ANDREWS, Texas (April 27, 2012) - William J. Lindquist, CEO of Waste Control Specialists LLC ("WCS"), a subsidiary of Valhi, Inc. (NYSE: VHI), announced today that the first shipment of low-level radioactive waste, received from Bionomics Inc., has been safely disposed of in the Texas Compact Facility.
"I am pleased to announce that medical researchers and universities that use radioactive materials everyday to save lives, and nuclear power plants that produce much of our country's energy needs, are now using a facility specifically designed, engineered and constructed to permanently dispose of the low-level radioactive waste ("LLRW") that is currently in temporary storage, much of it in urban centers," Mr. Lindquist said.
The Texas Compact Facility is owned and licensed by the state of Texas, operated by WCS and hosted and supported by Andrews County, Texas.
"We're happy that the first LLRW disposal contract we signed almost a year ago with Bionomics has resulted in the first disposal of LLRW at the Texas Compact Facility," said Mr. Lindquist.
"We have finally completed what we set out to do almost 17 years ago which is to provide the industry with a 'one-stop shop' for its hazardous, toxic and radioactive waste needs. Although it was a bold vision at the time, we believe our Texas Solution provides the broadest range of capabilities of any commercial enterprise in the United States for the storage, treatment and permanent disposal of hazardous, toxic, low-level and mixed LLRW and radioactive byproduct material. We also believe that the robustness of our facility combined with the certainty provided by the state of Texas' ownership gives WCS a significant advantage over its competitors in this multi-billion dollar industry," Mr. Lindquist said.
Steven L. Watson, President and Chief Executive Officer of Valhi, said, "From the beginning, WCS' objective has been to license and construct the most comprehensive site in the U.S. for the disposal of radioactive material. Valhi has always believed that such a site would result in a successful commercial enterprise because of the shortage and uncertainty with respect to the availability of Federal and commercial disposal alternatives."
"Valhi is proud that WCS has reached this important milestone and has now established itself as a leader and innovator within the industry. We believe the prospects for this business are extraordinary, due to the unique characteristics of the industry and WCS' experience and extensive disposal and treatment capabilities," Mr. Watson said. "We are equally pleased with the strong, ongoing support of the citizens of Andrews and Lea counties, as well as all of the Permian Basin, all of which have contributed immeasurably to WCS' success. We look forward to continuing our mutually beneficial partnership with the local community and the state of Texas, while WCS grows its business."
WCS is licensed by the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality to dispose of Class A, B and C LLRW.
About the WCS Facility
The WCS facility in western Andrews County is the only commercial facility in the United States licensed to dispose of Class A, B and C LLRW. It is also licensed for the treatment and storage of LLRW and has safely and successfully served as a temporary storage facility for past U.S. Department of Energy projects.
Situated in a semi-arid and isolated location, the WCS facility sits atop a formation of 500 feet of impermeable red-bed clay which makes it an ideal setting for the storage and disposal of LLRW. The state of Texas has determined the WCS facility does not sit above or adjacent to any underground drinking water formations.
The WCS facility is the site of the disposal facility for the Texas Low-Level Radioactive Waste Disposal Compact, and most recently was the site of the successful storage and disposal of byproduct material from the DOE Fernald, Ohio, cleanup site.
WCS has been processing and storing LLRW at its facility since 1998.
WCS is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Valhi, which is engaged in the titanium dioxide products, component products (security products, furniture components and performance marine components) and waste management industries.
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Contact: Chuck McDonald
(512) 708-8655