By 1812Blockhouse
A hazardous-waste closure plan for BlueScope Recycling & Materials LLC’s Microfines Building in Mansfield has received final approval from the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency, clearing the way for the company to proceed under an approved plan for unrestricted clean closure removal.
The approval applies to the facility at 2384 Springmill Road in Mansfield and was entered into the Ohio EPA Director’s Journal on April 21. The matter falls under RCRA C hazardous waste oversight in Richland County.
From Submission To Approval
The process began on December 8, 2025, when CJF Associates submitted a closure plan to Ohio EPA on behalf of BlueScope. That plan was required under Director’s Final Findings and Orders issued on October 8, 2025, and was intended to demonstrate compliance with Ohio hazardous waste closure standards.
Ohio EPA later issued a Notice of Deficiency on January 8, 2026. CJF Associates responded with a revised closure plan dated January 30 and submitted on February 6. The company and the public were then given the opportunity to provide written comments on the revised plan. According to Ohio EPA, no public comments were received.
Meeting The Closure Standard
After reviewing the original submittal and the revision, Ohio EPA Director John Logue concluded that the closure plan met the performance standard under Ohio Administrative Code rule 3745-55-11 and complied with relevant portions of rule 3745-55-12.
“The Closure Plan submitted to Ohio EPA on December 8, 2025, and revised on February 6, 2026, by BlueScope is hereby approved,” the agency’s letter states.
The approval does not mean the closure work is finished. It means BlueScope now has an approved plan for carrying out the closure. Ohio EPA said compliance with the plan is expected and that the agency will monitor that compliance.
Oversight Continues
The approval also preserves Ohio EPA’s enforcement authority. The agency noted that it may take action under Ohio law if the company fails to comply with the approved plan. Ohio EPA also emphasized that approval of the closure plan does not release BlueScope from responsibility for corrective action tied to any releases of hazardous waste or hazardous constituents from any waste management unit, regardless of when the waste was placed in the unit.
What Comes Next
Once closure is completed, BlueScope must submit certification to Ohio EPA from both the owner or operator and a qualified professional engineer confirming that the facility has been closed in accordance with the approved plan.
Those certifications are to be submitted to Ohio EPA’s Division of Environmental Response and Revitalization, with a copy also sent to the agency’s Northwest District Office in Bowling Green. The agency also allows submission by email or through Ohio EPA’s eBusiness Center. The director’s action is final but may be appealed to the Environmental Review Appeals Commission within 30 days.
