Public Notice: Covanta seeks permit to dispose of medical waste

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Tulsa’s branch of Covanta Renewable Energy LLC, a national leader in sustainable materials management, shares a public notice to inform residents of a meeting to discuss a permit that would allow it to dispose of medical waste.

A process meeting has been scheduled for March 5, 2024 from 6:00 pm to 8:00 pm at Tulsa Central Library located at 400 Civic Center Tulsa, OK 74103.  At that meeting, there will be discussions explaining when oral and written public comments can be made on the proposal.

Located at 2122 S. Yukon, Tulsa, Oklahoma 74107, the company specializes in removing waste in a sustainable way, while contributing financially to the community it serves.

The solid waste Tier III application has been filed with the Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ). It seeks to modify an existing permit. 

“This initiative allows for heightened investment in our facility, empowering us to delve deeper into specific waste streams and ensure their proper disposal. Our commitment to transparent communication and collaboration with Tulsans is paramount in this project,” Covanta Director of Corporate & Community Relations Alyssa Wilds told the Black Wall Street Times.

Activities to be regulated if the application is approved: 

Covanta Tulsa Renewable Energy LLC seeks approval to process regulated medical waste as a portion of the non-municipal solid waste (MSW) waste streams at the facility.  The regulated medical waste would be limited to 40,000 tons per year which represents less than 10% of the facility’s capacity.

The waste combustion technology and the air pollution control equipment have been demonstrated to effectively treat pathogens. The facility will install automated delivery systems for the regulated medical waste so that potential contact with workers is reduced. 

A staging area for short term storage of regulated materials is also contemplated to allow for variations in shift schedules.  The permit application seeks a variance from OAC 252:515-23-51 which specifies time and temperature requirements that are unique for two-chamber incinerators. 

Since Covanta Tulsa’s combustion units are single chamber mass burn waterfall combustion units, the two-chamber design is not applicable to Covanta Tulsa’s operation. The application provides details to demonstrate the efficacy of the combustion units at Covanta Tulsa for achieving microbial deactivation. 

As a municipal waste combustion facility, Covanta Tulsa Renewable Energy does not accept the following prohibited and/or unacceptable wastes: RCRA hazardous waste, radioactive waste, sewage sludge, human fetal tissue, large pathological waste, chemotherapeutic wastes and other non-processible/unacceptable items, as specified in facility permits.   

Statutes and Rules: 

DEQ will review the application for compliance with the Environmental Quality Code, including the Solid Waste Management Act, Title 27A of Oklahoma Statutes, Section 2-10-101, et seq., and the rules of the DEQ, Oklahoma Administrative Code, Title 252, Chapters 4 and 515. 

Permitting procedures explained:   

A process meeting has been scheduled for March 5, 2024 from 6:00 pm to 8:00 pm at Tulsa Central Library located at 400 Civic Center Tulsa, OK 74103.  At that meeting, there will be discussions explaining when oral and written public comments can be made on the proposal.

Administrative hearing opportunities will also be discussed. Please note this is not a meeting for protests.

Its purpose is to advise interested persons on participation opportunities during the permitting process. For more information about this process meeting, please contact the DEQ representative named below.

Locations where application may be reviewed:   

1. Locally at Tulsa Central Library, 400 Civic Center, Tulsa, OK, 74103. 
2. The DEQ’s Central Records Section, located on the 2nd floor of the DEQ building at 707 N. Robinson, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. 
3. DEQ’s website at https://www.deq.ok.gov/land-protection-division/permit-publicparticipation-process/.  

For more information, contact:  

1. For applicant:  Deanne Dutton Hughes, PE, Third Branch Engineering, LLC, PO Box 582422, Tulsa, OK 74158-2422 dhughes@thirdbranchengineering.com, 405.202.9605. 
2. For DEQ: Hillary Young, P.E., Chief Engineer, Land Protection Division, P. O. Box 1677, Oklahoma City, OK 73101-1677; (405) 702- 5100; Fax No. (405) 702-5101. 

*Legal description of site: Northerly nine hundred feet (900’) of the easterly one thousand eighty-five feet (1085’) of NW ¼ of NE ¼ of Section 15, Township 19 North, Range 12 East, Tulsa County, Oklahoma