Valhi announces low-level radioactive waste disposal license decision

Valhi, Inc. announced that its wholly-owned subsidiary, Waste Control Specialists LLC (WCS), has been notified that the executive director of the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) has issued a draft license for the near-surface disposal of Class A, B and C low-level radioactive waste (LLRW) at WCS’ site in Andrews County, Texas.

Said William J. Lindquist, CEO of WCS, “The only United States commercial facility currently authorized to accept LLRW is limited to disposal of Class A waste. The barriers to entry in this industry are enormous. It is very unlikely another LLRW disposal facility will be opened in the foreseeable future, as more than $1 billion has been invested since 1980 by the state of Texas and others in unsuccessful attempts to license and open such a facility. The TCEQ recently issued a byproduct material disposal license to WCS. When the LLRW disposal license is finalized, we believe WCS will have the broadest range of capabilities of any commercial enterprise in the United States for the storage, treatment and disposal of hazardous, toxic, low level and mixed low level radioactive waste and radioactive byproduct material.”

The WCS facility in Andrews County, Texas is currently licensed for the processing, storage and disposal of a broad range of hazardous and toxic waste, byproduct material and certain types of low-level and mixed LLRW.