Office of Waste

Beth Seaton, Director
Staff: Address/Phone/Fax

Occupational Licensing and Registration
Radioactive Materials
Remediation
Waste Permits

Occupational Licensing and Registration

Jaya Zyman, P.E.,Deputy Director
Staff: Address/Phone/Fax

The Occupational Licensing and Registration Division promotes and supports various agency programs. Division responsibilities include:

• dry-cleaner registrations and fees
• registrations for aggregate production operations (APOs)
• industrial and hazardous waste registrations, reports, and episodic generation
• registrations and reports relating to medical-waste transporters
• petroleum-storage tank facility registrations and notifications and self-certifications of compliance
• registrations and reports relating to sludge transporters
• permits by rule for stationary compactors and enclosed containers (destined for Type IV facilities)
• registrations and reports relating to used-oil and oil-filter handlers, transporters, and collection centers
• Clean Water Certifications for boat sewage
• 10 occupational licensing and registration programs

Radioactive Materials

Ashley Forbes, Deputy Director
Staff: Address/Phone/Fax

The Radioactive Materials Division performs activities associated with the licensing of facilities involved in the storing, processing, or disposing of one or more of the following: uranium ore; by-product radioactive waste; low-level radioactive waste; non-oil and -gas naturally occurring radioactive waste (NORM waste); radioactive waste generated from federal government activities; and activities associated with the permitting, registration, and authorization of Class I, III, and V wells in the underground injection control program.

The Texas Health and Safety Code, Chapter 401, authorizes the TCEQ to regulate the disposal of most radioactive substances in Texas. Also, the State of Texas is an "Agreement State" authorized by the United States Nuclear Regulatory Commission to administer a radiation-control program under the Atomic Energy Act of 1954, as amended.

Remediation

Merrie Smith, P.G., Deputy Director
Staff: Address/Phone/Fax

The Remediation Division oversees the investigation and cleanup of pollutants released into the environment, both hazardous and nonhazardous, by responsible parties, state contractors, and the state itself. The division also seeks restoration of damaged natural resources resulting from such releases. Division programs include:

• the Brownfields Site Assessments Program
• contracting support
• the Dry Cleaner Remediation Program
• the Industrial Hazardous Waste Corrective Action Program
• the Innocent Owner/Operator Program
• Municipal Designation Settings
• the Natural Resource Trustee Program
• the Petroleum Storage Tank Program
• the Superfund Program, which includes the Superfund Site Discovery and Assessment Program
• the Texas Risk Reduction Program
• the Voluntary Cleanup Program

Waste Permits

Charly Fritz, Deputy Director
Staff: Address/Phone/Fax

The Waste Permits Division is responsible for permitting and registering facilities involved in one or more of the following: storing, processing, or disposing of hazardous waste, nonhazardous industrial waste, municipal solid waste, special waste, and international waste. The division also:

• performs technical analysis of notifications for waste management, including recycling of industrial and municipal solid waste;
• performs technical analysis related to waste received from international sources;
• performs technical analysis of submissions from regulated entities;
• makes groundwater protection recommendations to the Railroad Commission of Texas and applicants for oil and gas wells, Class II injection wells, cathodic protection wells, and seismic programs;
• administers the assessment and collection of fees for the generation, treatment, storage, or disposal of solid waste or hazardous waste; and
• administers the Regional Solid Waste Grant Program.