Solid and hazardous waste cleanup

Remediation at solid waste sites

Sites where non-hazardous waste has been released to the environment are considered to be illegal disposal sites.

• If you have a release at your facility, you must characterize the release, including the nature and extent of the release, the environmental media impacted (air, soil, water) and evaluate available ways to remediate the release.
• Once you've selected an appropriate cleanup method, you should submit an initial report to us describing what you found and what you plan to do to meet the cleanup standards.
• If you can't meet an unrestricted use standard, you'll have to sign an environmental covenant that describes land use restrictions, operation and maintenance of engineering controls, and other requirements that stay with the property even if it's sold.
• If you don't clean up your site, we have authority under the Solid Waste Act to ensure completion of the cleanup.

Remediation at hazardous waste sites

Sites where hazardous waste has been released to the environment after mid-November 1980 are considered to be unpermitted disposal facilities.

• If you have a release, you must investigate the nature, magnitude, rate of migration, and full horizontal and vertical extent of the release, identify the source or sources of the release and evaluate available ways to remediate the release.
• Once you select how you'll clean up your site, you must include a description of your chosen alternative along with a design for how you'll accomplish it in a corrective action plan submitted to us for approval.
• Once we approve your plan, you must implement the cleanup alternative you selected and collect environmental samples to show the alternative is working as designed.
• Cleanup activities continue until cleanup standards are met.
• If your site can't be cleaned to an unrestricted use standard, you'll have to sign an environmental covenant that describes land use restrictions, operation and maintenance of engineering controls, and other requirements that stay with the property even if it's sold.
• If you don't clean up your site, we have the authority to issue a compliance order compelling you to perform the work.
• Interim status and permitted hazardous waste facilities must clean up releases of hazardous waste to the environment following the detailed procedures required by the Colorado hazardous waste regulations.