EAST TENNESSEE GEOLOGICAL SOCIETY
May 2025 Virtual Meeting
Monday, May 12th, 2025
6:00 pm - 7:00 pm
May 2025 Presentation
Regulatory Requirements for Hazardous Waste Management Units and How These
Requirements are Applied to a Case Study in West Texas
By
Cynthia Palomares, PG, PE
Abstract
The Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) outlines the federal regulatory requirements that apply to Siting, Design, Operation and Closure of Hazardous Waste Management Units. Location Standards that apply to Land-based Hazardous Waste Management Units include considerations for seismic hazards and satisfactory mitigation of locations in flood-plains. Unsuitable site characteristics include prohibitions for locations in wetlands, recharge zones of sole-source aquifers and highly permeable geologic formations. A case study is provided to review location standards for permitting of a Mixed Waste Landfill in West Texas.
Biography
Cynthia Delaney Palomares, P.G.,P.E. has over 30 years of
experience as both an Engineering Geologist and Environmental
Engineer. Her last position was as an Adjunct Instructor (retired),
at Texas A&M University, Texas Engineering Extension Service (TEEX)
in College Station, TX, from 2016-2020. As an adjunct instructor,
Ms. Palomares conducted training courses for environmental
professionals for certification of Hazardous Waste Operations and
Emergency Response. Prior to working for TEEX, Ms. Palomares was a
Project Manager, at Texas Commission on Environmental Quality,
Austin, TX, from 1993-2016. As a project manager in the Industrial &
Hazardous Waste Permits Section, Ms. Palomares reviewed and
evaluated hazardous waste permit applications, compliance reports
and notices of waste management activities for both regulatory and
technical completeness to ensure compliance with applicable
hazardous waste, radioactive waste and Texas Risk Reduction Program
rules and regulations. In addition, Ms. Palomares was a member of
the Waste Permits Division Disaster Response team and was also a
project manager for RCRA Authorization rule projects that adopt EPA
hazardous waste amendments into Texas Administrative Code
regulations. Prior to her position as a project manager in the I&HW
Permits Section, Ms. Palomares conducted technical reviews and
processed applications for underground injection control (UIC) and
in situ leachate uranium mining facilities in the UIC/Radioactive
Waste Section of the TCEQ. In 2016, Ms. Palomares was recognized for
25 years of service with the State of Texas. Prior to employment
with the TCEQ, Ms. Palomares was employed as a staff scientist for
Westinghouse Hanford Company in Richland, Washington for 3 years.
Ms. Palomares earned a Bachelor of Science in Engineering Geology
from Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, and a Master of
Science in Engineering Geology from Texas A&M University, College
Station, TX in 1990. She is both a licensed Professional Geologist
and Licensed Professional Engineer in Texas.
AEG Experience: Ms. Palomares joined AEG in 1986 as a student member
of the Lone Star student chapter at Texas A&M University. In 1990,
she was awarded the "Best Student Presentation Award" at the Texas
Section Spring Meeting. In 2011, she was awarded the "Floyd T.
Johnston Outstanding Engineering Geologist Award" at the Texas
Section Fall Meeting. In 2022, she was awarded the Association-level
"Floyd T. Johnston Outstanding Engineering Geologist Award" at the
AEG Annual Awards Banquet in Las Vegas, Nevada. Service to AEG
includes the following positions: Lone Star Student Chapter Officer
(1986-1990), Washington Section Field Trip Coordinator (1991-1993),
Texas Section Board (2001-2012), 2010 Shlemon Specialty Conference
Chair on "Gulf Coast Subsidence and Sea-level Rise", Governance
Committee member (2010-2012), Section/Chapter Support Committee
Chair (2012-2018), AEG Strategic Planning Committee Co-Chair
(2014-2016) , DEI Committee Member (2020-present), AEG Executive
Council (2016-2021), Floyd T. Johnston Outstanding Engineering
Geologist Award (2022), AEG/GSA Dr. Richard H. Jahn's Distinguished
Lecturer in Environmental and Engineering Geology (2023-2024).
Greetings, and welcome to the May 12, 2025 ETGS virtual meeting.
If you attend via Zoom as a courtesy please mute your cell phone or
the microphone in your laptop/tablet to minimize background noise
and feedback echoes. We will also make an effort to mute all
participants - at least until the presentation is finished.
Please use the chat feature to type any comments or questions you
may have. We recommend that you send questions for the speaker to
"everyone" so all participants can see the question. In the
interest of time, we may hold the Q&A at the end of the
presentation.
We will create a virtual attendance list. It is not always possible
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to be listed on the attendance sheet. Let us know exactly how your
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lack of signatures due to remote participation and have an ETGS
officer sign as usual.
As always, we welcome and appreciate your feedback and suggestions
for improvement.
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We look forward to seeing you at the next meeting.
ETGS is a volunteer organization. We need your help to
continue serving those interested in the geology of East
Tennessee and beyond. Please email us at
etgs@live.com
if you would consider assisting in one of the following open
positions. It is a great opportunity to expand your personal
and professional network.
President
Tony McClain
Vice
President
David Carlone
Secretary
J.
Brad Stephenson
Treasurer
Seaira Stephenson
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Gelinas
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