The only commercial, permanent disposal solution for elemental mercury in the United States is now available from VLS Environmental Solutions (VLS) at the VLS Texas Molecular facility located in Deer Park, Texas.
The patent-pending solution enables government agencies and private industry to stop stockpiling hazardous metal on site or at offsite designated facilities. Companies can now dispose of their RCRA hazardous (D009) waste legally, within the U.S. and compliantly. VLS proactively developed this solution to address the lack of disposal for mercury since the Mercury Export Ban Act (MEBA) was enacted in 2008.
Since 2021, VLS Texas Molecular has safely disposed of over 67 million gallons of mercury coded waste at our Deer Park Treatment, Storage, and Disposal Facility (TSDF) for hazardous waste. The company recently secured the necessary state and federal regulatory permits to permanently dispose of elemental mercury. VLS Texas Molecular currently has 225,000 million gallons annually of capacity to safely, permanently and compliantly dispose of elemental mercury in this facility.
Investing in critical solutions
“This proactive initiative demonstrates how VLS Texas Molecular steps up to meet critical market needs for hazardous waste disposal, even as regulatory action remains in a holding pattern,” said Rob Wheatley, Chief Strategy Officer for VLS Environmental Solutions. “We invested to address a real need in the disposal marketplace. We invested in technology and engineering and collaborated with our government partners to permit and align the market needs with our facility capabilities. This facility already manages more hazardous waste than any other hazardous waste facility in the country."
“We are no stranger to challenges and finding solutions for our customers,” Wheatley said. “Our facility will use proven and effective technology to permanently remove elemental mercury from the biosphere and eliminate the risks our customers are taking by continuing to store mercury on site.”
VLS has worked closely with the U.S. Department of War, Department of Energy (DOE), the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ). “These agencies have been extremely helpful with VLS getting a fully permitted solution that will benefit not only commercial industrial customers like gold miners, utilities, laboratories and education, but also the U.S. government,” Wheatley added.
For over a decade, generators of elemental mercury have stored the chemical element on site. MEBA, passed in 2008 and in effect since 2013, allows generators to store elemental mercury on site or ship it to a long-term, DOE-operated storage facility, with full indemnification. However, the U.S. Congress hasn’t finalized a law for long-term storage and the related fee structure. Until a law is passed, companies are allowed to store elemental mercury on their sites or at other designated and authorized TSDF locations.
Recognizing that this problem had no solution, our VLS Texas Molecular Deer Park engineers stepped up and developed a revolutionary chemical engineering solution to permanently dispose of elemental mercury at our site.
“Our customers are thrilled that they finally have a solution to manage this difficult and dangerous waste,” Wheatley said.
The VLS Texas Molecular Deer Park facility is widely recognized as one of the safest facilities of its kind in the United States. TCEQ gives the facility a rating of zero, the best compliance score obtainable. The innovative combination of VLS’ technology and this disposal site is patent pending. The technology, combined with decades of being one of the safest and most compliant locations in the world, makes VLS an easy choice to dispose of elemental mercury.
VLS worked extensively with federal and state regulators to secure all necessary permits and meet all requirements of the EPA and the TCEQ to accept and dispose of elemental mercury at this facility.
The safest disposal technology
To date, VLS Texas Molecular has received hazardous waste from all over the U.S. at our Deer Park TSDF, the largest facility of its kind in the nation by volume. VLS processes 120-130 million gallons per year, about 50% of its annual injection capacity of 236 million gallons. In an average year, VLS Texas Molecular disposes of nearly 20,000 tank trucks of hazardous waste liquids from a variety of industries.
The EPA considers the VLS disposal method to be the safest. At Deer Park, the company has a 40+ year safety and reliability record that includes:
- Zero accidents affecting public health or the environment.
- 20 years without a lost-time incident.
- Safely removing hazardous and non-hazardous waters from the biosphere.
- Zero impacts to groundwater or drinking water sources.
“Our solution enables customers to resolve their mercury challenges here in the U.S., creating both environmental and economic value,” Wheatley added.
VLS Texas Molecular is scheduling site visits at its TSDF for clients who are ready to remove elemental mercury from their risk profile and the biosphere. This process is just a part of the larger existing facility, but a very important one to industry and those that generate mercury.
