note: The address for GRIC DEQ indicated in the the mailer and public notice is incorrect.
It should be shown as:
Physical Address: Building 35 Pima and Church Streets
Mailing Address: PO Box 97, Sacaton, AZ 85247
(Note: The phone number currently shown is correct.)
Corrective Action
On December 19, 2007 EPA issued an Administrative Order on Consent to Romic to investigate possible past trichloroethylene releases at their facility from their predecessor, Southwest Solvents, who operated the facility from 1975 to 1988.
- Press Release
- Romic Order (PDF) (70 pp, 4.8M)
Denial of RCRA Permit
In December 2007, EPA denied Romic’s permit to continue to treat and store hazardous waste because the application lacked a land owner’s signature and certification as required by regulation.
- Press Release
- Permit Denial (PDF) (5 pp, 210K)
- Response to Comments (PDF) (5 pp, 226K)
- Romic Public Notice (PDF) (1 pp, 97K,)
- Notice of Intent to Deny a RCRA Permit (PDF) (2 pp, 235K,)
- Proposed permit decision (PDF) (6 pp, 241K)
- Gila River Indian Community Public Hearing (PDF) (69 pp, 13.5M,)
- Kyrene Del Pueblo Middle School Public Hearing (PDF) (57 pp, 11M,)
On June 20, 2007, the GRIC Tribal Council passed a “Resolution Disapproving of Romic Environmental Technologies Corporation’s Part B Permit Application Under the Federal Resource Conservation and Recovery Act”.
- Tribal Resolution (PDF) (3 pp, 132K)
Public Information Meetings
EPA hosted two public meeting/hearings to listen to comments on this proposed decision.
| Location | Address | Date | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kyrene del Pueblo Middle School | 360 S. Twelve Oaks Blvd , Chandler, AZ | Wednesday September 26, 2007 | 6:00 pm to 9:00 pm |
| Gila River Indian Community District 4 Service Center | Stotonic Road and W. Sesame Road Sacaton, AZ | Thursday September 27, 2007 | 6:00 pm to 9:00 pm |
Permit Application
As the next step in the permitting process, Romic submitted a revised permit application in February 2005. In that application Romic is requested a ten year permit to continue to treat and store hazardous waste. In addition, they proposed expanding their hazardous waste treatment and storage capacity.
Romic’s permit application contains the following documents:
In December 2007, EPA denied Romic’s permit to continue to treat and store hazardous waste because the application lacked a land owner’s signature and certification as required by regulation. Romic ceased operations and submitted a facility Closure Plan. EPA approved the Closure Plan in August 2008. Romic will now begin closing the facility.
- Section A (PDF) (26 pp., 2.3M) – The Part A Application (a list of all the types of hazardous waste and the types of units that Romic currently operates, and the newly proposed units).
- Section B (PDF) (40 pp., 2.5M) – General Information about the Romic Facility
- Section C (PDF) (94 pp., 11.9M) – Waste Analysis Plan
- Section D (PDF) (61 pp., 1M) – Specific Information on Container and Tank Storage Units
- Section E (PDF) (56 pp., 840K) – Specific Information on Process Units
- Section F (PDF) (195 pp., 1.6M) – Procedures to Prevent Hazards
- Section G (PDF) (43 pp., 804K) – Contingency Plan
- Section H (PDF) (163 pp., 1.5M) – Personnel Training Plan
- Section I (PDF) (11 pp., 81K) – Management Practices
- Section J (PDF) (91 pp., 750K) – Closure Plan
- Section K (PDF) (31 pp., 1.1M) – Financial Assurance
- Note that there is no Section L
- Section M (PDF) (72 pp., 1.1M) – Air Emission Standards for Process Vents
- Section N (PDF) (21 pp., 304K) – Air Emission Standards for Equipment Leaks
- Note that there is no Section O
- Section P (PDF) (187 pp., 9M)– Tank Certifications and Design Drawings
Health Risk Assessment
Based upon public comments that EPA received on the Romic project, EPA requested, and Romic prepared, a Human Health Risk Assessment (HRA) of the facility. The HRA evaluates the potential health risks that may result from the current operations as well as the proposed changes at the facility.
- Executive Summary of the Health Risk Assessment (PDF) (6 pp., 400K)
- Text of the Health Risk Assessment (PDF) (66 pp., 2.1M)
- Tables of the Health Risk Assessment, part 1 (PDF) (55 pp., 218K)
- Tables of the Health Risk Assessment, part 2 (PDF) (55 pp., 8.6M)
- Figures of the Health Risk Assessment (PDF) (20 pp., 10M)
- Appendix A – Selection of Chemicals of Potential Concern (PDF) (158 pp., 5M)
- Appendix B – Air Dispersion Model Files (Computer modeling files for the risk emissions, not available in PDF format)
- Appendix C (PDF) (17 pp., 95K) – Comparison of Meteorological Data
- Appendix D (PDF) (11 pp., 76K) – Evaluation of Non-Routine Releases
Public Participation
EPA welcomes public comments at any time throughout the project.
On June 30, 2004, EPA held a public meeting to discuss Romic's permit application and to receive comments from the public. Six fact sheets were distributed during that public meeting.
EPA's Fact Sheets Regarding Romic:
- Update on the Status of Romic's Permit Application, December 2006 (PDF) (2 pp., 493K)
- Hazardous Waste Permitting Process at Romic (PDF) (2 pp., 60K)
- Current Activities and Proposed Expansion (PDF) (2 pp., 87K)
- Types of Hazardous Wastes Accepted/stored/Treated On-Site (PDF) (2 pp., 80K)
- Emergency Response and Preparedness (PDF) (2 pp., 124K)
- Monitoring and Compliance History at Romic (PDF) (2 pp., 101K)
- Air Emissions at Romic (PDF) (2 pp., 63K)
EPA hosted a public meeting to discuss the Romic Health Risk Assessment. See below for details on where and when these meetings were held.
EPA also held a public meeting and a public hearing when we made a tentative decision on Romic's permit. See below for details on where and when these meetings were held.
Public Notification
- Public Meetings (PDF) (1 pg, 24K) were held on December 12 and 13, 2006 to discuss the Health Risk Assessment
- Summary of Public Comments from December 12, 2006 Public Meetings (PDF) (18 pp, 96K)
- Summary of Public Comments from December 13, 2006 Public Meetings (PDF) (22 pp, 108K)
Public Information Meetings
| Location | Address | Date | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| GRIC District 4 Service Center, GILA River Indian Reservation | Stotonic Road and Sesame Street, Stotonic, AZ | Tuesday December 12, 2006 | 6:00 pm to 9:00 pm |
| West Chandler Fire/Police Community Room | 211 N. Desert Breeze Blvd., Chandler, AZ | Wednesday December 13, 2006 | 6:00 pm to 9:00 pm |
Contact Information
If you have questions or concerns about Romic or about EPA's permit process, please let us know by phone, email, or letter. If you would like to receive fact sheets and public notice information from EPA, you may contact Susanne Perkins, Romic Project Manager:
Susanne Perkins (perkins.susanne@epa.gov)
U.S. EPA (WST-4)75 Hawthorne Street
San Francisco, CA 94105
415-972-3208
National Historic Preservation Act
As part of the permit decision at Romic, EPA has completed a review under National Historic Preservation Act (NHPA). The NHPA requires EPA to identify any historic properties near Romic that may be affected by operations at Romic, and to take those historic properties into consideration during our permit decision. During the NHPA process, EPA consulted with the Gila River Indian Community (GRIC), the Arizona State Historic Preservation Office, and Romic, and determined that there are no historic properties within 1 mile of Romic. The term "historic properties" includes properties of traditional religious and cultural importance to an Indian Tribe. For more information about the National Historic Preservation Act, see the Citizens Guide to Section 106 Review.
The NHPA process included the following steps. First, EPA designated the Area of Potential Effects. An Area of Potential Effects is defined as the area inside which Romic may affect historic properties. Based upon GRIC’s suggestion to us a 1-mile radius, EPA issued a public notice in August 2004 proposing an Area of Potential Effects and asking for comments from the public. We received no comments, and finalized the Area of Potential Effects in October 2004.
In the second step, EPA researched public records and found no documentation of historic properties within the Area of Potential Effects. In October 2004, EPA issued a public notice asking for information from the public on any historic properties. We received no comments, and in April 2005 make our determination that there were no historic properties within the Area of Potential Effects. We made this determination in consultation with the Gila River Indian Community, the Arizona State Historic Preservation Office, and Romic. This determination completed EPA’s review under the National Historic Preservation Act.
The public notices that EPA issued during the NHPA process are attached below.
- Public Notice August 2004 (PDF) (1 pg, 50K) – Proposed Area of Potential Effects
- Public Notice October 2004 (PDF) (1 pg, 600K) – Finalized Area of Potential Effects
- Public Notice April 2005 (PDF) (1 pg, 50K) – Finalized NHPA process
Contact Information
If you have any questions about the NHPA process for Romic Southwest, please contact Karen Scheuermann at:
Karen Scheuermann (scheuermann.karen@epa.gov)
U.S. EPA (WST -4)
75 Hawthorne Street
San Francisco, CA 94105
(415) 972-3356
Additional Documents and Sources of Information
Envirofacts National Environmental Database
Information about Romic is available from Envirofacts, EPA's national database for facilities subject to environmental regulation.
Enviromapper
EnviroMapper is a powerful tool used to map various types of environmental information, including air releases, drinking water, toxic releases, hazardous wastes, water discharge permits, and Superfund sites.
Identification information for Romic is as follows
RCRA ID Number: AZD9009015389Chandler Maricopa County
6760 West Allison Road
Chandler, AZ 85226