Formatted Title
Hazardous Waste Underground Injection to Sequester Hazardous and Non-Hazardous Liquid PFAS
Background/Objectives
Disposal and treatment solutions for PFAS have presented issues related to efficacy, capacity, and availability. Hazardous waste underground injection is one of the largest and most successful waste management methods for chemical sequestration for over 30 years. Underground Injection is growing in its use to manage hazardous and non-hazardous PFAS liquids from many industries and sources. These industries include PFAS chemical producers, AFFF producers, refineries, petrochemical facilities, airlines, airports, terminals, pipelines, and landfills
Approach/Activities
The use of underground injection technology for a wide variety of chemicals over decades can help define its role for PFAS management now and into the future. Some of the elements for consideration include types of aqueous waste, planned or event projects, capacity, and the environmental risk of meeting current and proposed regulations, including regulated PFAS compounds, and precursors for which there is no analytical methods to identify them. Another aspect will be how will ex situ underground injection be used in combination with in situ technologies.
Results/Lessons Learned
The attendee will learn why the EPA suggested that underground injection is the commonly available technology with the lowest uncertainty in its 12/20 Interim Guidance Document on PFAS destruction and disposal. It has become the disposal technology of choice by clients who place value on current and future liability. In addition, the attendee will learn how hazardous waste underground injection fits into the waste management of PFAS-contaminated liquids among the range of management methods that may be employed, including in situ applications.