Facility Audit: Chicago, IL - Clean Harbors

Facility Audit: Chicago, IL

Table of Contents 

1.0 General Company Information ......................................................................................................................... 1 

Introduction......................................................................................................................................................... 1 

Network of Services............................................................................................................................................ 1 

2.0 Facility Information .......................................................................................................................................... 2 

Facility Overview................................................................................................................................................ 2 

Facility Site Plan................................................................................................................................................. 3 



Facility History ................................................................................................................................................... 6 

Site Characterization........................................................................................................................................... 6 

Security ............................................................................................................................................................... 6 

Directions to Facility........................................................................................................................................... 7 

3.0 Operating Licenses and Permits........................................................................................................................ 8 

Permit Summary ................................................................................................................................................. 8 

Principal Operating Licenses/Permits................................................................................................................. 9 

4.0 Process Description......................................................................................................................................... 11 

Inorganic Aqueous Waste Treatment................................................................................................................ 11 

Sludge Dewatering/Fixation ............................................................................................................................. 11 

Inorganic Lab Chemical Treatment/Consolidation........................................................................................... 12 

Container/Tank Storage/Transfer...................................................................................................................... 12 

Railcar Storage/Transfer ................................................................................................................................... 12 

Hazardous Waste Fuels Blending ..................................................................................................................... 12 

Oil Reclamation Process................................................................................................................................... 12 

Waste Analysis.................................................................................................................................................. 12 

5.0 Closure Plan.................................................................................................................................................... 13 

6.0 Insurance......................................................................................................................................................... 13 

7.0 Financial Information...................................................................................................................................... 15 

8.0 Appendix......................................................................................................................................................... 15

1.0 General Company Information 

Introduction 

Clean Harbors is a publicly traded company who maintains a vast network of service centers and 

waste management, treatment and disposal facilities, providing a broad range of environmental 

services. Services include hazardous and non-hazardous waste transportation and disposal, 

laboratory chemical packing, emergency response, and field services and industrial maintenance. 

Since its inception in 1980, Clean Harbors has grown to become the leading provider of 

environmental services in the country in North America and its locations span the United States 

and Canada, and include locations in Mexico and Puerto Rico. 

Network of Services 

Strategically located across North America, Clean Harbors’ service centers are the primary 

interface with customers and the focal point for providing waste management activities, 

laboratory chemical packing services, and emergency response, field services and industrial 

maintenance. From the service center Site Service crews and equipment are dispatched to 

perform various planned work on customers’ sites, as well as emergency response. CleanPack 

teams are also based at the service centers and provide customers with laboratory chemical 

packing services. 

Technical Services – Technical Services provides the pick up and transportation of 

containerized and bulk wastes, as well as the categorizing, packaging and removal of laboratory 

chemicals for disposal. Through a network of Technical Service Centers, trucks are typically 

dispatched on predetermined schedules to pick up waste from customer locations for delivery to 

a Clean Harbors Transfer, Storage and Disposal Facility. The Technical Service Centers also 

dispatch CleanPack ® chemists who go to customer locations to categorize, package and remove 

various sized laboratory chemicals for disposal. 

Transportation & Disposal - Clean Harbors’ network of company owned waste treatment, 

storage and disposal facilities are located across North America and offer a broad range of 

disposal, recycling and treatment technologies for hazardous and non-hazardous materials. 

Technologies include: 

• Incineration 

• Water Treatment 

• Landfill 

• Recycling and Reuse 

• Fuel Blending 

• Lab Chemical Disposal 

• Used Oil and Oil 

Products Recycling 

• PCB Disposal 

• Explosives Management 

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All of our disposal facilities uphold rigorous quality assurance programs to meet the highest 

standards of both internal and external audits. 

Waste streams handled by Clean Harbors can be in any form from gas to liquids, solids and 

sludge. Clean Harbors can dispose of virtually any type of waste, hazardous or non-hazardous 

from exotic water reactive wastes to typical paint or oil wastes. 

Our transportation services handle everything from small one-time shipments to multiple large 

shipments, and include drum, bulk and rail capabilities. Once you place your order and before 

the picked up is even made, Clean Harbors begins the process of managing your waste. Your 

order enters our Logistics center where your waste is designated for disposal via the least cost 

routing. Company owned and operated trucks are assigned based on the most efficient route or 

on pre-established schedules. Satellite tracking and communications allows trucks to be 

dispatched on the fly from anywhere in the country. The disposal facility is determined based on 

the most appropriate, yet lowest cost disposal method. 

Furthermore, plant inventories are centrally monitored real-time and our facilities know in 

advance and begin load planning for efficient processing of incoming waste. All this upfront 

work is managed centrally and electronically to provide the most cost effective and efficient 

handling of orders, and waste transportation and disposal, in the industry. 

CleanPack® Laboratory Chemical Packing Services - Clean Harbors’ staff of professionally 

trained CleanPack chemists work on customers’ sites to collect, label and package unwanted 

laboratory quantities of chemicals and wastes for disposal in compliance with local, state, and 

federal regulations. Additionally, CleanPack teams provide reactive material handling services 

and cylinder and compressed gas management for the proper handling and disposal of highly 

reactive and dangerous chemicals, laboratory move services. The teams also manage the moving 

of entire laboratories, as well as assist in facility closures. Our household hazardous waste 

collection program offers a cost effective and safe manner for States, Provinces, Cities and 

Towns to keep their resident’s free of unwanted old and obsolete pesticides, paints, fertilizers 

and other potentially harmful materials. 

Site Services – The Site Services is responsible for providing trained, skilled labor and specialty 

equipment to perform various services on a customer’s site or other location. Field Service 

crews and equipment are dispatched on a planned or emergency basis to manage routine cleaning 

in hazardous environments or emergencies such as a chemical or oil spill clean up. Industrial 

Service crews focus on industrial cleaning and maintenance projects that typically require fast 

turnaround, as well as large-scale cleaning project requiring specialty onsite processing 

equipment. 

Field Services - Working in hazardous and non-hazardous environments, Field Service crews 

and equipment are dispatched on a planned or emergency basis to perform services such as 

emergency response, vacuum services, tank cleaning, site decontamination, product recovery and 

transfer, demolition services, marine services, used oil and oil products recycling, PCB 

management and disposal, and remediation and environmental construction. 

Industrial Services - Industrial Services teams use advanced industrial cleaning technologies 

including sodium bicarbonate blasting, hydroblasting, and steam-cleaning along with vacuum 

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services to accomplish fast turnaround during time-critical plant shutdowns. The teams also 

perform onsite material processing services, and dewatering and pressing, and container 

management services. 

2.0 Facility Information 

Facility Overview 

Clean Harbors Services, Inc., a subsidiary of Clean Harbors, Inc. headquartered in Braintree, 

Massachusetts, owns and operates a hazardous waste storage, treatment and disposal facility 

located in Chicago, Illinois. This facility is a RCRA Part B facility and has been permitted by 

the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency to receive, store, treat and transfer a variety of 

waste streams. The treatment methods utilized at this facility reduce the volume and or toxicity 

of waste materials or make it suitable for further treatment, reuse, or disposal. 

Facility Name 

Clean Harbors Services, Inc. 

Location 

11800 S. Stony Island Avenue 

Chicago, IL 60617 

County 

Facility Owner 

Property Owner 

Cook 




The Illinois International Port Authority 

3600 E. 95 th Street 


Facility I.D. No. 

ILD000608471 

Permit Type 

IEPA State Operating Permit and RCRA Part B Hazardous Waste 

Facility 

Waste Description 

Services Provided 

Most organic and inorganic waste 

Container Storage/Transfer 

Tank Storage/Transfer 

Fuels Blending 

Inorganic Wastewater Treatment 

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Facility Site Plan 

3


4


5

Facility History 

The 57-acre Chicago facility is located in the Southeast area of Cook County on the South side 

of Chicago. Until its acquisition by Clean Harbors in January of 1989, the facility had been built, 

owned and operated by ChemClear, Inc., a publicly-held company providing hazardous waste 

treatment and management services. In 1995 Clean Harbors acquired the Chemical Waste 

Management incinerator site and incorporated this into the existing facility. 

This facility tripled in size and completely redesigned to improve vehicle access loading areas 

and the site's existing rail siding. These renovations doubled the facility's storage capacity. 

Site Characterization 

The facility site is located on two piers between Slip No. 4 and Slip No. 8 on the eastern side of 

Lake Calumet. This area falls within the Chicago Lake Plain, a subdivision of the Great Lakes 

Section, and is characterized as central low-land. 

Typically a mixed fill consisting of slag, silty clays, sand, gravel and miscellaneous materials 

exist from the surface to 15 feet depth. From 15 to 50 feet below grade, a tough to hard gray 

silty clay is found. The groundwater table is at the top of the sand stratum about 15 feet below 

grade, which is approximately equivalent to the surface level of Lake Calumet. 

The facility site is not located within the 100-year flood plain nor what has been designated a 

coastal high hazard zone. The site has never received any past flood damage. 

Most operations performed at the facility are conducted indoors or within a contained area; any 

resulting stormwater collected from outdoor process areas are gravity drained in sumps, tested 

and treated through routine treatment processes. 

The facility is located approximately 3 miles from the nearest drinking water supply and 2 miles 

from any sensitive receptors, i.e., schools, hospitals. 

Security 

The facility typically operates on a 24 hours per day, seven days a week schedule. During 

normal operating hours, the facility is staffed by a minimum of two employees. All Clean 

Harbors employees are trained, as part of their routine work responsibilities, to be on the alert for 

the presence of non-authorized personnel or intruders, and for other breeches of the facility. 

During holiday periods and weekends, an outside guard service is contracted to maintain watch 

at the facility. 

All non-employees entering the facility must schedule in advance. To enter, all visitors, drivers, 

contractors must present picture identification, and receive and acknowledge the Facility Safety 

Regulations. These rules do not apply to regulatory officials presenting proper identification. 

6

Directions to Facility 



(773) 646-6202 

Clean Harbors Services, Inc. is located on the east bank of Lake Calumet on the south side of 

Chicago near the Illinois/Indiana border. 

1. From Interstate 94, the Calumet Expressway (accessible from the Tri-State Tollway 

294 or 80/94), take the 130th Street East Exit. Proceed 1.5 miles to the third set of 

lights. 

2. Turn left onto Torrence Avenue. Travel North for approximately 2 miles, over the 

steel bridge to 122nd Street (you will see a group of billboards at the intersection). 

3. Turn left onto 122nd Street and continue across the railroad tracks 1.5 miles to the 

stop sign. 

4. Turn right onto Stony Island Avenue. Clean Harbors is .75 miles down on the left. 

5. Please check in at the main office building inside the second gate. 

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3.0 Operating Licenses and Permits 

Permit Summary 

Clean Harbors Services, Inc. is currently permitted by the U.S. Environmental Protection 

Agency, Illinois Environmental Protection Agency, City of Chicago and Metropolitan Water 

Reclamation District of Greater Chicago for the collection, storage, analysis, treatment, and 

storage of hazardous waste with subsequent transfer off-site. 

Permit Type/Governing Agency Permit No. Expiration Date 

RCRA Part B Permit 

Bureau of Land 

Illinois Environmental Protection Agency 

Log No. B-16 12/09/15 

Operating Permit (Non-hazardous Wastes) 

Bureau of Land 


1980-36-OP 

NONE 

Wastewater/Stormwater (POTW) 

Metropolitan Water Reclamation District 

Of Greater Chicago 

(Discharge Authorization) 

Air Quality - Air Pollution Control 

Division 


10142-3.4 05/08/10 

96100095 11/17/08 

Operating Permit – City of Chicago NONE 08/14/09 

RCRA/HSWA Permit 

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency 

ILD000608471 

12/09/15 

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Principal Operating Licenses/Permits 

Copies of existing permits which detail types of waste management licensed capacities and waste 

types accepted are available for inspection upon request at the site. Selected permit pages may 

be attached at the end of this audit under Appendix 8.0. 

Clean Harbors can accept all USEPA hazardous waste codes 

9

Principal Contacts/Agencies 

The list of contacts below can provide additional information regarding Clean Harbors Services, 

Inc. of Chicago's facility operations or compliance: 

Operations 

Regulatory 

(RCRA 

Compliance) 

(Permitting) 

(Air Pollution) 

(Water Quality/ 

POTW) 

Shantanu Pahi, General Manager 




(773) 646-6202 - ext.821 

James Laubsted 

Facility Compliance Manager 




(773) 646-6202 - ext. 233 

Calvin Harris 


9511 W. Harrison Street 

Des Plaines, IL 60016 

(847) 294-4080 

Mark Schollenberger, Environmental Protection Engineer 

Bureau of Land Pollution Control 


1021 North Grand Avenue East 

Springfield, IL 62794-9276 

(217) 524-3307 

Terry Sweitzer 


1021 North Grand Avenue East 

Springfield, IL 62794 

(217) 782-2113 

Chris Reid 

Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago 

111 E. Erie Street 


(312) 751-5948 

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4.0 Process Description 

Inorganic Aqueous Waste Treatment 

The facility utilizes highly refined, multi-stage, chemical precipitation processes that remove 

heavy metals, suspended solids and residual organics from liquid wastes and render the effluents 

safe for discharge into municipal sewer systems. Resulting precipitated residues are dewatered 

with a filter press, and then disposed of in an approved landfill. 

• Chemical Precipitation 

All aqueous wastes are eventually mixed together and processed on a continuous flow basis 

through a multi-compartmental specially-designed treatment unit, where predetermined amounts 

of treatment chemicals are added and thoroughly mixed to effect precipitation of heavy metals 

and coagulation of suspended particles. Coagulated solids are removed in the form of sludge by 

gravity separation through high efficiency clarifiers. 

Clarified effluent is stored in effluent storage tanks and discharged into the District's Sewer 

System upon confirmation of discharge permit parameters from on-site laboratory analysis. 

Discharge is continuously monitored by the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District. 

• Chemical Oxidation/Reduction 

Waste needing pretreatment to remove specific contaminants prior to its mixing with other 

wastes, is batch processed into a specially designed reactor vessel fitted with dual scrubbing 

towers. Adding chemical reagents specific to the batch as determined by the laboratory 

simulation as achieves the desired reaction. Upon completion of the reaction, each batch is 

tested to confirm the end result of the treatment, prior to its transfer into storage tanks for final 

precipitation treatment. Types of reactions carried out are: oxidation of cyanides and phenols, 

ammonia removal, chelating agent removal from wastes such as boiler cleaning solutions, 

reduction of hexavalent chromium to trivalent chromium, acid/base neutralization, etc. 

• Acid/Base Neutralization 

Although this can be a final treatment method, neutralization is often used in conjunction with 

other treatment processes such as chemical precipitation, phase separation and 

oxidation/reduction treatment processes. 

Neutralization involves the addition of an acid or a base to a solution to adjust the pH, usually to 

a level between 6 and 9. Alkaline neutralization usually involves the addition of Sodium 

Hydroxide, Potassium Hydroxide or slaked lime to an acidic wastewater to adjust the pH. 

Likewise, acidic neutralization involves the addition of a concentrated acid (such as Sulfuric 

Hydrochloric or Nitric) to an alkaline wastewater. 

Sludge Dewatering/Fixation 

Sludge produced upon treatment of aqueous wastes and batch treatment of slurry wastes, are first 

thickened by gravity. Settled sludge from the bottom of the thickener is pumped to a batch 

conditioning tank where chemical reagents are added to aid the dewatering and to stabilize the 

constituents of concern. The conditioned sludge is pumped into a recessed chamber filter press 

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to achieve a stable filter cake suitable for landfill. Filtrate produced is sent back to the head of 

the system for reprocessing while the filter cake is collected in a dump trailer for disposal at 

approved landfill. 

Inorganic Lab Chemical Treatment/Consolidation 

Drummed lab packed chemicals are segregated in groups based on their chemical compatibility. 

Contents from each group of chemical containers are consolidated into a reactor through a pouroff 

area where the batch is treated using laboratory directive tailored for the specific batch. 

Container/Tank Storage/Transfer 

A wide variety of wastes not acceptable for on-site treatment can be received for consolidation 

and transfer to other Clean Harbors' sites or select audited and approved non company-owned 

sites. The facility includes storage areas for tanks and containers meeting all RCRA 

requirements. 

Railcar Storage/Transfer 

The facility has the ability to receive, store and ship railcars of hazardous waste. The storage 

area meets all RCRA requirements. 

Hazardous Waste Fuels Blending 

The facility processes hazardous wastes that may be burned for energy recovery as a hazardous 

fuel. The types of wastes processed include: non-halogenated organics, high BTU lean waters, 

non-halogenated oils, organic liquids with halogens and halogenated multi-layered organics. 

The fuels blending process utilizes a series of mixing tanks, pumps and liquids to produce a low 

viscosity liquid hazardous waste fuel furnaces. 

Container Management 

Methods of treatment in containers may include neutralization, solidification, product 

adulteration, carbon adsorption and blending compatible wastes. RCRA regulated liquids are 

consolidated and shipped off-site for incineration. Container treatment and storage occurs in 

several permitted areas throughout the facility. 

Oil Reclamation Process 

• Oil Recovery 

The use of heat and chemical demulisification to enhance gravitational separation of oil from 

water and solid components produces oil suitable for reuse in various industrial applications. All 

reclaimed oil is transferred via bulk transporters to approved end users. Wastewater generated 

from this separation process is transferred to the wastewater treatment system. 

Waste Analysis 

The Waste Analysis Plan for the facility outlines pre-qualification and on-site acceptance 

analysis requirements. 

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• Pre-Qualification 

Prior to acceptance and treatment of a specific waste, waste material profile sheet must be 

submitted to and approved by Clean Harbors prior to any waste shipment. Waste profile can be 

completed and submitted online on Clean Harbors’ website at www.cleanharbors.com. Once the 

waste material is accepted for treatment/disposal, this information becomes part of the permanent 

record in the generator's file and the waste may be scheduled for shipment. 

• On-Site Analysis/Acceptance 

With each delivery of approved waste, a sample is taken from the load and tested to determine 

whether the waste is the same as the previously submitted sample. If this analysis differs 

significantly from the advance sample, the waste will be deemed non-conforming. All nonconforming 

wastes are further analyzed to determine the best treatment alternatives, whether onsite 

handling at an adjusted price or transshipment to an alternative treatment facility. The 

customer is contacted regarding any non-conforming waste and given the option for alternate 

handling or return of their waste. On specification shipments are processed with one or more of 

the storage or treatment operations previously identified. 

5.0 Closure Plan 

A comprehensive facility closure plan has been developed in accordance with RCRA 

requirements and is available at the site for inspection upon request. A Certificate of Insurance 

guarantees financial assurance for closure. 

6.0 Insurance 

Clean Harbors and its subsidiaries maintain General Liability and Automobile Liability 

insurance with aggregate limits of $30,000,000. The Company purchases Environmental 

Impairment Liability insurance for its’ waste facilities with limits of $30,000,000 insuring the 

Company against liability for sudden and accidental occurrences from the time waste is picked 

up from a customer, while being handled at the Company’s treatment and transfer facilities, 

through its delivery to a disposal site. . 

Clean Harbors purchases an insurance program for Closure (Post-Closure and Corrective Action 

where so required) in amounts that meet regulatory requirements. 

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Clean Harbors’ Casualty Insurance Program Summary 

Policy 

Workers Compensation & Employer’s 

Liability 

Business Automobile Liability 

(Includes MCS-90 Endorsement) 

Comprehensive General Liability 

Excess (Umbrella) Liability 

(Follow Form) 

Wharfingers Liability 

Contractor’s Pollution Liability 

(Off-Site) 

Protection and Indemnity 

Limits of Liability 

Statutory 

$1,000,000 Each Accident 

$1,000,000 Each Occurrence 

$5,000,000 MCS-90 


$3,000,000 Aggregate 



$10,000,000 Any one Vessel/Any one Accident 



$1,000,000 Each Occurrence/Any one Vessel 

Environmental Impairment Liability 

(Coverage for Clean Harbors Facilities) 

Excess Pollution Liability 

(Sudden and Accidental Occurrences) 

Total coverage for Pollution incidences that 

occur during transportation related activities 





$30,000,000 Limit 

For more detail concerning Clean Harbors’ coverage, please contact the Clean Harbors Risk 

Management Department at (781) 849-1800. 

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Facility Closure Certificates 

http://clark.cleanharbors.com/tt/sl.ashx?z=219847c5&dataid=640&ft=1 

Certificate of Liability Insurance 

http://clark.cleanharbors.com/tt/sl.ashx?z=219847c5&dataid=98&ft=1 

7.0 Financial Information 

Financial information on Clean Harbors and its subsidiaries are available from the Clean Harbors 

website in the Investor Relations section. 

http://www.cleanharbors.com/investor_relations/investment_materials.html 

8.0 Appendix 

If applicable, supporting facility documentation will follow. 

Clean Harbors Environmental Services, 1800 South Stoney Island Avenue, Chicago, 60617 * www.cleanharbors.com 

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Facility Audit: Chicago, IL - Clean Harbors

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