FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 22, 2021
For more information, contact:
Lindsey Harriman
Williams County Communications Department
Phone: 701-577-4557 (office)
lindseyh@co.williams.nd.us
Williams County Planning and Zoning Commission to finalize recommendation regarding WISCO application to accept TENORM waste
Williston, N.D., (June 22, 2021) – The Williams County Planning and Zoning Commission will hold a Special Meeting on Monday, June 28, 2021, at 8 am in the Williams County Commission Room to finalize their recommendation as it pertains to the request from WISCO, Inc. to amend their Conditional Use Permit to include TENORM waste disposal at their existing special waste landfill. A public hearing will not be held during this meeting as the public comment period was closed on June 17, 2021.
During the June 17, 2021 regular meeting of the Williams County Planning and Zoning Commission, the WISCO application was tabled to allow more time for Round Prairie Township, the township where the facility is located, to provide comment. The opportunity for the “home” township to provide comment is standard in the planning and zoning process.
Once the Planning and Zoning Commission makes a recommendation to approve or deny the application, the application will then go to the Williams County Board of County Commissioners for a final decision. At this time, it is expected that the Board of County Commissioners will hear WISCO’s application during their June 29, 2021 regular meeting.
A similar application from Secure Energy Services USA, LLC to accept TENORM waste will also be reviewed for a final decision by the Board of County Commissioners during the June 29, 2021 regular meeting. With the Planning and Zoning Commission holding a Special Meeting, both of the applications pertaining to TENORM disposal can be reviewed by the County Commissioners at the same time.
In the state of North Dakota, a properly permitted landfill may accept up to 25,000 tons per year, with no more than 3,000 tons in any given month, of TENORM waste that does not exceed a radioactive limit of 50 picocuries per gram of Radium-226 plus Radium-228. These limits are defined by the North Dakota Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ).
Williams County is the permitting authority for the location and zoning of landfills. Through a separate process, the ND DEQ is the authority for radioactive materials licensing and solid waste management permitting.
Due to heightened public and media interest, Williams County would like to ensure that the process and timing moving forward is clearly communicated.
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