- Marrcus Henry works in the Hazardous Waste permitting section for the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection “MassDEP”. Marrcus has been with MassDEP Since 2014 primarily serving as the Hazardous Waste Transportation program manager. Marrcus is currently one of three TSDF permit writers for MassDEP. Additionally, Marrcus is responsible for issuing hazardous waste emergency treatment licenses to hazardous waste generators that are not a permitted TSDF, while also serving on MassDEP northeast regional emergency response team. While outside of work Marrcus enjoys spending time with his kids, coaching football and camping.
- Gloria M. Toro studied Chemical Engineering in the University of Puerto Rico, Mayagüez Campus. She has been working for the Puerto Rico Environmental Quality Board now Department of Natural and Environmental Resources. Her professional experience is mostly in waste management as a permit writter and corrective action project manager in site cleanups.
- Ashby Scott is a hazardous waste permit writer for the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) and has been with DEQ since 2007. After spending six years as the Title V Coordinator for the Air Permit Program, Ashby returned to the world of hazardous waste permitting. Currently Ashby is the chair of the Corrective Action and Permitting Task Force. He has a bachelor's in chemical engineering from Virginia Commonwealth University. In his free time Ashby enjoys long walks on the beach and seventeen black on the roulette table.
- Julie Woosley has worked with the NC Department of Environmental Quality for more than 23 years in water quality, air quality, pollution prevention, water infrastructure, and waste management. Julie is the Deputy Director in the Division of Waste Management and has been a Division lead on multiple PFAS teams for the last five years. She has a bachelor’s degree in Chemistry from the College of Wooster and a master’s degree in Management and Community Practice from UNC Chapel Hill. She is also the Board Chair of NC GreenPower, where she has volunteered for more than seventeen years.
- John is a RCRA Permit Engineer working for the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency. John has over 25 years of multi-media regulatory experience, and has been in the RCRA Permitting and Corrective Action program for over 14 years. John enjoys dealing with complex issues related to Post Closure Care, RCRA Closures, and Groundwater Monitoring.
- Blake Whittle is the Groundwater Branch Manager for the Arkansas Division of Environmental Quality. Blake manages groundwater assessment and remediation at RCRA Subtitle C, D, and I sites as well as CERCLA and Federal Facility sites in Arkansas. Blake graduated with Bachelor’s degree in geology from Arkansas Tech University and a Master’s in geology from the University of Arkansas. Outside of work Blake enjoys spending time with his family, hiking, and being irrationally optimistic of Razorback athletics.
- Maura O’Halloran holds a bachelor’s degree in geology from Kansas State University. She is a professional geologist who has been with the Kansas Department of Health and Environment since 1993, working in state CERCLA programs before accepting the Hazardous Waste Permitting section chief position in 2019.
- Derek is the Hazardous Waste Program manager at the North Dakota Department of Environmental Quality (NDDEQ). He’s been with the NDDEQ since 2015, where he began working with the Groundwater Protection Program on ambient groundwater monitoring, spill investigations, and underground injection control. In 2018, Derek transitioned to the Hazardous Waste Program – the program responsible for the implementation of RCRA within North Dakota. Derek has his degree from South Dakota State University, and is a South Dakota native. In his spare time he enjoys skiing with his son, walking his dog Hartley, and catching on the latest movies and music.
- Ed Walker is a branch chief at the California Department of Toxic Substances Control in the Site Mitigation Program. Ed, along with a staff of supervisors, engineers, geologists, and scientist provide engineering, project, and program support to the Department on a wide variety of site mitigation and hazard waste management issues. Ed has worked as a supervisor in the Hazardous Waste Facility Permitting Program and was a project manager in Site Mitigation Program focusing on military munitions remediation projects. In his spare time Ed enjoys spending time with his family in sports, snow skiing, boating, and traveling whenever the opportunity presents.
- Jeannette Acomb works as a Senior Hazardous Waste Operations and Policy Analyst for the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality. She has been in this role since 2014 and joined the Hazardous Waste Program in 2003. With her previous work in the field and on varying projects, she became the state hazardous waste permitting and corrective action coordinator three years ago in addition to her policy work. Jeannette has been an active member of ASTSWMO since 2003 and is currently serving in her second year as a member of the Hazardous Waste Subcommittee Corrective Action and Permitting Task Force. She is excited to work with the team on emerging permitting issues. In her free time, Jeannette enjoys time in the great outdoors with friends and family.
- Anna Bourakovsky serves as the Manager for the Hazardous Materials Program at the Vermont Agency of Natural Resources (ANR). In her current role, Anna supervises the state’s hazardous waste compliance and enforcement activities, regulatory assistance and outreach, and rulemaking, and manages the state’s regulations of both underground and aboveground storage tanks. Prior to joining ANR, she worked as a research associate at Bowdoin College where she was involved in a NASA-funded research project studying the export of organic carbon within the Gulf of Maine watershed. Anna has a bachelor’s degree in Natural Resources from the University of Maine and a master’s degree in Natural Resource with a concentration in Water Resources from the University of New Hampshire. Anna lives in northcentral Vermont with her husband and son.
- Martin Sánchez serves as the Central Regional Office Supervisor for the Bureau of Hazardous Waste Compliance and Enforcement in the NJDEP’s Division of Waste & UST Enforcement. Martin currently oversees the central region of New Jersey’s hazardous waste program, which also includes used oil, universal waste, e-waste and regulated medical waste. Martin has been with the Department for over 28 years, the majority as a field inspector. Martin has been with both permitting and enforcement programs, including Bureau of Pretreatment and Residuals, and Metro & Northern Hazardous Waste Compliance and Enforcement. Martin obtained his Bachelor of Science degree in Environmental Sciences from Rutgers University – Cook College in 1992. Martin is originally from Puerto Rico and has lived in Northern New Jersey for 40 years.
- Joe Sizemore currently serves as assistant chief inspector overseeing the hazardous waste program as well as the underground and above ground storage tanks program in the Office of Environmental Enforcement, which is within the Division of Water and Waste Management (DWWM) of the West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection (WVDEP). Mr. Sizemore joined WVDEP, DWWM in November 2003 as an environmental resources specialist in the Administrative Enforcement Section. During his time at WVDEP he has spoken at numerous forums with the regulated community as well as state legislative committee hearings focusing on hazardous waste management and the operation and maintenance of storage tanks. Prior to joining WVDEP, he worked with the West Virginia Division of Natural Resources. In his capacity as an assistant park superintendent he focused on resource conservation and preservation and all facets of state park management at Blennerhassett Island State Park, Stonewall Jackson Lake State Park and Tygart Lake State Park. Mr. Sizemore earned a Bachelor of Science Degree from the College of Agriculture and Forestry at West Virginia University. He currently serves on the board of the Kanawha Valley Trail Alliance, a non-profit trail advocacy organization founded in 2018. He was raised in Fayette County, West Virginia, and currently lives in Charleston, WV with his wife and daughter
- Brent Watson graduated from Auburn University in Montgomery in 1998 with a degree in Environmental Science. He began his career at ADEM in 1998 where he has worked in various areas of the Department, including aquatic assessment within the Department’s Field Operations Division, permitting, compliance, and enforcement activities within the Department’s Air Division, and various compliance, enforcement, and remediation activities within the Land Division. He is currently the Chief of the Compliance and Enforcement Section in the Industrial Hazardous Waste Branch where he oversees hazardous waste compliance and enforcement, and the special waste preapproval program with the ADEM-Land Division.
- Bio: Brad Toler is a Hazardous Waste Inspector Supervisor for the Arkansas Division of Environmental Quality. Brad assists in the running of Arkansas’s Hazardous Waste Compliance Program within the Division’s Office of Land Resources. He primarily trains and assists a team of inspectors in conducting RCRA inspections, as well as review the reports generated from them. Brad graduated from Arkansas State University with a Bachelor’s in Chemistry and is also currently enrolled in the Nationally Certified Public Managers program through the University of Arkansas Little Rock. Outside of work Brad loves to exercise, watch sports, travel, and read.
- Colorado Hazardous Waste Compliance Assurance Unit Leader. I have worked in hazardous waste compliance and enforcement for the State of Colorado since 1992.
- Leslie Morris is the Compliance Unit Supervisor in the Southwest Region Office (SWRO) of the WA State Department of Ecology. I have worked in the Hazardous Waste and Toxics Reduction Program since 1995 as an inspector, a short stint at HQ as a rule writer and recycling determination specialist, back to inspector in SWRO, team lead and now supervisor since 2018.
- Michael Gage has worked for the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection since 1987 after graduating from Stockton University (Pomona, NJ) with a Bachelor of Science in Environmental Science. Over his 35+ year career he has managed remediation projects, conducted inspections of solid, hazardous and medical waste facilities and supervised staff who conduct such inspections, managed the registration of solid, hazardous and medical waste transporters, and managed the training accreditation for water and wastewater system operators. He currently is managing various projects to improve information access to staff and the regulated community and simplifying work processes to improve customer experience, reduce staff workload and improve data quality. He has served on the Program Information Management Task Force since January 2020.
- Jennifer Hopper is currently the vice chair on the Program Information Management (PIM) task force. Jennifer has worked for the Maryland Department of the Environment (MDE) for over 18 years. She started in 2005 working in the Office of the Secretary before moving to the Director of Land and Materials Office (LMA). Over the last 10 years, Jennifer has served as the Section Head of the Hazardous Certification and Reporting Section in the Solid Waste Program within LMA. As Section Head, Jennifer oversees the issuance of Site Identification Numbers (EPA ID), Special Medical Waste Generator Identification Number, Controlled Hazardous Substance Hauler/Vehicle Certification and Special Medical Waste Hauler/Vehicle Certification. Jennifer also collects and reviews the Biennial Hazardous Waste Report and monitors e-Manifests. In addition, she oversees the Community Right to Know Program which includes Tier Two Reporting and Toxics Release Inventory (TRI) Reporting. Jennifer is the RCRAInfo System Administrator for the State of Maryland, currently serves as one of the state representatives on the e-Manifest Advisory Board and has served on numerous EPA workgroups including Site Identification, biennial report software and RCRAInfo V6. Jennifer is also the Enforcement and Compliance (E&C) Manager of LMA. She oversees all enforcement actions from the time they are issued until they are paid in full or closed. She also collects, reviews, and provides information for MDE’s Annual E&C Report.
- Beverly Philpot is the Hazardous Waste Program Manager for the State of Tennessee. She holds a BS degree in Business Management. Beverly has served as a Tennessee regulator for five years. Prior to public service, she worked in the private sector for a heavy industrial manufacturing facility, as the Environmental Manager with responsibilities for compliance with Waste, Air, and Water regulations. Beverly served as a member of the Under Ground Storage Tank and Solid Waste Disposal Control Board prior to accepting a position with the State of Tennessee.
- My name is Alexandra Evans, but I go by Lexi. I have worked at Ohio EPA in the Division of Environmental Response and Revitalization since 2018. I love data management, especially when it comes to the use of RCRAInfo! I am married with a stepson and another one on the way. This is my first-time being involved with ASTSWMO, and I am very excited to be apart of organization.
- Ryan Pfeiffer is Chief of the Data and Fees Unit in the Kansas Department of Health and Environment, Bureau of Waste Management. He works with his staff on administering the hazardous and solid waste database, tracking and processing solid and hazardous waste fee payments, and managing the federal grant used to support the hazardous waste program. Prior to taking his current position in 2020, Ryan worked in the Hazardous Waste Permit Section for 12 years. This is Ryan’s first year with ASTSWMO (2022). In his free time, Ryan enjoys the outdoors and spending time with his wife and two girls.
- Phil Nyhof is the Data Control Specialist for the Montana Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) Hazardous Materials Section. He has been with the Hazardous Materials Section since 2022, having previously worked with the Water Protection Bureau of the Montana DEQ. This is Phil’s first year with ASTWSMO (2022) and he is currently serving as a member of ASTSWMO’s Program Information Management Task Force. In his free time, Phil enjoys spending time with his wife, playing video games, and running TTRPGs for his family.
- Tyyo Chase is an Environmental Engineering Specialist in the Pollution Prevention (P2) Program at the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality (ADEQ). He has also supported hazardous waste data systems for the past year. Tyyo graduated from Arizona State University with a bachelor’s of science in chemical engineering and started his position at ADEQ shortly after. Tyyo has now been working in the P2 Program at ADEQ for over four years.
- Mark Dennen is a Principal Environmental Scientist at the Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management. He is also a Certified Professional Geologist with a Master of Science Degree from the University of Oklahoma. Mark has been with the Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management for 34 years, following work as an environmental consultant. His work at DEM involves regulatory oversight and rulemaking of hazardous and medical waste generation, treatment and disposal as well as disaster response planning and landfill closure. Outside of his professional responsibilities, he is also an adjunct professor of geology at Community College of RI and an instructor of Martial Arts Instructor, CPR and Meditation.
- Sam VanDeusen is an Environmental Program Specialist in the RCRA Compliance and Technical Support Section in the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (NYSDEC). She has worked in NYSDEC's Central Office on the RCRA-C hazardous waste and used oil programs since 2015. Sam's primary responsibilities in this role include hazardous waste and used oil rulemaking, developing guidance and outreach materials, reviewing permits for used oil facilities operating throughout New York State, and providing regulatory interpretations and support to the public and NYSDEC staff. In her free time, Sam enjoys hiking, crafting, gaming, and traveling.
- Johnsely Cyrus works in the Permitting Section of the Division of Water and Waste Management in the West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection. She has been with the program since 2021 and has worked on Rule making for the State, specifically on State adoption of the CCR Rule and submission of the RCRA State Authorization Package to the EPA. This is Johnsely’s first year with ASTWSMO (2023) serving as a member of ASTSWMO’s Rulemaking and Authorization Task Force. Originally from India, Johnsely worked in NC Agricultural and Technical State University in Greensboro, NC teaching Environmental Studies for more than 10 years, before moving to West Virginia in 2019. In her free time, Johnsely enjoys spending time outdoors, hiking and traveling the world. Sunrises and sunsets are her fascination.
- Kim Curran is the Environmental Consultant/Rule Coordinator for the Permitting and Compliance Assistance Program in the Division of Waste Management for the Florida Department of Environmental Protection. She works closely with each program in the division on their rule development and rule adoption (we are constantly in rulemaking). Kim has been with DEP for 12 years and started in the Storage Tank Regulation Section and eventually moved into the Rule Coordinator role for division. Previously, Kim worked for Georgia EPD for approximately 10 years in their Mobile and Area Sources Program. She is excited to work with the Rulemaking and Authorization Task Force to help provide clarification and consistency for rulemaking and the authorization process for all regions. In her free time, Kim enjoys running, reading, spending time with her family, and soon with her granddaughter who is due to arrive in March.
- Valerie Davis is the Programs Advisor in the Bureau of Land at the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency. In that position, her portfolio has included acting as Agency RCRA Authorization Coordinator to facilitate U.S. EPA-approval of Illinois EPA’s RCRA partnership agreement, conducting legislative reviews and analyses of bills impacting the Bureau of Land, and providing holistic programmatic recommendations impacting the entirety of Bureau operations. She has extensive enforcement-compliance, remediation, and rulemaking experience from current work as BOL Programs Advisor as well as working with the Materials Management and Compliance-Reporting Section and 20+ years as a Project Manager in the Leaking Underground Storage Section. Valerie has a Bachelor’s of Science degree in Biology and a Master’s Degree in Public Health. In her spare time she enjoys reading, gardening, watersports, and hiking. This is Valerie’s first year as an active member with ASTSWMO (2022) and she is looking forward to working with the team to enhance and streamline the RCRA Authorization process.
- Tom Ball is currently the Manager of the Planning and Technical Support Section of the Utah Division of Waste Management and Radiation Control in the Utah Department of Environmental Quality where he has worked for nearly 30 years. He has over 24 years of experience as a hazardous waste compliance inspector with 20 of those years spent overseeing the chemical weapons destruction program at the Tooele Army Depot. Tom has worked with rules for over 6 years and is currently the rules coordinator for the Division with responsibility for both RCRA and NRC rules. In his spare time Tom likes to collect coins, do home improvement projects, and work on restoration and woodworking projects. Tom is an avid support of the United States Naval Academy sports programs, Go Navy! Beat Army!
- Mandy Hood is the Program Development Coordinator for the hazardous waste program in the Nevada Division of Environmental Protection (NDEP). She is responsible for rules and authorization and is also the state’s data steward for RCRAInfo and collects biennial hazardous waste reports and issues EPA ID numbers. Mandy has been in this role for 3 years. Before working for NDEP, Mandy earned her BS in Geology at the University of Nevada, Reno and worked as a geologist. In her free time, Mandy enjoys hiking and camping with her partner and their two dogs, Sammie and Elvis.
- Ellie Brown is a Senior Hazardous Waste Policy Analyst with Oregon Department of Environmental Quality. Her major duties include conducting rulemakings and authorization, assisting with legislative efforts, educating the regulated community, and providing support to hazardous waste compliance inspectors, for whom she has the utmost respect. Prior to coming to work for the State three years ago, she directed an environmental laboratory. Ellie holds a B.A. in Psychology from the University of Michigan, a B.S. in General Science from Portland State University, and a M.S. in Geology, also from Portland State. In her free time, she loves to tend her many houseplants, work on arts and crafts projects, watch horror and sci-fi movies, travel, hike, and camp with her husband in their converted 1994 Japanese import van.
Mission
The Hazardous Waste Subcommittee is comprised of three Task Forces which discuss policy and technical aspects of the RCRA hazardous waste program, research specific program elements of interest to States, develop positions or recommendations, and provide expert comment on issues arising from the implementation of the RCRA program at the State level. Specific work activities focus on the areas of corrective action, permitting, compliance monitoring, enforcement and information management.
Recent Publications
Task Forces
Compliance Monitoring
and Enforcement
Corrective Action
and Permitting
Program Information
Management
Rulemaking
and Authorization
Mission
The mission of the Compliance Monitoring and Enforcement Task Force is to establish cooperative partnerships between the States and Territories (States) and U.S. EPA to promote consistent, effective and efficient hazardous waste enforcement and compliance assurance, while recognizing and acknowledging the perspectives of individual States by:
- Enhancing State capabilities through training opportunities
- Collaboration on policy and guidance resource development
- Consolidation of State comments on regulation development
- Partnering with U.S. EPA to address emerging national hazardous waste concerns
Task Force Members
Mission
The mission of the Corrective Action and Permitting Task Force is to coordinate State and Territorial efforts in working with U.S. EPA to develop and implement comprehensive, manageable and efficient hazardous waste facility and corrective action permitting measures that ensure protection of human health and the environment.
Task Force Members
Mission
The mission of the Program Information Management Task Force is to establish effective partnerships between the States and Territories (States) and U.S. EPA to continue to improve a national hazardous waste information management system and procedures to be implemented to ensure the system functions effectively for the States, U.S. EPA, and the regulated user community.
Task Force Members
Mission
The mission of the Rulemaking and Authorization Task Force is to provide support, guidance, and training to States and Territories (States) in the process of updating their hazardous waste rules and seeking authorization, as well as to identify areas where current processes can be improved or streamlined. This Task force acts as a “hub” for States to come to with issues, receive education, share information, and ensure consistency.