[ADEQ Media] ADEQ Withdraws Draft Hazardous Waste Permit for Talley Defense Systems Facility in Mesa

[media@lists.azdeq.gov]

ADEQ Withdraws Draft Hazardous Waste Permit for Talley Defense Systems
Facility in Mesa

PHOENIX (Dec. 14, 2007) - Arizona Department of Environmental Quality
Director Steve Owens announced today that the department is withdrawing
a proposed draft hazardous waste permit for Talley Defense Systems' Mesa
facility and that the department is giving close scrutiny to Talley's
request to burn waste materials at the facility. 

Owens said that the draft hazardous waste permit was being interpreted
inaccurately as giving Talley permission to burn large quantities of
waste materials at the facility, even though ADEQ has strictly limited
any such burns under a separate air quality permit.

"The draft hazardous waste permit doesn't determine whether the company
can burn waste at the Mesa facility," Director Owens said.  "Burns at
the facility are controlled by a very tough air quality permit, not the
hazardous waste permit."

Owens also pointed out that Talley's current air quality permit is set
to expire next month and that ADEQ has advised the company that the
department is not likely to allow any burns in the future.  

"Talley actually has not burned any waste at the site for more than a
year," Owens said, "and we told the company that we don't believe that
any future burns can be justified.   There are better ways to deal with
waste material generated at the facility, including shipping it off-site
for treatment or disposal. We are committed to protecting the health and
safety of the residents in the area."

Owens added that Talley also has committed to ADEQ to submit a plan for
investigating and cleaning up perchlorate contamination in the soil and
groundwater at the facility.  "We have made clear to Talley that they
have to deal with this." Owens said. 

Talley makes weapons and propellant airplane escape systems for the U.S.
military at the Mesa facility.  When the Talley plant was constructed in
the 1960s, the site was far removed from any residents in the area.  In
recent years, however, subdivisions have been constructed closer to the
plant as Mesa has expanded northward.

-30-

News media interested in additional information on this or any other
topic concerning the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality should
contact the Office of Communications at (602) 771-2215 or via email at
communications@azdeq.gov.

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