TITLE 9. ENVIRONMENT
REGISTRAR'S NOTICE: The following regulatory action is exempt from Article 2 of the Administrative Process Act in accordance with § 2.2-4006 A 4 c of the Code of Virginia, which excludes regulations that are necessary to meet the requirements of federal law or regulations provided such regulations do not differ materially from those required by federal law or regulation. The Virginia Waste Management Board will receive, consider, and respond to petitions by any interested person at any time with respect to reconsideration or revision.
Title of Regulation: 9VAC20-81. Solid Waste Management Regulations (amending 9VAC20-81-10, 9VAC20-81-35, 9VAC20-81-45, 9VAC20-81-90, 9VAC20-81-95, 9VAC20-81-97, 9VAC20-81-110, 9VAC20-81-300, 9VAC20-81-310, 9VAC20-81-370, 9VAC20-81-450, 9VAC20-81-460, 9VAC20-81-470, 9VAC20-81-485, 9VAC20-81-550, 9VAC20-81-600, 9VAC20-81-610, 9VAC20-81-700; adding 9VAC20-81-475, 9VAC20-81-800, 9VAC20-81-810, 9VAC20-81-820).
Statutory Authority: § 10.1-1402 of the Code of Virginia; 42 USC § 6941 et seq.; 40 CFR Parts 257 and 258.
Effective Date: January 27, 2016.
Agency Contact: Justin L. Williams, Department of Environmental Quality, 629 East Main Street, P.O. Box 1105, Richmond, VA 23218, telephone (804) 698-4185, FAX (804) 698-4234, TTY (804) 698-4021, or email justin.williams@deq.virginia.gov.
Summary:
On April 17, 2015, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency published a final rule in the Federal Register titled "Disposal of Coal Combustion Residuals from Electric Utilities." The federal rule became effective October 19, 2015. This regulatory action amends Virginia's Solid Waste Management Regulations to incorporate the recently adopted federal standards concerning coal combustion residuals. The federal rule establishes standards for the disposal of coal combustion residuals from electric utilities in landfills and surface impoundments. The rule contains locational restrictions, design criteria, operating criteria, groundwater monitoring and corrective action requirements, closure and post-closure care requirements, and recordkeeping requirements. These requirements are being incorporated by reference into Virginia's Solid Waste Management Regulations. Solid waste permits will be issued for coal combustion residual landfills and surface impoundments operating in Virginia.
The federal rule also modified 40 CFR 261.4(b), which identifies materials excluded from being hazardous waste. The Virginia Hazardous Waste Management Regulations incorporate 40 CFR 261.4 by reference. The Virginia Hazardous Waste Management Regulations will be updated as part of a separate rulemaking process to include the revisions made to 40 CFR 261.4(b)(4) (Bevill exclusion).
Part I
Definitions
9VAC20-81-10. Definitions.
The following words and terms when used in this chapter shall have the following meanings unless the context clearly indicates otherwise:
"Active life" means the period of operation beginning with the initial receipt of solid waste and ending at completion of closure activities required by this chapter.
"Active portion" means that part of a facility or unit that has received or is receiving wastes and that has not been closed in accordance with this chapter.
"Agricultural waste" means all solid waste produced from farming operations.
"Airport" means, for the purpose of this chapter, a military airfield or a public-use airport open to the public without prior permission and without restrictions within the physical capacities of available facilities.
"Aquifer" means a geologic formation, group of formations, or a portion of a formation capable of yielding significant quantities of groundwater to wells or springs.
"Ash" means the fly ash or bottom ash residual waste material produced from incineration or burning of solid waste or from any fuel combustion.
"Base flood" see "Hundred-year flood."
"Bedrock" means the rock that underlies soil or other unconsolidated, superficial material at a site.
"Benchmark" means a permanent monument constructed of concrete and set in the ground surface below the frostline with identifying information clearly affixed to it. Identifying information will include the designation of the benchmark as well as the elevation and coordinates on the local or Virginia state grid system.
"Beneficial use" means a use that is of benefit as a substitute for natural or commercial products and does not contribute to adverse effects on health or environment.
"Beneficial use of CCR" means the CCR meet all of the following conditions:
1. The CCR must provide a functional benefit;
2. The CCR must substitute for the use of a virgin material, conserving natural resources that would otherwise need to be obtained through practices, such as extraction;
3. The use of the CCR must meet relevant product specifications, regulatory standards, or design standards when available, and when such standards are not available, the CCR is not used in excess quantities; and
4. When unencapsulated use of CCR involving placement on the land of 12,400 tons or more in nonroadway applications, the user must demonstrate and keep records, and provide such documentation upon request, that environmental releases to groundwater, surface water, soil, and air are comparable to or lower than those from analogous products made without CCR, or that environmental releases to groundwater, surface water, soil, and air will be at or below relevant regulatory and health-based benchmarks for human and ecological receptors during use.
"Bioremediation" means remediation of contaminated media by the manipulation of biological organisms to enhance the degradation of contaminants.
"Bird hazard" means an increase in the likelihood of bird/aircraft collisions that may cause damage to the aircraft or injury to its occupants.
"Board" means the Virginia Waste Management Board.
"Bottom ash" means ash or slag that has been discharged from the bottom of the combustion unit after combustion.
"Capacity" means the maximum permitted volume of solid waste, inclusive of daily and intermediate cover, that can be disposed in a landfill. This volume is measured in cubic yards.
"Captive industrial landfill" means an industrial landfill that is located on property owned or controlled by the generator of the waste disposed of in that landfill.
"CCR landfill" means an area of land or an excavation that receives CCR and that is not a surface impoundment, an underground injection well, a salt dome formation, a salt bed formation, an underground or surface coal mine, or a cave. For purposes of this chapter, a CCR landfill also includes sand and gravel pits and quarries that receive CCR, CCR piles, and any practice that does not meet the definition of a beneficial use of CCR.
"CCR surface impoundment" means a natural topographic depression, man-made excavation, or diked area that is designed to hold an accumulation of CCR and liquids, and the unit treats, stores, or disposes of CCR.
"Clean wood" means solid waste consisting of untreated wood pieces and particles that do not contain paint, laminate, bonding agents, or chemical preservatives or are otherwise unadulterated.
"Closed facility" means a solid waste management facility that has been properly secured in accordance with the requirements of this chapter.
"Closure" means that point in time when a permitted landfill has been capped, certified as properly closed by a professional engineer, inspected by the department, and closure notification is performed by the department in accordance with 9VAC20-81-160 D.
"Coal combustion byproducts" or "CCB" means residuals, including fly ash, bottom ash, boiler slag, and flue gas emission control waste produced by burning coal. CCB includes both CCR and other non-CCR wastes identified in this definition.
"Coal combustion residuals" or "CCR" means fly ash, bottom ash, boiler slag, and flue gas desulfurization materials generated from burning coal for the purpose of generating electricity by electric utilities and independent power producers. CCR is a specific type of CCB.
"Combustion unit" means an incinerator, waste heat recovery unit, or boiler.
"Commercial waste" means all solid waste generated by establishments engaged in business operations other than manufacturing or construction. This category includes, but is not limited to, solid waste resulting from the operation of stores, markets, office buildings, restaurants, and shopping centers.
"Compliance schedule" means a time schedule for measures to be employed on a solid waste management facility that will ultimately upgrade it to conform to this chapter.
"Compost" means a stabilized organic product produced by a controlled aerobic decomposition process in such a manner that the product can be handled, stored, and/or or applied to the land without adversely affecting public health or the environment.
"Composting" means the manipulation of the natural process of decomposition of organic materials to increase the rate of decomposition.
"Conditionally exempt small quantity generator" means a generator of hazardous waste who has been so defined in 40 CFR 261.5, as amended. That section applies to the persons who generate in that calendar month no more than 100 kilograms of hazardous waste or one kilogram of acutely hazardous waste.
"Construction" means the initiation of permanent physical change at a property with the intent of establishing a solid waste management unit. This does not include land-clearing activities, excavation for borrow purposes, activities intended for infrastructure purposes, or activities necessary to obtain Part A siting approval (i.e., advancing of exploratory borings, digging of test pits, groundwater monitoring well installation, etc.).
"Construction/demolition/debris landfill" or "CDD landfill" means a land burial facility engineered, constructed and operated to contain and isolate construction waste, demolition waste, debris waste, split tires, and white goods or combinations of the above solid wastes.
"Construction waste" means solid waste that is produced or generated during construction, remodeling, or repair of pavements, houses, commercial buildings, and other structures. Construction wastes include, but are not limited to lumber, wire, sheetrock, broken brick, shingles, glass, pipes, concrete, paving materials, and metal and plastics if the metal or plastics are a part of the materials of construction or empty containers for such materials. Paints, coatings, solvents, asbestos, any liquid, compressed gases or semi-liquids and garbage are not construction wastes.
"Contaminated soil" means, for the purposes of this chapter, a soil that, as a result of a release or human usage, has absorbed or adsorbed physical, chemical, or radiological substances at concentrations above those consistent with nearby undisturbed soil or natural earth materials.
"Container" means any portable device in which a material is stored, transported, treated, or otherwise handled and includes transport vehicles that are containers themselves (e.g., tank trucks) and containers placed on or in a transport vehicle.
"Containment structure" means a closed vessel such as a tank or cylinder.
"Convenience center" means a collection point for the temporary storage of solid waste provided for individual solid waste generators who choose to transport solid waste generated on their own premises to an established centralized point, rather than directly to a disposal facility. To be classified as a convenience center, the collection point may not receive waste from collection vehicles that have collected waste from more than one real property owner. A convenience center shall be on a system of regularly scheduled collections.
"Cover material" means compactable soil or other approved material that is used to blanket solid waste in a landfill.
"Daily disposal limit" means the amount of solid waste that is permitted to be disposed at the facility and shall be computed on the amount of waste disposed during any operating day.
"Debris waste" means wastes resulting from land-clearing operations. Debris wastes include, but are not limited to stumps, wood, brush, leaves, soil, and road spoils.
"Decomposed vegetative waste" means a stabilized organic product produced from vegetative waste by a controlled natural decay process in such a manner that the product can be handled, stored, or applied to the land without adversely affecting public health or the environment.
"Demolition waste" means that solid waste that is produced by the destruction of structures and their foundations and includes the same materials as construction wastes.
"Department" means the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality.
"Director" means the Director of the Department of Environmental Quality. For purposes of submissions to the director as specified in the Waste Management Act, submissions may be made to the department.
"Discard" means to abandon, dispose of, burn, incinerate, accumulate, store, or treat before or instead of being abandoned, disposed of, burned, or incinerated.
"Discarded material" means a material that is:
1. Abandoned by being:
a. Disposed of;
b. Burned or incinerated; or
c. Accumulated, stored, or treated (but not used, reused, or reclaimed) before or in lieu of being abandoned by being disposed of, burned, or incinerated; or
2. Recycled used, reused, or reclaimed material as defined in this part.
"Disclosure statement" means a sworn statement or affirmation as required by § 10.1-1400 of the Code of Virginia. (see DEQ Form DISC-01 and 02 (Disclosure Statement)).
"Displacement" means the relative movement of any two sides of a fault measured in any direction.
"Disposal" means the discharge, deposit, injection, dumping, spilling, leaking, or placing of any solid waste into or on any land or water so that such solid waste or any constituent of it may enter the environment or be emitted into the air or discharged into any waters.
"Disposal unit boundary" or "DUB" means the vertical plane located at the edge of the waste disposal unit. This vertical plane extends down into the uppermost aquifer. The DUB must be positioned within or coincident to the waste management boundary.
"EPA" means the United States U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
"Exempt management facility" means a site used for activities that are conditionally exempt from management as a solid waste under this chapter. The facility remains exempt from solid waste management requirements provided it complies with the applicable conditions set forth in Parts II (9VAC20-81-20 et seq.) and IV (9VAC20-81-300 et seq.) of this chapter.
"Existing CCR landfill" means a CCR landfill that receives CCR both before and after October 19, 2015, or for which construction commenced prior to October 19, 2015, and receives CCR on or after October 19, 2015. A CCR landfill has commenced construction if the owner or operator has obtained the federal, state, and local approvals or permits necessary to begin physical construction and a continuous onsite, physical construction program had begun prior to October 19, 2015.
"Existing CCR surface impoundment" means a CCR surface impoundment that receives CCR both before and after October 19, 2015, or for which construction commenced prior to October 19, 2015, and receives CCR on or after October 19, 2015. A CCR surface impoundment has commenced construction if the owner or operator has obtained the federal, state, and local approvals or permits necessary to begin physical construction and a continuous onsite, physical construction program had begun prior to October 19, 2015.
"Expansion" means a horizontal expansion of the waste management boundary as identified in the Part A application. If a facility's permit was issued prior to the establishment of the Part A process, an expansion is a horizontal expansion of the disposal unit boundary.
"Facility" means solid waste management facility unless the context clearly indicates otherwise.
"Facility boundary" means the boundary of the solid waste management facility. For landfills, this boundary encompasses the waste management boundary and all ancillary activities including, but not limited to scales, groundwater monitoring wells, gas monitoring probes, and maintenance facilities as identified in the facility's permit application. For facilities with a permit-by-rule (PBR) the facility boundary is the boundary of the property where the permit-by-rule activity occurs. For unpermitted solid waste management facilities, the facility boundary is the boundary of the property line where the solid waste is located.
"Facility structure" means any building, shed, or utility or drainage line on the facility.
"Fault" means a fracture or a zone of fractures in any material along which strata on one side have been displaced with respect to that on the other side.
"Floodplain" means the lowland and relatively flat areas adjoining inland and coastal waters, including low-lying areas of offshore islands where flooding occurs.
"Fly ash" means ash particulate collected from air pollution attenuation devices on combustion units.
"Food-chain crops" means crops grown for human consumption, tobacco, and crops grown for pasture and forage or feed for animals whose products are consumed by humans.
"Fossil fuel combustion products" means coal combustion byproducts as defined in this regulation, coal combustion byproducts generated at facilities with fluidized bed combustion technology, petroleum coke combustion byproducts, byproducts from the combustion of oil, byproducts from the combustion of natural gas, and byproducts from the combustion of mixtures of coal and "other fuels" (i.e., co-burning of coal with "other fuels" where coal is at least 50% of the total fuel). For purposes of this definition, "other fuels" means waste-derived fuel product, auto shredder fluff, wood wastes, coal mill rejects, peat, tall oil, tire-derived fuel, deionizer resins, and used oil.
"Free liquids" means liquids that readily separate from the solid portion of a waste under ambient temperature and pressure as determined by the Paint Filter Liquids Test, Method 9095, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Publication SW-846.
"Garbage" means readily putrescible discarded materials composed of animal, vegetable or other organic matter.
"Gas condensate" means the liquid generated as a result of gas control or recovery processes at the solid waste management facility.
"Governmental unit" means any department, institution, or commission of the Commonwealth and any public corporate instrumentality thereof, and any district, and shall include local governments.
"Ground rubber" means material processed from waste tires that is no larger than 1/4 inch in any dimension. This includes crumb rubber that is measured in mesh sizes.
"Groundwater" means water below the land surface in a zone of saturation.
"Hazardous constituent" means a constituent of solid waste found listed in Appendix VIII of 9VAC20-60-261.
"Hazardous waste" means a "hazardous waste" as described by the Virginia Hazardous Waste Management Regulations (9VAC20-60).
"Holocene" means the most recent epoch of the Quaternary period, extending from the end of the Pleistocene Epoch to the present.
"Home use" means the use of compost for growing plants that is produced and used on a privately owned residential site.
"Host agreement" means any lease, contract, agreement, or land use permit entered into or issued by the locality in which the landfill is situated that includes terms or conditions governing the operation of the landfill.
"Household hazardous waste" means any waste material derived from households (including single and multiple residences, hotels, motels, bunkhouses, ranger stations, crew quarters, campgrounds, picnic grounds, and day-use recreation areas) which, except for the fact that it is derived from a household, would otherwise be classified as a hazardous waste in accordance with 9VAC20-60.
"Household waste" means any waste material, including garbage, trash, and refuse, derived from households. Households include single and multiple residences, hotels and motels, bunkhouses, ranger stations, crew quarters, campgrounds, picnic grounds, and day-use recreation areas. Household wastes do not include sanitary waste in septic tanks (septage) that is regulated by other state agencies.
"Hundred-year flood" means a flood that has a 1.0% or greater chance of recurring in any given year or a flood of magnitude equaled or exceeded on the average only once in a hundred years on the average over a significantly long period.
"Inactive CCR surface impoundment" means a CCR surface impoundment that no longer receives CCR on or after October 19, 2015, and still contains both CCR and liquids on or after October 19, 2015.
"Incineration" means the controlled combustion of solid waste for disposal.
"Incinerator" means a facility or device designed for the treatment of solid waste by combustion.
"Industrial waste" means any solid waste generated by manufacturing or industrial process that is not a regulated hazardous waste. Such waste may include, but is not limited to, waste resulting from the following manufacturing processes: electric power generation; fertilizer/agricultural chemicals; food and related products/byproducts; inorganic chemicals; iron and steel manufacturing; leather and leather products; nonferrous metals manufacturing/foundries; organic chemicals; plastics and resins manufacturing; pulp and paper industry; rubber and miscellaneous plastic products; stone, glass, clay, and concrete products; textile manufacturing; transportation equipment; and water treatment. This term does not include mining waste or oil and gas waste.
"Industrial waste landfill" means a solid waste landfill used primarily for the disposal of a specific industrial waste or a waste that is a byproduct of a production process.
"Injection well" means, for the purposes of this chapter, a well or bore hole into which fluids are injected into selected geological horizons.
"Institutional waste" means all solid waste emanating from institutions such as, but not limited to, hospitals, nursing homes, orphanages, and public or private schools. It can include regulated medical waste from health care facilities and research facilities that must be managed as a regulated medical waste.
"Interim cover systems" means temporary cover systems applied to a landfill area when landfilling operations will be temporarily suspended for an extended period (typically, longer than one year). At the conclusion of the interim period, the interim cover system may be removed and landfilling operations resume or final cover is installed.
"Karst topography" means areas where karst terrane, with its characteristic surface and subterranean features, is developed as the result of dissolution of limestone, dolomite, or other soluble rock. Characteristic physiographic features present in karst terranes include, but are not limited to, sinkholes, sinking streams, caves, large springs, and blind valleys.
"Key personnel" means the applicant itself and any person employed by the applicant in a managerial capacity, or empowered to make discretionary decisions, with respect to the solid waste or hazardous waste operations of the applicant in Virginia, but shall not include employees exclusively engaged in the physical or mechanical collection, transportation, treatment, storage, or disposal of solid or hazardous waste and such other employees as the director may designate by regulation. If the applicant has not previously conducted solid waste or hazardous waste operations in Virginia, the term also includes any officer, director, partner of the applicant, or any holder of 5.0% or more of the equity or debt of the applicant. If any holder of 5.0% or more of the equity or debt of the applicant or of any key personnel is not a natural person, the term includes all key personnel of that entity, provided that where such entity is a chartered lending institution or a reporting company under the Federal Security and Exchange Act of 1934, the term does not include key personnel of such entity. Provided further that the term means the chief executive officer of any agency of the United States or of any agency or political subdivision of the Commonwealth, and all key personnel of any person, other than a natural person, that operates a landfill or other facility for the disposal, treatment, or storage of nonhazardous solid waste under contract with or for one of those governmental entities.
"Lagoon" means a body of water or surface impoundment designed to manage or treat waste water.
"Land-clearing activities" means the removal of flora from a parcel of land.
"Land-clearing debris" means vegetative waste resulting from land-clearing activities.
"Landfill" means a sanitary landfill, an industrial waste landfill, or a construction/demolition/debris landfill.
"Landfill gas" means gas generated as a byproduct of the decomposition of organic materials in a landfill. Landfill gas consists primarily of methane and carbon dioxide.
"Landfill mining" means the process of excavating solid waste from an existing landfill.
"Leachate" means a liquid that has passed through or emerged from solid waste and contains soluble, suspended, or miscible materials from such waste. Leachate and any material with which it is mixed is solid waste; except that leachate that is pumped from a collection tank for transportation to disposal in an off-site offsite facility is regulated as septage, leachate discharged into a waste water collection system is regulated as industrial waste water and leachate that has contaminated groundwater is regulated as contaminated groundwater.
"Lead acid battery" means, for the purposes of this chapter, any wet cell battery.
"Lift" means the daily landfill layer of compacted solid waste plus the cover material.
"Liquid waste" means any waste material that is determined to contain "free liquids" as defined by this chapter.
"Lithified earth material" means all rock, including all naturally occurring and naturally formed aggregates or masses of minerals or small particles of older rock, that formed by crystallization of magma or by induration of loose sediments. This term does not include manmade man-made materials, such as fill, concrete, and asphalt, or unconsolidated earth materials, soil, or regolith lying at or near the earth's surface.
"Litter" means, for purposes of this chapter, any solid waste that is discarded or scattered about a solid waste management facility outside the immediate working area.
"Lower explosive limit" means the lowest concentration by volume of a mixture of explosive gases in air that will propagate a flame at 25°C and at atmospheric pressure.
"Materials recovery facility" means a solid waste management facility for the collection, processing, and recovery of material such as metals from solid waste or for the production of a fuel from solid waste. This does not include the production of a waste-derived fuel product.
"Maximum horizontal acceleration in lithified earth material" means the maximum expected horizontal acceleration depicted on a seismic hazard map, with a 90% or greater probability that the acceleration will not be exceeded in 250 years, or the maximum expected horizontal acceleration based on a site-specific seismic risk assessment.
"Monitoring" means all methods, procedures, and techniques used to systematically analyze, inspect, and collect data on operational parameters of the facility or on the quality of air, groundwater, surface water, and soils.
"Monitoring well" means a well point below the ground surface for the purpose of obtaining periodic water samples from groundwater for quantitative and qualitative analysis.
"Mulch" means woody waste consisting of stumps, trees, limbs, branches, bark, leaves and other clean wood waste that has undergone size reduction by grinding, shredding, or chipping, and is distributed to the general public for landscaping purposes or other horticultural uses except composting as defined and regulated under this chapter.
"Municipal solid waste" means that waste that is normally composed of residential, commercial, and institutional solid waste and residues derived from combustion of these wastes.
"New CCR landfill" means a CCR landfill or lateral expansion of a CCR landfill that first receives CCR or commences construction after October 19, 2015. A new CCR landfill has commenced construction if the owner or operator has obtained the federal, state, and local approvals or permits necessary to begin physical construction and a continuous onsite, physical construction program had begun after October 19, 2015. Overfills are also considered new CCR landfills.
"New CCR surface impoundment" means a CCR surface impoundment or lateral expansion of an existing or new CCR surface impoundment that first receives CCR or commences construction after October 19, 2015. A new CCR surface impoundment has commenced construction if the owner or operator has obtained the federal, state, and local approvals or permits necessary to begin physical construction and a continuous onsite, physical construction program had begun after October 19, 2015.
"New solid waste management facility" means a facility or a portion of a facility that was not included in a previous determination of site suitability (Part A approval).
"Nuisance" means an activity that unreasonably interferes with an individual's or the public's comfort, convenience or enjoyment such that it interferes with the rights of others by causing damage, annoyance, or inconvenience.
"Offsite" means any site that does not meet the definition of onsite as defined in this part.
"Onsite" means the same or geographically contiguous property, which may be divided by public or private right-of-way, provided the entrance and exit to the facility are controlled by the owner or the operator of the facility. Noncontiguous properties owned by the same person, but connected by a right-of-way that he controls and to which the public does not have access, are also considered onsite property.
"Open burning" means the combustion of solid waste without:
1. Control of combustion air to maintain adequate temperature for efficient combustion;
2. Containment of the combustion reaction in an enclosed device to provide sufficient residence time and mixing for complete combustion; and
3. Control of the combustion products' emission.
"Open dump" means a site on which any solid waste is placed, discharged, deposited, injected, dumped, or spilled so as to present a threat of a release of harmful substances into the environment or present a hazard to human health. Such a site is subject to the Open Dump Criteria in 9VAC20-81-45.
"Operating record" means records required to be maintained in accordance with the facility permit or this part (see 9VAC20-81-530).
"Operation" means all waste management activities at a solid waste management facility beginning with the initial receipt of solid waste for treatment, storage, disposal, or transfer and ceasing with the initiation of final closure activities at the solid waste management facility subsequent to the final receipt of waste.
"Operator" means the person responsible for the overall operation and site management of a solid waste management facility.
"Owner" means the person who owns a solid waste management facility or part of a solid waste management facility.
"PCB" means any chemical substance that is limited to the biphenyl molecule that has been chlorinated to varying degrees or any combination of substances that contain such substance (see 40 CFR 761.3, as amended).
"Perennial stream" means a well-defined channel that contains water year round during a year of normal rainfall. Generally, the water table is located above the streambed for most of the year and groundwater is the primary source for stream flow. A perennial stream exhibits the typical biological, hydrological, and physical characteristics commonly associated with the continuous conveyance of water.
"Permit" means the written permission of the director to own, operate, or construct a solid waste management facility.
"Person" means an individual, corporation, partnership, association, a governmental body, a municipal corporation, or any other legal entity.
"Point source" means any discernible, confined, and discrete conveyance, including but not limited to any pipe, ditch, channel, tunnel, conduit, well, discrete fissure, container, rolling stock, vessel, or other floating craft, from which pollutants are or may be discharged. Return flows from irrigated agriculture are not included.
"Pollutant" means any substance that causes or contributes to, or may cause or contribute to, environmental degradation when discharged into the environment.
"Poor foundation conditions" means those areas where features exist that indicate that a natural or man-induced event may result in inadequate foundation support for the structural components of a solid waste management facility.
"Postclosure" means the requirements placed upon solid waste disposal facilities after closure to ensure environmental and public health safety for a specified number of years after closure.
"Process rate" means the maximum rate of waste acceptance that a solid waste management facility can process for treatment and/or and storage. This rate is limited by the capabilities of equipment, personnel, and infrastructure.
"Processing" means preparation, treatment, or conversion of waste by a series of actions, changes, or functions that bring about a desired end result.
"Professional engineer" means an engineer licensed to practice engineering in the Commonwealth as defined by the rules and regulations set forth by the Board of for Architects, Professional Engineers, Land Surveyors, Certified Interior Designers and Landscape Architects (18VAC10-20).
"Professional geologist" means a geologist licensed to practice geology in the Commonwealth as defined by the rules and regulations set forth by the Board for Geology (18VAC70-20) Professional Soil Scientists, Wetland Professionals, and Geologists (18VAC145-40).
"Progressive cover" means cover material placed over the working face of a solid waste disposal facility advancing over the deposited waste as new wastes are added keeping the exposed area to a minimum.
"Putrescible waste" means solid waste that contains organic material capable of being decomposed by micro-organisms and cause odors.
"Qualified groundwater scientist" means a scientist or engineer who has received a baccalaureate or postgraduate degree in the natural sciences or engineering and has sufficient training and experience in groundwater hydrology and related fields as may be demonstrated by professional certifications, or completion of accredited university programs that enable that individual to make sound professional judgments regarding groundwater monitoring, contaminant fate and transport, and corrective action.
"RCRA" means the Solid Waste Disposal Act, as amended by the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act of 1976 (42 USC § 6901 et seq.), the Hazardous and Solid Waste Amendments of 1984, and any other applicable amendments to these laws.
"Reclaimed material" means a material that is processed or reprocessed to recover a usable product or is regenerated to a usable form.
"Refuse" means all solid waste products having the character of solids rather than liquids and that are composed wholly or partially of materials such as garbage, trash, rubbish, litter, residues from clean up of spills or contamination, or other discarded materials.
"Refuse-derived fuel (RDF)" means a type of municipal solid waste produced by processing municipal solid waste through shredding and size classification. This includes all classes of refuse-derived fuel including low-density fluff refuse-derived fuel through densified refuse-derived fuel and pelletized refuse-derived fuel.
"Regulated hazardous waste" means a solid waste that is a hazardous waste, as defined in the Virginia Hazardous Waste Management Regulations (9VAC20-60), that is not excluded from those regulations as a hazardous waste.
"Regulated medical waste" means solid wastes so defined by the Regulated Medical Waste Management Regulations (9VAC20-120) as promulgated by the Virginia Waste Management Board.
"Release" means, for the purpose of this chapter, any spilling, leaking, pumping, pouring, emitting, emptying, discharging, injection, escaping, leaching, dumping, or disposing into the environment solid wastes or hazardous constituents of solid wastes (including the abandonment or discarding of barrels, containers, and other closed receptacles containing solid waste). This definition does not include any release that results in exposure to persons solely within a workplace; release of source, byproduct, or special nuclear material from a nuclear incident, as those terms are defined in the Atomic Energy Act of 1954 (68 Stat. 923); and the normal application of fertilizer. For the purpose of this chapter, release also means substantial threat of release.
"Remediation waste" means all solid waste, including all media (groundwater, surface water, soils, and sediments) and debris, that are managed for the purpose of remediating a site in accordance with 9VAC20-81-45 or Part III (9VAC20-81-100 et seq.) of this chapter or under the Voluntary Remediation Regulations (9VAC20-160) or other regulated remediation program under DEQ oversight. For a given facility, remediation wastes may originate only from within the boundary of that facility, and may include wastes managed as a result of remediation beyond the boundary of the facility. Hazardous wastes as defined in 9VAC20-60, as well as "new" or "as generated" wastes, are excluded from this definition.
"Remediation waste management unit" or "RWMU" means an area within a facility that is designated by the director for the purpose of implementing remedial activities required under this chapter or otherwise approved by the director. An RWMU shall only be used for the management of remediation wastes pursuant to implementing such remedial activities at the facility.
"Responsible official" means one of the following:
1. For a business entity, such as a corporation, association, limited liability company, or cooperative: a duly authorized representative of such business entity if the representative is responsible for the overall operation of one or more operating facilities applying for or subject to a permit. The authority to sign documents must be assigned or delegated to such representative in accordance with procedures of the business entity;
2. For a partnership or sole proprietorship: a general partner or the proprietor, respectively; or
3. For a municipality, state, federal, or other public agency: a duly authorized representative of the locality if the representative is responsible for the overall operation of one or more operating facilities applying for or subject to a permit. The authority to sign documents must be assigned or delegated to such representative in accordance with procedures of the locality.
"Rubbish" means combustible or slowly putrescible discarded materials that include but are not limited to trees, wood, leaves, trimmings from shrubs or trees, printed matter, plastic and paper products, grass, rags and other combustible or slowly putrescible materials not included under the term "garbage."
"Runoff" means any rainwater, leachate, or other liquid that drains over land from any part of a solid waste management facility.
"Run-on" means any rainwater, wastewater, leachate, or other liquid that drains over land onto any part of the solid waste management facility.
"Salvage" means the authorized, controlled removal of waste materials from a solid waste management facility.
"Sanitary landfill" means an engineered land burial facility for the disposal of household waste that is so located, designed, constructed, and operated to contain and isolate the waste so that it does not pose a substantial present or potential hazard to human health or the environment. A sanitary landfill also may receive other types of solid wastes, such as commercial solid waste, nonhazardous sludge, hazardous waste from conditionally exempt small quantity generators, construction demolition debris, and nonhazardous industrial solid waste.
"Saturated zone" means that part of the earth's crust in which all voids are filled with water.
"Scavenging" means the unauthorized or uncontrolled removal of waste materials from a solid waste management facility.
"Scrap metal" means metal parts such as bars, rods, wire, empty containers, or metal pieces that are discarded material and can be used, reused, or reclaimed.
"Secondary containment" means an enclosure into which a container or tank is placed for the purpose of preventing discharge of wastes to the environment.
"Seismic impact zone" means an area with a 10% or greater probability that the maximum horizontal acceleration in lithified earth material, expressed as a percentage of the earth's gravitational pull (g), will exceed 0.10g in 250 years.
"Semiannual" means an interval corresponding to approximately 180 days. For the purposes of scheduling monitoring activities, sampling within 30 days of the 180-day interval will be considered semiannual.
"Site" means all land and structures, other appurtenances, and improvements on them used for treating, storing, and disposing of solid waste. This term includes adjacent land within the facility boundary used for the utility systems such as repair, storage, shipping or processing areas, or other areas incident to the management of solid waste.
"Sludge" means any solid, semi-solid or liquid waste generated from a municipal, commercial or industrial wastewater treatment plant, water supply treatment plant, or air pollution control facility exclusive of treated effluent from a wastewater treatment plant.
"Small landfill" means a landfill that disposed of 100 tons/day or less of solid waste during a representative period prior to October 9, 1993, and did not dispose of more than an average of 100 tons/day of solid waste each month between October 9, 1993, and April 9, 1994.
"Solid waste" means any of those materials defined as "solid waste" in 9VAC20-81-95.
"Solid waste disposal facility" means a solid waste management facility at which solid waste will remain after closure.
"Solid waste management facility" or "SWMF" means a site used for planned treating, storing, or disposing of solid waste. A facility may consist of several treatment, storage, or disposal units.
"Special wastes" means solid wastes that are difficult to handle, require special precautions because of hazardous properties, or the nature of the waste creates waste management problems in normal operations. (See Part VI (9VAC20-81-610 et seq.) of this chapter.)
"Speculatively accumulated material" means any material that is accumulated before being used, reused, or reclaimed or in anticipation of potential use, reuse, or reclamation. Materials are not being accumulated speculatively when they can be used, reused, or reclaimed, have a feasible means of use, reuse, or reclamation available and 75% of the materials accumulated are being removed from the facility annually.
"State waters" means all water, on the surface and under the ground, wholly or partially within, or bordering the Commonwealth, or within its jurisdiction.
"Storage" means the holding of waste, at the end of which the waste is treated, disposed, or stored elsewhere.
"Structural fill" means an engineered fill with a projected beneficial end use, constructed using soil or fossil fuel combustion products, when done in accordance with this chapter, spread and compacted with proper equipment, and covered with a vegetated soil cap.
"Sudden event" means a one-time, single event such as a sudden collapse or a sudden, quick release of contaminants to the environment. An example would be the sudden loss of leachate from an impoundment into a surface stream caused by failure of a containment structure.
"Surface impoundment" or "impoundment" means a facility or part of a facility that is a natural topographic depression, manmade man-made excavation, or diked area formed primarily of earthen materials (although it may be lined with manmade man-made materials), that is designed to hold an accumulation of liquid wastes or wastes containing free liquids and that is not an injection well.
"Surface waters" means all state waters that are not groundwater as defined in § 62.1-255 of the Code of Virginia.
"SW-846" means Test Methods for Evaluating Solid Waste, Physical/Chemical Methods, EPA Publication SW-846, Second Edition, 1982 as amended by Update I (April, 1984), and Update II (April, 1985) and the third edition, November, 1986, as amended.
"Tank" means a stationary device, designed to contain an accumulation of liquid or semi-liquid components of solid waste that is constructed primarily of nonearthen materials that provide structural support.
"TEF" or "Toxicity Equivalency Factor" means a factor developed to account for different toxicities of structural isomers of polychlorinated dibenzodioxins and dibenzofurans and to relate them to the toxicity of 2,3,7,8-tetrachloro dibenzo-p-dioxin.
"Terminal" means the location of transportation facilities such as classification yards, docks, airports, management offices, storage sheds, and freight or passenger stations, where solid waste that is being transported may be loaded, unloaded, transferred, or temporarily stored.
"Thermal treatment" means the treatment of solid waste in a device that uses elevated temperature as the primary means to change the chemical, physical, or biological character, or composition of the solid waste.
"Tire chip" means a material processed from waste tires that is a nominal two square inches in size, and ranges from 1/4 inch to four inches in any dimension. Tire chips contain no wire protruding more than 1/4 inch.
"Tire shred" means a material processed from waste tires that is a nominal 40 square inches in size, and ranges from 4 four inches to 10 inches in any dimension.
"Transfer station" means any solid waste storage or collection facility at which solid waste is transferred from collection vehicles to haulage vehicles for transportation to a central solid waste management facility for disposal, incineration, or resource recovery.
"Trash" means combustible and noncombustible discarded materials and is used interchangeably with the term rubbish.
"Treatment" means, for the purpose of this chapter, any method, technique, or process, including but not limited to incineration, designed to change the physical, chemical, or biological character or composition of any waste to render it more stable, safer for transport, or more amenable to use, reuse, reclamation, recovery, or disposal.
"Underground source of drinking water" means an aquifer or its portion:
1. Which contains water suitable for human consumption; or
2. In which the groundwater contains less than 10,000 mg/liter total dissolved solids.
"Unit" means a discrete area of land used for the disposal of solid waste.
"Unstable area" means a location that is susceptible to natural or human-induced events or forces capable of impairing the integrity of some or all of the landfill structural components responsible for preventing releases from a landfill. Unstable areas can include poor foundation conditions, areas susceptible to mass movements, and karst terranes.
"Uppermost aquifer" means the geologic formation nearest the natural ground surface that is an aquifer, as well as, lower aquifers that are hydraulically interconnected with this aquifer within the facility boundary.
"Used or reused material" means a material that is either:
1. Employed as an ingredient (including use as an intermediate) in a process to make a product, excepting those materials possessing distinct components that are recovered as separate end products; or
2. Employed in a particular function or application as an effective substitute for a commercial product or natural resources.
"Vector" means a living animal, insect, or other arthropod that transmits an infectious disease from one organism to another.
"Vegetative waste" means decomposable materials generated by yard and lawn care or land-clearing activities and includes, but is not limited to, leaves, grass trimmings, woody wastes such as shrub and tree prunings, bark, limbs, roots, and stumps.
"Vermicomposting" means the controlled and managed process by which live worms convert organic residues into fertile excrement.
"Vertical design capacity" means the maximum design elevation specified in the facility's permit or if none is specified in the permit, the maximum elevation based on a 3:1 slope from the waste disposal unit boundary.
"VPDES" (Virginia Pollutant Discharge Elimination System) means the Virginia system for the issuance of permits pursuant to the Permit Regulation (9VAC25-31), the State Water Control Law (§ 62.1-44.2 et seq. of the Code of Virginia), and § 402 of the Clean Water Act (33 USC § 1251 et seq.).
"Washout" means carrying away of solid waste by waters of the base flood.
"Waste-derived fuel product" means a solid waste or combination of solid wastes that have been treated (altered physically, chemically, or biologically) to produce a fuel product with a minimum heating value of 5,000 BTU/lb. Solid wastes used to produce a waste-derived fuel product must have a heating value, or act as binders, and may not be added to the fuel for the purpose of disposal. Waste ingredients may not be listed or characteristic hazardous wastes. The fuel product must be stable at ambient temperature, and not degraded by exposure to the elements. This material may not be "refuse derived fuel (RDF)" as defined in 9VAC5-40-890.
"Waste management boundary" means the vertical plane located at the boundary line of the area approved in the Part A application for the disposal of solid waste and storage of leachate. This vertical plane extends down into the uppermost aquifer and is within the facility boundary.
"Waste pile" means any noncontainerized accumulation of nonflowing, solid waste that is used for treatment or storage.
"Waste tire" means a tire that has been discarded because it is no longer suitable for its original intended purpose because of wear, damage or defect. (See 9VAC20-150 for other definitions dealing with the waste tire program.)
"Wastewaters" means, for the purpose of this chapter, wastes that contain less than 1.0% by weight total organic carbon (TOC) and less than 1.0% by weight total suspended solids (TSS).
"Water pollution" means such alteration of the physical, chemical, or biological properties of any state water as will or is likely to create a nuisance or render such waters:
1. Harmful or detrimental or injurious to the public health, safety, or welfare, or to the health of animals, fish, or aquatic life or plants;
2. Unsuitable, with reasonable treatment, for use as present or possible future sources of public water supply; or
3. Unsuitable for recreational, commercial, industrial, agricultural, or other reasonable uses, provided that:
a. An alteration of the physical, chemical, or biological properties of state waters or a discharge or deposit of sewage, industrial wastes, or other wastes to state waters by any owner that by itself is not sufficient to cause pollution but which in combination with such alteration or discharge or deposit to state waters by other persons is sufficient to cause pollution;
b. The discharge of untreated sewage by any person into state waters; and
c. The contribution to the degradation of water quality standards duly established by the State Water Control Board, are "pollution" for the terms and purposes of this chapter.
"Water table" means the upper surface of the zone of saturation in groundwaters in which the hydrostatic pressure is equal to the atmospheric pressure.
"Waters of the United States" or "waters of the U.S." means:
1. All waters that are currently used, were used in the past, or may be susceptible to use in interstate or foreign commerce, including all waters that are subject to the ebb and flow of the tide;
2. All interstate waters, including interstate "wetlands";
3. All other waters such as intrastate lakes, rivers, streams (including intermittent streams), mud flats, sand flats, "wetlands," sloughs, prairie potholes, wet meadows, playa lakes, or natural ponds the use, degradation, or destruction of which would affect or could affect interstate or foreign commerce including:
a. Any such waters that are or could be used by interstate or foreign travelers for recreational or other purposes;
b. Any such waters from which fish or shellfish are or could be taken and sold in interstate or foreign commerce;
c. Any such waters that are used or could be used for industrial purposes by industries in interstate commerce;
d. All impoundments of waters otherwise defined as waters of the United States under this definition;
e. Tributaries of waters identified in subdivisions 3 a through d of this definition;
f. The territorial sea; and
g. Wetlands adjacent to waters (other than waters that are themselves wetlands) identified in subdivisions 3 a through f of this definition.
"Wetlands" means those areas that are defined by the federal regulations under 33 CFR Part 328, as amended.
"White goods" means any stoves, washers, hot water heaters, and other large appliances.
"Working face" means that area within a landfill that is actively receiving solid waste for compaction and cover.
"Yard waste" means a subset of vegetative waste and means decomposable waste materials generated by yard and lawn care and includes leaves, grass trimmings, brush, wood chips, and shrub and tree trimmings. Yard waste shall not include roots or stumps that exceed 12 inches in diameter.
9VAC20-81-35. Applicability of chapter.
A. This chapter applies to all persons who treat, store, dispose, or otherwise manage solid wastes as defined in 9VAC20-81-95.
B. All facilities that were permitted prior to March 15, 1993, and upon which solid waste has been disposed of prior to October 9, 1993, may continue to receive solid waste until they have reached their vertical design capacity or until the closure date established pursuant to § 10.1-1413.2 of the Code of Virginia, in Table 2.1 provided:
1. The facility is in compliance with the requirements for liners and leachate control in effect at the time of permit issuance.
2. On or before October 9, 1993, the owner or operator of the solid waste management facility submitted to the director:
a. An acknowledgment that the owner or operator is familiar with state and federal law and regulations pertaining to solid waste management facilities operating after October 9, 1993, including postclosure care, corrective action, and financial responsibility requirements;
b. A statement signed by a professional engineer that he has reviewed the regulations established by the department for solid waste management facilities, including the open dump criteria contained therein, that he has inspected the facility and examined the monitoring data compiled for the facility in accordance with applicable regulations and that, on the basis of his inspection and review, he has concluded:
(1) That the facility is not an open dump;
(2) That the facility does not pose a substantial present or potential hazard to human health and the environment; and
(3) That the leachate or residues from the facility do not pose a threat of contamination or pollution of the air, surface water, or groundwater in a manner constituting an open dump or resulting in a substantial present or potential hazard to human health or the environment; and
c. A statement signed by the owner or operator:
(1) That the facility complies with applicable financial assurance regulations; and
(2) Estimating when the facility will reach its vertical design capacity.
3. Enlargement or closure of these facilities shall conform with the following subconditions:
a. The facility may not be enlarged prematurely to avoid compliance with this chapter when such enlargement is not consistent with past operating practices, the permit, or modified operating practices to ensure good management.
b. The facility shall not dispose of solid waste in any portion of a landfill disposal area that has received final cover or has not received waste for a period of one year, in accordance with 9VAC20-81-160 C. The facility shall notify the department, in writing, within 30 days, when an area has received final cover or has not received waste for a one-year period, in accordance with 9VAC20-81-160 C. However, a facility may apply for a permit, and if approved, can construct and operate a new cell that overlays ("piggybacks") over a closed area in accordance with the permit requirements of this chapter.
c. The facilities subject to the restrictions in this subsection are listed in Table 2.1. The closure dates were established in: Final Prioritization and Closure Schedule for HB 1205 Disposal Areas (DEQ, September 2001). The publication of these tables is for the convenience of the regulated community and does not change established dates. Any facility, including, but not limited to those listed in Table 2.1, must cease operation if that facility meets any of the open dump criteria listed in 9VAC20-81-45 A 1.
d. Those facilities assigned a closure date in accordance with § 10.1-1413.2 of the Code of Virginia shall designate on a map, plat, diagram, or other engineered drawing, areas in which waste will be disposed of in accordance with Table 2.1 until the latest cessation of waste acceptance date as listed in Table 2.1 is achieved. This map or plat shall be placed in the operating record and a copy shall be submitted upon request to the department in order to track the progress of closure of these facilities. If the facility already has provided this information under 9VAC20-81-160, then the facility may refer to that information.
C. Facilities are authorized to expand beyond the waste boundaries existing on October 9, 1993, as follows:
1. Existing captive industrial landfills.
a. Existing nonhazardous industrial waste facilities that are located on property owned or controlled by the generator of the waste disposed of in the facility shall comply with all the provisions of this chapter except as shown in subdivision 1 of this subsection.
b. Facility owners or operators shall not be required to modify their facility permit in order to expand a captive industrial landfill beyond the waste boundaries existing on October 9, 1993. Liners and leachate collection systems constructed beyond the waste boundaries existing on October 9, 1993, shall be constructed in accordance with the requirements in effect at the time of permit issuance.
c. Owners or operators of facilities that are authorized under subdivision 1 of this subsection to accept waste for disposal beyond the waste boundaries existing on October 9, 1993, shall ensure that such expanded disposal areas maintain setback distances applicable to such facilities in 9VAC20-81-120.
d. Facilities authorized for expansion in accordance with subdivision 1 of this subsection are limited to expansion to the limits of the permitted disposal area existing on October 9, 1993, or the facility boundary existing on October 9, 1993, if no discrete disposal area is defined in the facility permit.
2. Other existing industrial waste landfills.
a. Existing nonhazardous industrial waste facilities that are not located on property owned or controlled by the generator of the waste disposed of in the facility shall comply with all the provisions of this chapter except as shown in subdivision 2 of this subsection.
b. Facility owners or operators shall not be required to modify their facility permit in order to expand an industrial landfill beyond the waste boundaries existing on October 9, 1993. Liners and leachate collection systems constructed beyond the waste boundaries existing on October 9, 1993, shall be constructed in accordance with the requirements of 9VAC20-81-130.
c. Prior to the expansion of any such facility, the owner or operator shall submit to the department a written notice of the proposed expansion at least 60 days prior to commencement of construction. The notice shall include recent groundwater monitoring data sufficient to determine that the facility does not pose a threat of contamination of groundwater in a manner constituting an open dump or creating a substantial present or potential hazard to human health or the environment (see 9VAC20-81-45). The director shall evaluate the data included with the notification and may advise the owner or operator of any additional requirements that may be necessary to ensure compliance with applicable laws and prevent a substantial present or potential hazard to health or the environment.
d. Owners or operators of facilities which are authorized under subdivision 2 of this subsection to accept waste for disposal beyond the waste boundaries existing on October 9, 1993, shall ensure that such expanded disposal areas maintain setback distances applicable to such facilities in 9VAC20-81-120 and 9VAC20-81-130.
e. Facilities authorized for expansion in accordance with subdivision 2 of this subsection are limited to expansion to the limits of the permitted disposal area existing on October 9, 1993, or the facility boundary existing on October 9, 1993, if no discrete disposal area is defined in the facility permit.
3. Existing construction/demolition/debris landfills.
a. Existing facilities that accept only construction/demolition/debris waste shall comply with all the provisions of this chapter except as shown in subdivision 3 of this subsection.
b. Facility owners or operators shall not be required to modify their facility permit in order to expand a construction/demolition/debris landfill beyond the waste boundaries existing on October 9, 1993. Liners and leachate collection systems constructed beyond the waste boundaries existing on October 9, 1993, shall be constructed in accordance with the requirements of 9VAC20-81-130.
c. Prior to the expansion of any such facility, the owner or operator shall submit to the department a written notice of the proposed expansion at least 60 days prior to commencement of construction. The notice shall include recent groundwater monitoring data sufficient to determine that the facility does not pose a threat of contamination of groundwater in a manner constituting an open dump or creating a substantial present or potential hazard to human health or the environment (see 9VAC20-81-45). The director shall evaluate the data included with the notification and may advise the owner or operator of any additional requirements that may be necessary to ensure compliance with applicable laws and prevent a substantial present or potential hazard to health or the environment.
d. Owners or operators of facilities which are authorized under subdivision 3 of this subsection to accept waste for disposal beyond the active portion of the landfill existing on October 9, 1993, shall ensure that such expanded disposal areas maintain setback distances applicable to such facilities in 9VAC20-81-120 and 9VAC20-81-130.
e. Facilities, or portions thereof, which have reached their vertical design capacity shall be closed in compliance with 9VAC20-81-160.
f. Facilities authorized for expansion in accordance with subdivision 3 of this subsection are limited to expansion to the permitted disposal area existing on October 9, 1993, or the facility boundary existing on October 9, 1993, if no discrete disposal area is defined in the facility permit.
4. Facilities or units undergoing expansion in accordance with the partial exemptions created by subdivision 1 b, 2 b, or 3 b of this subsection may not receive hazardous wastes generated by the exempt small quantity generators, as defined by the Virginia Hazardous Waste Management Regulations (9VAC20-60), for disposal on the expanded portions of the facility. Other wastes that require special handling in accordance with the requirements of Part VI (9VAC20-81-610 et seq.) of this chapter or that contain hazardous constituents that would pose a risk to health or environment, may only be accepted with specific approval by the director.
5. Nothing in subdivisions 1 b, 2 b, and 3 b of this subsection shall alter any requirement for ground water groundwater monitoring, financial responsibility, operator certification, closure, postclosure care, operation, maintenance, or corrective action imposed under this chapter, or impair the powers of the director to revoke or modify a permit pursuant to § 10.1-1409 of the Virginia Waste Management Act or Part V (9VAC20-81-400 et seq.) of this chapter.
D. An owner or operator of a previously unpermitted facility or unpermitted activity that managed materials previously exempt or excluded from this chapter shall submit a complete application for a solid waste management facility permit, permit by rule or a permit modification, as applicable, in accordance with Part V (9VAC20-81-430 (9VAC20-81-400 et seq.) of this chapter within six months after these materials have been defined or identified as solid wastes. If the director finds that the application is complete, the owner or operator may continue to manage the newly defined or identified waste until a permit or permit modification decision has been rendered or until a date two years after the change in definition whichever occurs sooner, provided however, that in so doing he shall not operate or maintain an open dump, a hazard, or a nuisance.
Owners or operators of solid waste management facilities in existence prior to September 24, 2003, shall now be in compliance with this chapter. Where conflicts exist between the existing facility permit and the new requirements of the regulations, the regulations shall supersede the permit except where the standards in the permit are more stringent than the regulation. Language in an existing permit shall not act as a shield to compliance with the regulation, unless a variance to the regulations has been approved by the director in accordance with the provisions of Part VII (9VAC20-81-700 et seq.) of this chapter. Existing facility permits will not be required to be updated to eliminate requirements conflicting with the regulation, except at the request of the director or if a permit is modified for another reason. However, all sanitary landfills and incinerators that accept waste from jurisdictions outside of Virginia must have submitted the materials required under 9VAC20-81-100 E 4 by March 22, 2004.
E. This chapter is not applicable to landfill units closed in accordance with regulations or permits in effect prior to December 21, 1988, unless releases from these closed landfills meet the open dump criteria found in 9VAC20-81-45, or the closed landfills are found to be a hazard or a nuisance under subdivision 21 of § 10.1-1402 of the Code of Virginia, or a site where improper waste management has occurred under subdivision 19 of § 10.1-1402 of the Code of Virginia.
F. Part VIII (9VAC20-81-800 et seq.) of this chapter applies to the following:
1. Owners and operators of new and existing CCR landfills and CCR surface impoundments, including any lateral expansions of such units that dispose or otherwise engage in solid waste management of CCR generated from the combustion of coal at electric utilities and independent power producers;
2. Disposal units located offsite of the electric utility or independent power producer. Part VIII of this chapter also applies to any practice that does not meet the definition of a beneficial use of CCR; and
3. Inactive CCR surface impoundments at active electric utilities or independent power producers, regardless of the fuel currently used at the facility to produce electricity.
G. Part VIII of this chapter is not applicable to the following:
1. CCR landfills that have ceased receiving CCR prior to October 19, 2015;
2. Electric utilities or independent power producers that have ceased producing electricity prior to October 19, 2015;
3. Wastes, including fly ash, bottom ash, boiler slag, and flue gas desulfurization materials generated at facilities that are not part of an electric utility or independent power producer, such as manufacturing facilities, universities, and hospitals;
4. Fly ash, bottom ash, boiler slag, and flue gas desulfurization materials, generated primarily from the combustion of fuels (including other fossil fuels) other than coal, for the purpose of generating electricity unless the fuel burned consists of more than 50% coal on a total heat input or mass input basis, whichever results in the greater mass feed rate of coal;
5. Practices that meet the definition of a beneficial use of CCR;
6. CCR placement at active or abandoned underground or surface coal mines; or
7. Municipal solid waste landfills that receive CCR.
9VAC20-81-45. Open dumps.
A. Prohibition.
1. No person shall dispose of solid waste in open dumps, nor own, operate or allow to be operated on his property an open dump as defined in subsection B of this section or § 10.1-1400 of the Code of Virginia. Both permitted and unpermitted sites or facilities may be classified as open dumps.
2. Any person found to be in violation of this section shall be ordered to immediately cease treatment, storage, and disposal of any additional solid waste and shall take measures to abate improper management of the solid waste and come into compliance with the requirements of this chapter.
B. Criteria – Incorporation of 40 CFR 257.1 through 257.3-8 by reference.
1. Except as otherwise provided, the regulations of the United States Environmental Protection Agency set forth in 40 CFR 257.1 through 257.3-8 are adopted herein and incorporated by reference as part of the Virginia Solid Waste Management Regulations. Except as otherwise provided, all material definitions, reference materials and other ancillaries that are part of 40 CFR 257.1 through 257.3-8 are also hereby incorporated as part of the Virginia Solid Waste Management Regulations.
2. In all locations in these regulations where 40 CFR 257.1 through 257.3-8 are incorporated by reference, the following additions, modifications, and exceptions shall amend the incorporated text for the purpose of its incorporation into these regulations:
a. 40 CFR 257.1(b) and 40 CFR 257.3-5 are not included in the incorporation of 40 CFR 257.1 through 257.3-8 by reference and are not part of the Virginia Solid Waste Management Regulations.
b. The following text shall be substituted for 40 CFR 257.1(a): "Unless otherwise provided, the criteria in §§ 257.1 through 257.3-8 are adopted for determining which solid waste disposal facilities and practices are a nuisance and pose a reasonable probability of adverse effects on health or the environment under §§ 1008(a)(3) and 4004(a) of the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act, 42 USC § 6901 et seq. (1976) (RCRA) and the Virginia Waste Management Act, § 10.1-1400 of the Code of Virginia (Act). Unless otherwise provided, the criteria in §§ 257.50 through 257.107 are adopted for determining which CCR landfills and CCR surface impoundments pose a reasonable probability of adverse effects on human health or the environment under sections 1008(a)(3) and 4004(a) of the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act."
c. The following text shall be substituted for 40 CFR 257.1(a)(1): "Facilities failing to satisfy the criteria in §§ 257.1 through 257.3-8 or §§ 257.5 through 257.30 or §§ 257.50 through 257.107 are considered open dumps, which are prohibited under section 4005 of RCRA and § 10.1-1408.1 of the Act."
d. The following text shall be substituted for 40 CFR 257.1(a)(2): "Practices failing to satisfy the criteria in §§ 257.1 through 257.3-8 or §§ 257.5 through 257.30 or §§ 257.50 through 257.107 constitute open dumping, which is prohibited under section 4005 of RCRA and § 10.1-1408.1 of the Act."
e. In addition to those exceptions found in 40 CFR 257.1(c), the open dump criteria does not apply to sites actively enrolled in the Voluntary Remediation Program (9VAC20-160) or sites that have successfully completed the Voluntary Remediation Program in accordance with all conditions and requirements of their Certificates of Satisfactory Completion.
f. In addition to those exceptions found in 40 CFR 257.1(c), the open dump criteria shall not apply to sites that are undergoing remediation per the requirements of CERCLA or the RCRA Corrective Action Program and are doing so with the department's and/or or the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's oversight.
C. Site evaluation and remedial action.
1. If a site is a potential or probable open dump, a site evaluation may be conducted. This site evaluation will be conducted by the department in order to determine if further action is required under this section. The site evaluation will include but is not limited to any records that can be obtained from the owner, operator, or other responsible party as well as all documented observations by department personnel regarding the following:
a. The location of the site;
b. The amount, type, and source of the waste at the site;
c. The permit status for the activities taking place at the site; and
d. A preliminary evaluation of the site with respect to the criteria outlined in subsection B of this section.
2. Based on the criteria of subsection B of this section and the information gathered under the provisions of subdivision 1 of this subsection, the department will make a determination that the site is or is not an open dump.
3. If the department determines that the site is an open dump then the department will make a recommendation for remedial action as follows:
a. Remedial action is required; or
b. Removal of the wastes from the site and disposal at a facility permitted to accept the wastes is required. The department may require submission of evidence of proper management of the removed waste and may require evidence, including confirmatory sampling, of the removal of solid waste and any hazardous constituents. A site inspection will be preformed performed by the department to confirm the removal of the waste materials.
4. The site evaluation conducted under this subsection may be performed pursuant to an administrative or judicial order or other appropriate mechanism as chosen by the department.
5. Pursuant to the recommendations made under subdivision 3 of this subsection, any required remedial action as deemed necessary by the department shall be performed by the responsible party pursuant to an administrative or judicial order or other appropriate mechanism as chosen by the department.
D. Process and appeal.
1. Any case decision by the department based on the requirements of this section shall be subject to the process and appeal provisions of the Virginia Administrative Process Act (§ 2.2-4000 et seq. of the Code of Virginia).
2. A final determination and an administrative order requiring remedial action may be obtained in the same hearing or proceeding subject to the Virginia Administrative Process Act (§ 2.2-4000 et seq. of the Code of Virginia).
9VAC20-81-90. Relationship with other regulations promulgated by the Virginia Waste Management Board.
A. Virginia Hazardous Waste Management Regulations (9VAC20-60).
1. Solid wastes that have been declared hazardous or a universal waste by the generator in accordance with 40 CFR 262.11, as amended, or that are regulated as hazardous wastes by the Commonwealth or another state, and will be treated, stored, or disposed of in Virginia shall be managed in accordance with the requirements of 9VAC20-60 and not 9VAC20-81.
2. Any material from a state other than Virginia that is classified as a hazardous waste in that state shall be managed in accordance with 9VAC20-60.
3. Wastes generated by generators who are conditionally exempt pursuant to 40 CFR 261.5 may be managed in solid waste management facilities provided that:
a. (i) A specific approval is obtained from the director for acceptance of the material at a facility with an approved liner and leachate collection system; or (ii) it is included in the facility permit; and
b. Records are kept of the actual amount, type, and source of these wastes.
B. Regulated Medical Waste Management Regulations (9VAC20-120). Solid wastes that are defined as regulated medical wastes by the Regulated Medical Waste Management Regulations shall be managed in accordance with those regulations. Regulated medical wastes that are excluded or exempt by 9VAC20-120 shall be regulated by this chapter.
C. Financial Assurance Regulations for Solid Waste Disposal, Transfer, and Treatment Facilities (9VAC20-70). 9VAC20-70 specifies the requirements for financial assurance and allowable financial assurance mechanisms. Solid waste management facilities shall provide financial assurance in accordance with 9VAC20-70.
D. Solid Waste Management Facility Permit Action Fees and Annual Fees (9VAC20-90). All applicants for solid waste management facility permits are required to pay a fee in accordance with the schedule shown in 9VAC20-90. All solid waste management facilities shall pay annual fees in accordance with 9VAC20-90, as applicable.
E. Solid Waste Planning and Recycling Regulations (9VAC20-130). 9VAC20-130 establishes a framework for local governments to plan for solid waste management needs and a mechanism for tracking recycling rates and solid waste management plan contents.
F. Transportation of Solid and Medical Wastes on State Waters (9VAC20-170). 9VAC20-170 establishes the standards and procedures pertaining to the commercial transport, loading and offloading of solid wastes or regulated medical wastes upon the navigable waters of the Commonwealth.
G. Voluntary Remediation Regulations (9VAC20-160). 9VAC20-160 establishes standards and procedures for the Virginia Voluntary Remediation Program.
H. Coal Combustion Byproduct Regulations (9VAC20-85). 9VAC20-85 establishes standards for the use of fossil fuel combustion products, which are not subject to requirements of this chapter, and to establish establishes standards for siting, design, construction, operation, and administrative procedures pertaining to their use, reuse, or reclamation other than in a manner addressed by this chapter.
9VAC20-81-95. Identification of solid waste.
A. Wastes identified in this section are solid wastes that are subject to this chapter unless regulated pursuant to other applicable regulations issued by the department.
B. Except as otherwise provided, the definition of solid waste per 40 CFR 261.2 as incorporated by 9VAC20-60-261, as amended, is also hereby incorporated as part of this chapter. Except as otherwise provided, all material definitions, reference materials and other ancillaries that are a part of 9VAC20-60-261, as amended, are also hereby incorporated as part of this chapter as well.
C. Except as otherwise modified or excepted by 9VAC20-60, the materials listed in the regulations of the United States Environmental Protection Agency set forth in 40 CFR 261.4(a) are considered a solid waste for the purposes of this chapter. However, these materials are not regulated under the provisions of this chapter if all conditions specified therein are met. This list and all material definitions, reference materials and other ancillaries that are part of 40 CFR Part 261.4(a), as incorporated, modified and/or or accepted by 9VAC20-60 are incorporated as part of this chapter. In addition, the following materials are not solid wastes for the purpose of this chapter:
1. Materials generated by any of the following, which are returned to the soil as fertilizers:
a. The growing and harvesting of agricultural crops.
b. The raising and husbanding of animals, including animal manures and used animal bedding.
2. Mining overburden returned to the mine site.
3. Recyclable materials used in manner constituting disposal per 9VAC20-60-266.
4. Wood wastes burned for energy recovery.
5. Materials that are:
a. Used or reused, or prepared for use or reuse, as an ingredient in an industrial process to make a product, or as effective substitutes for commercial products or natural resources provided the materials are not being reclaimed or accumulated speculatively; or
b. Returned to the original process from which they are generated.
6. Materials that are beneficially used as determined by the department under this subsection. The department may consider other waste materials and uses to be beneficial in accordance with the provisions of 9VAC20-81-97.
7. The following materials and uses listed in this part are exempt from this chapter as long as they are managed so that they do not create an open dump, hazard, or public nuisance. These materials and the designated use are considered a beneficial use of waste materials:
a. Clean wood, wood chips, or bark from land clearing, logging operations, utility line clearing and maintenance operations, pulp and paper production, and wood products manufacturing, when these materials are placed in commerce for service as mulch, landscaping, animal bedding, erosion control, habitat mitigation, wetlands restoration, or bulking agent at a compost facility operated in compliance with Part IV (9VAC20-81-300 et seq.) of this chapter;
b. Clean wood combustion residues when used for pH adjustment in compost, liquid absorbent in compost, or as a soil amendment or fertilizer, provided the application rate of the wood ash is limited to the nutrient need of the crop grown on the land on which the wood combustion residues will be applied and provided that such application meets the requirements of the Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (2VAC5-400 and 2VAC5-410);
c. Compost that satisfies the applicable requirements of the Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (2VAC5-400 and 2VAC5-410);
d. Nonhazardous, contaminated soil that has been excavated as part of a construction project and that is used as backfill for the same excavation or excavations containing similar contaminants at the same site, at concentrations at the same level or higher. Excess contaminated soil from these projects is subject to the requirements of this chapter;
e. Nonhazardous petroleum contaminated soil that has been treated to the satisfaction of the department in accordance with 9VAC20-81-660;
f. Nonhazardous petroleum contaminated soil when incorporated into asphalt pavement products;
g. Solid wastes that are approved in advance of the placement, in writing, by the department or that are specifically mentioned in the facility permit for use as alternate daily cover material or other protective materials for landfill liner or final cover system components;
h. Fossil fuel combustion products that are not CCR when used as a material in the manufacturing of another product (e.g., concrete, concrete products, lightweight aggregate, roofing materials, plastics, paint, flowable fill) or as a substitute for a product or material resource (e.g., blasting grit, roofing granules, filter cloth pre-coat for sludge dewatering, pipe bedding);
i. Tire chips and tire shred when used as a sub base sub-base fill for road base materials or asphalt pavements when approved by the Virginia Department of Transportation or by a local governing body;
j. Tire chips, tire shred, and ground rubber used in the production of commercial products such as mats, pavement sealers, playground surfaces, brake pads, blasting mats, and other rubberized commercial products;
k. Tire chips and tire shred when used as backfill in landfill gas or leachate collection pipes, recirculation lines, and drainage material in landfill liner and cover systems, and gas interception or remediation applications;
l. Waste tires, tire chips or tire shred when burned for energy recovery or when used in pyrolysis, gasification, or similar treatment process to produce fuel;
m. Waste-derived fuel product, as defined in 9VAC20-81-10, derived from nonhazardous solid waste;
n. Uncontaminated concrete and concrete products, asphalt pavement, brick, glass, soil, and rock placed in commerce for service as a substitute for conventional aggregate; and
o. Clean, ground gypsum wallboard when used as a soil amendment or fertilizer, provided the following conditions are met:
(1) No components of the gypsum wallboard have been glued, painted, or otherwise contaminated from manufacture or use (e.g., waterproof or fireproof drywall) unless otherwise processed to remove contaminants.
(2) The gypsum wallboard shall be processed so that 95% of the gypsum wallboard is less than 1/4 inch by 1/4 inch in size, unless an alternate size is approved by the department.
(3) The gypsum wallboard shall be applied only to agricultural, silvicultural, landscaped, or mined lands or roadway construction sites that need fertilization.
(4) The application rate for the ground gypsum wallboard shall not exceed the following rates.
| Region | Rate |
| Piedmont, Mountains, and Ridge and Valley | 250 lbs/1,000 ft2 |
| Coastal Plain | 50 lbs/1,000 ft2 |
| Note: These weights are for dry ground gypsum wallboard. |
D. The following activities are conditionally exempt from this chapter provided no open dump, hazard, or public nuisance is created:
1. Composting of sewage sludge at the sewage treatment plant of generation without addition of other types of solid wastes.
2. Composting of household waste generated at a residence and composted at the site of generation.
3. Composting activities performed for educational purposes as long as no more than 100 cubic yards of materials are on site onsite at any time. Greater quantities will be allowed with suitable justification presented to the department. For quantities greater than 100 cubic yards, approval from the department will be required prior to composting.
4. Composting of animal carcasses onsite at the farm of generation.
5. Composting of vegetative waste and/or or yard waste generated onsite by owners or operators of agricultural operations or owners of the real property or those authorized by the owners of the real property provided:
a. All decomposed vegetative waste and compost produced is utilized on said property;
b. No vegetative waste or other waste material generated from other sources other than said property is received;
c. All applicable standards of local ordinances that govern or concern vegetative waste handling, composting, storage or disposal are satisfied; and
d. They pose no nuisance or present no potential threat to human health or the environment.
6. Composting of yard waste by owners or operators who accept yard waste generated offsite shall be exempt from all other provisions of this chapter as applied to the composting activities provided the requirements of 9VAC20-81-397 B are met.
7. Composting of preconsumer food waste and kitchen culls generated onsite and composted in containers designed to prohibit vector attraction and prevent nuisance odor generation.
8. Vermicomposting, when used to process Category I, Category II, or Category III feedstocks in containers designed to prohibit vector attraction and prevent nuisance odor generation. If offsite feedstocks are received no more than 100 cubic yards of materials may be onsite at any one time. For quantities greater than 100 cubic yards, approval from the department will be required prior to composting.
9. Composting of sewage sludge or combinations of sewage sludge with nonhazardous solid waste provided the composting facility is permitted under the requirements of a Virginia Pollution Abatement (VPA) or VPDES permit.
10. Management of solid waste in appropriate containers at the site of its generation, provided that:
a. Putrescible waste is not stored more than seven days between time of collection and time of removal for disposal;
b. Nonputrescible wastes are not stored more than 90 days between time of collection and time of removal for proper management; and
c. Treatment of waste is conducted in accordance with the following:
(1) In accordance with a waste analysis plan that:
(a) Contains a detailed chemical and physical analysis of a representative sample of the waste being treated, and contains all records necessary to treat the waste in accordance with the requirements of this part, including the selected testing frequency; and
(b) Is kept in the facility's onsite file and made available to the department upon request.
(2) Notification is made to the receiving waste management facility that the waste has been treated.
11. Using rocks, brick, block, dirt, broken concrete, crushed glass, porcelain, and road pavement as clean fill.
12. Storage of less than 100 waste tires at the site of generation provided that no waste tires are accepted from offsite and that the storage will not present a hazard or a nuisance.
13. Storage in piles of land-clearing debris including stumps and brush, clean wood wastes, log yard scrapings consisting of a mixture of soil and wood, cotton gin trash, peanut hulls, and similar organic wastes that do not readily decompose, are exempt from this chapter if they meet the following conditions at a minimum:
a. The wastes are managed in the following manner:
(1) They do not cause discharges of leachate, or attract vectors.
(2) They cannot be dispersed by wind and rain.
(3) Fire is prevented.
(4) They do not become putrescent.
b. Any facility storing waste materials under the provisions of this subsection shall obtain a storm water stormwater discharge permit if they are considered a significant source under the provisions of 9VAC25-31-120 A 1 c.
c. No more than a total of 1/3 acre of waste material is stored onsite and the waste pile does not exceed 15 feet in height above base grade.
d. Siting provisions.
(1) All log yard scrapings consisting of a mixture of soil and wood, cotton gin trash, peanut hulls, and similar organic wastes that do not readily decompose are stored at the site of the industrial activity that produces them;
(2) A 50-foot fire break is maintained between the waste pile and any structure or tree line;
(3) The slope of the ground within the area of the pile and within 50 feet of the pile does not exceed 4:1;
(4) No waste material may be stored closer than 50 feet to any regularly flowing surface water body or river, floodplain, or wetland; and
(5) No stored waste materials shall extend closer than 50 feet to any property line.
e. If activities at the site cease, any waste stored at the site must be properly managed in accordance with these regulations within 90 days. The director can approve longer time frames timeframes with appropriate justification. Justification must be provided in writing no more than 30 days after ceasing activity at the site.
f. Waste piles that do not meet these provisions are required to obtain a permit in accordance with the permitting provisions in Part V (9VAC20-81-400 et seq.) of this chapter and meet all of the applicable waste pile requirements in Part IV (9VAC20-81-300 et seq.) of this chapter. Facilities that do not comply with the provisions of this subsection and fail to obtain a permit are subject to the provisions of 9VAC20-81-40.
14. Storage of nonhazardous solid wastes and hazardous wastes, or hazardous wastes from conditionally exempt small quantity generators as defined in Virginia Hazardous Waste Management Regulations (9VAC20-60) at a transportation terminal or transfer station in closed containers meeting the U.S. Department of Transportation specifications is exempt from this section and the permitting provisions of Part V (9VAC20-81-400 et seq.) of this chapter provided such wastes are removed to a permitted storage or disposal facility within 10 days from the initial receipt from the waste generator. To be eligible for this exemption, each shipment must be properly documented to show the name of the generator, the date of receipt by the transporter, and the date and location of the final destination of the shipment. The documentation shall be kept at the terminal or transfer station for at least three years after the shipment has been completed and shall be made available to the department upon request. All such activities shall comply with any local ordinances.
15. Open burning of solid wastes as provided in the following:
a. For forest management, agriculture practices, and highway construction and maintenance programs approved by the State Air Pollution Control Board.
b. For training and instruction of government and public firefighters under the supervision of the designated official and industrial in-house firefighting personnel with clearance from the local firefighting authority. Buildings that have not been demolished may be burned under the provisions of this subdivision only. Additionally, burning rubber tires, asphaltic materials, crankcase oil, impregnated wood, or other rubber-based or petroleum-based wastes is permitted when conducting bona fide firefighting instruction.
c. For the destruction of classified military documents under the supervision of the designated official.
d. For campfires or other fires using clean wood or vegetative waste that are used solely for recreational purposes, for ceremonial occasions, for outdoor preparation of food, and for warming of outdoor workers.
e. For the onsite destruction of vegetative waste located on the premises of private property, provided that no regularly scheduled collection service for such vegetative waste is available at the adjacent street or public road.
f. For the onsite destruction of household waste by homeowners or tenants, provided that no regularly scheduled collection service for such household waste is available at the adjacent street or public road.
g. For the onsite destruction of clean wood waste and debris waste resulting from property maintenance; from the development or modification of roads and highways, parking areas, railroad tracks, pipelines, power and communication lines, buildings or building areas, sanitary landfills; or from any other clearing operations.
16. Open burning of vegetative waste is allowed at a closed landfill that has not been released from postclosure care. The activity shall be included in the text of the postclosure plan and conducted in accordance with § 10.1-1410.3 of the Code of Virginia.
17. Placement of trees, brush, or other vegetation from land used for agricultural or silvicultural purposes on the same property or other property of the same landowner.
18. Using fossil fuel combustion products that are not CCR in one or more of the following applications or when handled, processed, transported, or stockpiled for the following uses:
a. As a base, sub-base or fill material under a paved road, the footprint of a structure, a paved parking lot, sidewalk, walkway or similar structure, or in the embankment of a road. In the case of roadway embankments, materials will be placed in accordance with VDOT Virginia Department of Transportation specifications, and exposed slopes not directly under the surface of the pavement must have a minimum of 18 inches of soil cover over the fossil fuel combustion products, the top six inches of which must be capable of sustaining the growth of indigenous plant species or plant species adapted to the area. The use, reuse, or reclamation of unamended coal combustion byproduct shall not be placed in an area designated as a 100-year flood plain;
b. Processed with a cementitious binder to produce a stabilized structural fill product that is spread and compacted with proper equipment for the construction of a project with a specified end use; or
c. For the extraction or recovery of materials and compounds contained within the fossil fuel combustion products.
E. The following solid wastes are exempt from this chapter provided that they are managed in accordance with the requirements promulgated by other applicable state or federal agencies:
1. Management of wastes regulated by the State Board of Health, the State Water Control Board, the Air Pollution Control Board, the Department of Mines, Minerals and Energy, Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, or any other state or federal agency with such authority.
2. Drilling fluids, produced waters, and other wastes associated with the exploration, development, or production of crude oil, natural gas, or geothermal energy.
3. Solid waste from the extraction, beneficiation, and processing of ores and minerals, including coal.
4. Fossil fuel combustion products used for mine reclamation, mine subsidence, or mine refuse disposal on a mine site permitted by the Virginia Department of Mines, Minerals and Energy (DMME) when used in accordance with the standards.
5. Solid waste management practices that involve only the onsite placing of solid waste from mineral mining activities at the site of those activities and in compliance with a permit issued by the DMME, that do not include any municipal solid waste, are accomplished in an environmentally sound manner, and do not create an open dump, hazard or public nuisance are exempt from all requirements of this chapter.
6. Waste or byproduct derived from an industrial process that meets the definition of fertilizer, soil amendment, soil conditioner, or horticultural growing medium as defined in § 3.2-3600 of the Code of Virginia, or whose intended purpose is to neutralize soil acidity (see § 3.2-3700 of the Code of Virginia), and that is regulated under the authority of the Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services.
7. Fossil fuel combustion products bottom ash or boiler slag used as a traction control material or road surface material if the use is consistent with Virginia Department of Transportation practices. This exemption does not apply to CCR used in this manner.
8. Waste tires generated by and stored at salvage yards licensed by the Department of Motor Vehicles provided that such storage complies with requirements set forth in § 10.1-1418.2 of the Code of Virginia and such storage does not pose a hazard or nuisance.
9. Tire chips used as the drainage material in construction of septage drain fields regulated under the authority of the Virginia Department of Health.
F. The following solid wastes are exempt from this chapter provided that they are reclaimed or temporarily stored incidentally to reclamation, are not accumulated speculatively, and are managed without creating an open dump, hazard, or a public nuisance:
1. Paper and paper products;
2. Clean wood waste that is to undergo size reduction in order to produce a saleable product, such as mulch;
3. Cloth;
4. Glass;
5. Plastics;
6. Tire chips, tire shred, ground rubber; and
7. Mixtures of above materials only. Such mixtures may include scrap metals excluded from regulation in accordance with the provisions of subsection C of this section.
9VAC20-81-97. Beneficial use demonstrations.
A. The department may consider other waste materials and uses to be beneficial. The generator or proposed user of such materials may request that the department make a case-specific determination that the solid waste may be beneficially used in a manufacturing process to make a product or as an effective substitute for a commercial product. In all such cases, the materials will be managed so they do not create an open dump, hazard, or public nuisance.
1. The requestor shall provide the following information:
a. A description of the solid waste under review and its proposed use;
b. Chemical and physical characteristics of the solid waste under review and of each type of proposed product;
c. A demonstration that there is a known or reasonably probable market for the intended use of the solid waste under review and of all proposed products by providing one or more of the following:
(1) A description of how the proposed product will be used;
(2) A demonstration that the proposed product complies with industry standards and specifications for that product if any; or
(3) Other documentation that a market for the proposed product or use exists; and
d. A demonstration that the management of the solid waste under review will not adversely affect human health and safety, the environment, and natural resources by providing:
(1) A solid waste control plan that describes the following:
(a) The source of the solid waste under review;
(b) Procedures for periodic testing of the solid waste under review and the proposed product to ensure that the proposed product's composition has not changed significantly;
(c) The disposition of any solid waste that may result from the manufacture of the product into which the solid waste under review is intended to be incorporated;
(d) A description of the type of storage (e.g., container, tank, or pile) and the maximum anticipated inventory of the solid waste under review (not to exceed 90 days) before being used;
(e) Procedures for run-on and run-off control of the storage areas for the solid waste under review; and
(f) A program and implementation schedule of best management practices designed to minimize uncontrolled dispersion of the solid waste under review before and during all aspects of its storage as inventory and/or and during beneficial use; and.
2. Upon receipt of complete information required under subdivision 1 of this subsection, the department will determine in writing within 90 days, on a case-by-case basis, whether the proposal constitutes a beneficial use based on a showing that all of the following criteria have been met:
a. The proposed use of the material constitutes a reuse rather than disposal;
b. For a material that is proposed for incorporation into a manufacturing process, the material is not required to be decontaminated or otherwise specially handled or processed before such incorporation, in order to minimize loss of material or to provide adequate protection, as needed, of public health, safety, or welfare; the environment; or natural resources; and
c. Other criteria as the department shall determine in its discretion to be appropriate. Conversely, the department may determine that owing to the nature of the use, reuse, or reclamation process, some of the informational materials required under subdivision 1 of this subsection may not be required to make the determination.
3. The department will either approve the request, disapprove it, or allow the proposed use of the solid waste under review subject to such conditions as the department may impose. When granting a beneficial use determination, the department shall determine, on a case-by-case basis, the precise point at which the solid waste under review ceases to be solid waste. Unless otherwise determined for the particular solid waste under review, that point occurs when it is used in a manufacturing process to make a product or used as an effective substitute for a commercial product or a fuel. As part of its request, the generator or the proposed user may request that such point occur elsewhere. In such a request, the proponent shall include a demonstration that there is little potential for improper disposal of the material or little potential for the handling, transportation, or storage of the solid waste under review to have an adverse impact upon the public health, safety, or welfare; the environment; or natural resources.
4. The department may revoke any determination made if it finds that one or more of the items of information submitted serving as the basis for the department's determination was incorrect or is no longer valid, the department finds that there has been a violation of any condition that the department attached to such determination, or that the use, reuse, or reclamation process has become a public nuisance.
B. Beneficial use determinations granted by the department before March 16, 2011, shall remain in effect, subject to all conditions contained therein, unless specifically addressed by subsequent department action.
C. Beneficial use determinations involving coal combustion residuals must meet the requirements of beneficial use of CCR as defined in 40 CFR 257.53. Beneficial use determinations for CCR projects involving over 12,400 tons of CCR must provide the required demonstrations identified in the definition of "beneficial use of CCR" to the department for review and approval.
9VAC20-81-110. Applicability.
A. Sanitary landfills. Sanitary landfills may receive only nonhazardous solid waste unless there are other wastes specifically authorized by the landfill permit.
B. Construction/demolition/debris (CDD) landfills. CDD landfills may only receive demolition waste, construction waste, debris waste, land-clearing debris, split tires, and white goods. No other wastes are authorized for the CDD landfill except industrial waste specifically authorized by the landfill permit.
C. Industrial waste disposal facilities. Industrial waste disposal facilities may only receive nonhazardous industrial waste and are subject to design and operational requirements dependent on the volume and the physical, chemical, and biological nature of the waste. No other wastes are authorized for the industrial waste landfill except construction, demolition, and debris waste specifically authorized by the landfill permit. Coal combustion residual landfills are a specific type of industrial landfill and must meet the requirements in Part VIII (9VAC20-81-800 et seq.) of this chapter in addition to industrial landfill requirements found in Part III (9VAC20-81-100 et seq.) and Part V (9VAC20-81-400 et seq.) of this chapter.
Part IV
Other Solid Waste Management Facility Standards:
Compost Facilities; Solid Waste Transfer Stations; Centralized Waste Treatment Facilities; Materials Recovery Facilities; Waste to Energy; Incineration Facilities; Surface Impoundments and Lagoons; Waste Piles; Remediation Waste Management Units; Landfill Mining; Miscellaneous Units; and Exempt Management Facilities
9VAC20-81-300. General.
A. Any person who designs, constructs, or operates any solid waste treatment or storage facility not otherwise exempt under 9VAC20-81-95 shall comply with the requirements of this part. In addition, this part sets forth conditions that yard waste composting facilities must meet to maintain their exempt status, where applicable, under 9VAC20-81-95 D 6. Further, all applications pursuant to these standards shall demonstrate specific means proposed for compliance with requirements set forth in this part.
B. All facilities, except exempted facilities, shall be maintained and operated in accordance with the permit issued or permit-by-rule status pursuant to this regulation. All facilities shall be maintained and operated in accordance with the approved design and intended use of the facility.
C. Hazardous wastes shall not be disposed or managed in facilities subject to this regulation unless specified in the permit or by specific approval of the executive director.
D. Solid waste management facilities regulated under this part that place solid wastes or residues on site for disposal, or leave such wastes or residues in place after closure, are subject to the provisions of Part III (9VAC20-81-100 et seq.) and Part VIII (9VAC20-81-800 et seq.) of this chapter, as applicable, including:
1. Groundwater monitoring requirements in 9VAC20-81-250 or 9VAC20-81-800;
2. Closure and postclosure care requirements in 9VAC20-81-160 and 9VAC20-81-170, or 9VAC20-81-800; and
3. Permitting requirements of Part V (9VAC20-81-400 et seq.) of this chapter.
E. All other facilities shall close in accordance with the closure plan prepared per the requirements described in this part and 9VAC20-81-480, as applicable.
F. Control program for unauthorized waste. Facilities managing solid waste per activities exempted under the provisions of 9VAC20-81-95 are not required to implement the control program for unauthorized waste as provided in this section.
1. Solid waste treatment or storage facilities regulated under this part shall implement a control program for unauthorized waste in accordance with the following provisions. The owner or operator of the facility shall:
a. Place a written description of the control program for unauthorized waste in the facility's operating manual;
b. Institute a control program (including measures such as signs at all maintained access points indicating hours of operation and the types of solid waste accepted and not accepted, monitoring, alternate collection programs, passage of local laws, etc.) to assure that only solid waste authorized by the department to be managed at the solid waste management facility is being managed there; and
c. Develop and implement a program to teach the solid waste management facility's staff to recognize, remove, and report receipt of solid waste not authorized by the department to be managed at the solid waste management facilities.
2. If unauthorized waste is observed in the waste delivered to the facility prior to unloading, the owner or operator may refuse to accept the waste. If the unauthorized waste is observed in the waste delivered to the facility, the owner or operator shall segregate it, notify the generator, document the incident in the operating record, make necessary arrangements to have the material managed in accordance with applicable federal and state laws, and notify the department of the incident to include the means of proper handling. If the unauthorized waste is accepted, the owner or operator shall remove it, segregate it, and provide to the department a record identifying that waste and its final disposition. Any unauthorized waste accepted by the owner or operator shall be managed in accordance with applicable federal or state laws and regulations. Unauthorized waste that has been segregated shall be adequately secured and contained to prevent leakage or contamination to the environment. The solid waste management facility owner or operator shall have the unauthorized waste removed or properly managed as soon as practicable, but not to exceed 90 days after discovery. Removal shall be by a person authorized to transport such waste to a waste management facility approved to receive it for treatment, disposal, or transfer.
3. Owners or operators of waste to energy or incinerator facilities receiving waste generated outside of Virginia shall also comply with the increased random inspection provisions in 9VAC20-81-340 E 3.
G. Solid waste management facilities regulated under this part that store waste tires shall also adhere to the requirements of 9VAC20-81-640 for the waste tire storage.
9VAC20-81-310. Applicability.
A. Solid waste compost facilities.
1. The standards in this part shall apply to owners and operators of facilities producing compost from municipal solid waste/refuse or combinations of municipal solid waste/refuse with animal manures.
a. Composting facilities that employ the enclosed vessel method are referred to as Type A (confined) compost facilities. Facilities that employ the windrow or aerated static pile method are referred to as Type B compost facilities. The only composting processes that may be employed are those with prior operational performance in the United States. Any other proposed composting process shall conform to the standards contained in 9VAC20-81-395 and will require an experimental solid waste management facility permit.
b. Use of solid waste containing hazardous waste, regulated medical waste, or nonbiodegradable waste is prohibited.
2. The standards contained in this part are not applicable to composting exempt under 9VAC20-81-95.
3. The feedstocks for composting are classified on the basis of the type of waste used in the composting process. The categories of feedstocks are as follows:
a. Category I - Plant or plant-derived preconsumer materials such as:
(1) Agriculture crop residues including, but not limited to, harvesting residuals, straw, and cornstalks;
(2) Livestock feed including, but not limited to, hay, grain, silage, cottonseed meal, soybean meal;
(3) Nonfood agricultural processing waste including, but not limited to, cotton gin trash, wool carding residue, field corn cobs;
(4) Source-separated preconsumer food wastes including but not limited to wholesale and retail market residuals (e.g., overripe, damaged, or otherwise rejected fruit or vegetables, food preparation wastes including prepared but unserved foods) and institutional kitchen culls;
(5) Food processing wastes including culls, peelings, hulls, stems, pits, seed, pulp, shucks, nut shells, apple pomace, corn cobs, cranberry filter cake, olive husks, potato tops, cocoa shells, fruit and vegetable processing waste, rejected products, and bakery wastes;
(6) Source-separated clean waste paper;
(7) Vegetative waste; and
(8) Yard waste.
b. Category II - Animal-derived waste material such as:
(1) Dairy processing wastes including but not limited to spoiled milk, cheese, curd, and yogurt.
(2) Fish processing wastes including but not limited to eggs, fish gurry and racks, clam bellies, fish shells, fish processing sludge, fish breading crumbs, mussel, crab, lobster, and shrimp wastes.
c. Category III - Animal and postconsumer food wastes with pathogen potential such as:
(1) Source-separated wastes including but not limited to restaurant waste, institutional kitchen wastes, plate scrapings;
(2) Animal manures including but not limited to spoiled stable straw bedding, livestock feedlot, holding pen and cage scrapings, dairy manure semi-solids, poultry litter and manure; and
(3) Rendered animals.
d. Category IV - Other wastes such as:
(1) Nonrendered animal meat waste including but not limited to animal carcasses, slaughterhouse waste, paunch manure;
(2) Mixed nonsource separated organic wastes including but not limited to municipal solid waste; and
(3) Industrial sludge.
B. Solid waste transfer stations. The standards in this part shall apply to owners and operators of solid waste transfer stations.
C. Centralized waste treatment facilities. The standards in this part shall apply to owners and operators of solid waste management facilities who operate a treatment system to solidify nonhazardous solid waste to meet the disposal criteria of 9VAC20-81-140 where the waste is generated offsite, and such treatment system must have no discharge. The requirements of this section shall not apply to solidification operations at active landfills that are authorized in the landfill's solid waste permit.
D. Materials recovery facilities.
1. The standards in this part shall apply to owners and operators of solid waste management facilities that operate to reclaim solid waste.
2. The regulations of this part do not apply to:
a. The landfill gas recovery systems operated at active and closed solid waste disposal facilities that are regulated under 9VAC20-81-200;
b. The storage and treatment facilities associated with the management of materials conditionally exempt from this chapter on the basis of 9VAC20-81-95 F;
c. The facilities that use materials in a manner that constitutes disposal that are regulated under Part VI (9VAC20-81-610 et seq.) of this chapter; or
d. The disposal of residues from the materials recovery facilities that is regulated under Part III (9VAC20-81-100 et seq.) of this chapter.
E. Waste to energy and incineration facilities.
1. The standards in this part shall apply to owners and operators of solid waste and process residue storage and handling facilities associated with the energy recovery from or incineration of solid wastes.
2. The regulations of this part do not apply to:
a. The design and operation of the combustor units regulated by the Air Pollution Control Board; or
b. The disposal of residues from the waste to energy or incineration facilities that is regulated under Part III (9VAC20-81-100 et seq.) of this chapter.
F. Surface impoundments and lagoons.
1. Lagoons and surface impoundments are regulated under State Water Control Law. During the operating life of these facilities, this chapter does not apply. If the operator intends to close such a facility by burial of sludges and residue in place, this chapter shall not apply where the regulating agency establishes the closure requirements in accordance with water pollution control regulations. The standards in this section shall apply to owners and operators of lagoons and surface impoundments only if new wastes, not contained in the lagoon or impoundment, are proposed to be disposed with the residue. In those cases, the operation and closure of the facility constitutes construction and operation of a landfill and must be accomplished as specified in Part III (9VAC20-81-100 et seq.) of this chapter.
2. Leachate lagoons are regulated under Part III (9VAC20-81-100 et seq.) of this chapter and are subject to the requirements for liners in 9VAC20-81-210 C.
3. Notwithstanding the provisions of subdivision 1 of this subsection, this chapter, in accordance with 9VAC20-81-45, applies to CCR surface impoundments in addition to the requirements under the State Water Control Law.
G. Waste piles.
1. The standards in this part shall apply to owners and operators of facilities that store or treat nonputrescible solid waste in piles.
2. Owners or operators of waste piles that will be closed with wastes left in place are subject to regulations contained in Part III (9VAC20-81-100 et seq.) of this chapter.
3. This part does not apply if materials will be actively composted according to all the requirements for compost facilities in Part IV (9VAC20-81-300 et seq.) of this chapter.
4. The regulations in this part do not apply to the management of industrial co-products in piles. A material shall be considered an industrial co-product if a demonstration can be made consistent with 9VAC20-81-95 or 9VAC20-81-97 that the material is not a solid waste.
5. The regulations in this part do not apply to active logging operations subject to regulation under the provisions of §§ 10.1-1181.1 through and 10.1-1181.2 of the Code of Virginia.
9VAC20-81-370. Closure requirements for surface impoundments and lagoons.
A. Closure. At closure, the owner or operator shall:
1. Remove all waste residue, contaminated containment system components (liners, etc.), contaminated subsoils, and decontaminate structures and equipment contaminated with waste, and manage them as solid waste (or hazardous waste, if applicable) unless exempt under Part III (9VAC20-81-100 et seq.) of this chapter; or
2. Close the impoundment and provide postclosure care for a landfill under Part III (9VAC20-81-100 et seq.) of this chapter, including the following:
a. Eliminate free liquids by removing liquid waste and waste residue;
b. Install a groundwater monitoring system and initiate groundwater monitoring in accordance with the requirements of 9VAC20-81-250;
c. Stabilize remaining waste residues to a bearing capacity necessary to support the final cover; and
d. Cover the surface impoundment with a final cover designed and constructed in accordance with the requirements of 9VAC20-81-160 D 2.
3. Close inactive, new, and existing CCR surface impoundments in accordance with the requirements of Part VIII (9VAC20-81-800 et seq.) of this chapter or this subsection, whichever is more stringent.
B. Inspection. The department shall inspect all solid waste management facilities at the time of closure to confirm that the closing is complete and adequate. It shall notify the owner of a closed facility, in writing, if the closure is satisfactory and shall require any necessary construction or such other steps as may be necessary to bring unsatisfactory sites into compliance with this chapter.
9VAC20-81-450. Permit application procedures.
A. Any person who proposes to establish a new solid waste management facility (SWMF) or modify an existing SWMF shall submit a permit application to the department, using the procedures set forth in this section and other pertinent sections of this part.
B. Notice of intent.
1. To initiate the permit application process, any person who proposes to establish a new solid waste management facility (SWMF) or modify an existing SWMF or to modify an existing permit shall file a notice of intent with the director stating the desired permit or permit modification, the precise location of the proposed facility, and the intended use of the facility. The notice shall be in letter form and be accompanied by an area map and a site location map.
2. No application for a new solid waste management facility permit or application for a modification for a noncaptive industrial landfill to expand or increase capacity shall be deemed complete unless it is accompanied by DEQ Form DISC-01 and 02 (Disclosure Statement) for all key personnel.
3. No application for a new solid waste management facility permit or application for a modification for a noncaptive industrial landfill to expand or increase capacity shall be considered complete unless the notice of intent is accompanied by a certification from the governing body of the county, city, or town in which the facility is to be located stating that the location and operation of the facility are consistent with all applicable local ordinances, as well as with the local or regional solid waste management plan (SWMP) approved by the department or has initiated the process of amending the SWMP to include the new or expanded facility or an increase in capacity. No certification shall be required for the application for a modification of an existing permit (not including increase in capacity or expansion) other than for a noncaptive industrial landfill in this subdivision. DEQ Form SW-11-1 (Request for Local Government Certification) is provided for the use of the regulated community. Permit and permit-by-rule applicants shall comply with the statutory requirements for consistency with solid waste management plans as recorded in § 10.1-1408.1 of the Code of Virginia.
4. If the applicant proposes to operate a new sanitary landfill or transfer station, the notice of intent shall include a statement describing the steps taken by the applicant to seek the comments of the residents of the area where the sanitary landfill or transfer station is proposed to be located regarding the siting and operation of the proposed sanitary landfill or transfer station. The public comment steps shall be taken prior to filing with the department the notice of intent.
a. The public comment steps shall include publication of a public notice once a week for two consecutive weeks in a newspaper of general circulation serving the locality where the sanitary landfill or transfer station is proposed to be located and holding at least one public meeting within the locality at a time convenient to the public to identify issues of concern, to facilitate communication, and to establish a dialogue between the applicant and persons who may be affected by the issuance of a permit for the sanitary landfill or transfer station.
b. At a minimum, the public notice shall include:
(1) A statement of the applicant's intent to apply for a permit to operate the proposed sanitary landfill or transfer station;
(2) The proposed sanitary landfill or transfer station site location;
(3) The date, time, and location of the public meeting the applicant will hold; and
(4) The name, address, and telephone number of a person employed by an applicant who can be contacted by interested persons to answer questions or receive comments on siting and operation of the proposed sanitary landfill or transfer station.
c. The first publication of the public notice shall be at least 14 days prior to the public meeting date.
d. In addition, the applicant shall adhere to the applicable requirements of § 10.1-1408.1 B of the Code of Virginia.
5. Disposal capacity guarantee. If the applicant proposes to construct a new sanitary landfill or expand an existing sanitary landfill, a signed statement must be submitted by the applicant guaranteeing that sufficient disposal capacity will be available in the facility to enable localities within the Commonwealth to comply with their solid waste management plans developed pursuant to 9VAC20-130 and certifying that such localities will be allowed to contract for and reserve disposal capacity in the facility. This provision does not apply to permit applications from one or more political subdivisions for new or expanded landfills that will only accept municipal solid waste generated within those jurisdictions or from other jurisdictions under an interjurisdictional agreement.
6. Host agreement. If a host agreement is required, as noted in § 10.1-1408.1 B 7 of the Code of Virginia, it shall contain all the requirements specified in that section of the law.
7. If the application is for a locality owned and operated sanitary landfill, or the expansion of such a landfill, the applicant shall provide information on:
a. The daily travel routes and traffic volumes that correlate with the daily disposal limit;
b. The daily disposal limit; and
c. The service area of the facility.
8. If the application is for a new solid waste management facility or a modification allowing a facility expansion or an increase in capacity, the director shall evaluate whether there is a need for the additional capacity in accordance with § 10.1-1408.1 D 1 of the Code of Virginia. The information in either subdivision 8 a or b of this subsection must be provided with the notice of intent to assist the director with the required investigation and analysis. Based on the information submitted, the owner or operator will demonstrate how the additional capacity will be utilized over the life of the facility.
a. For any solid waste management facility including a sanitary landfill, information demonstrating that there is a need for the additional capacity. Such information shall include the following. If a certain item is not applicable for a facility, it may be indicated so with reasonable justifications.
(1) The anticipated area to be served by the facility;
(2) Similar or related solid waste management facilities that are in the same service area and could impact the proposed facility, and the capacity and service life of those facilities;
(3) The present quantity of waste generated within the proposed service area;
(4) The waste disposal needs specified in the local solid waste plan;
(5) The projected future waste generation rates for the anticipated area to be served during the proposed life of the facility;
(6) The recycling, composting, or other waste management activities within the proposed service area;
(7) The additional solid waste disposal capacity and anticipated site life that the facility would provide to the proposed area of service;
(8) Information demonstrating that the capacity is needed to enable localities to comply with solid waste plans developed pursuant to § 10.1-1411 of the Code of Virginia; and
(9) Any additional factors that provide justification for the additional capacity provided by the facility.
b. As an alternative, for sanitary landfills, based on current or projected disposal rates, information demonstrating there is less than 10 years of capacity remaining in the facility and information demonstrating either of the following:
(1) The available permitted disposal capacity for the state is less than 20 years based on the most current reports submitted pursuant to the Waste Information and Assessment Program in 9VAC20-81-80; or
(2) The available permitted disposal capacity is less than 20 years in either:
(a) The planning region, or regions, immediately contiguous to the planning region of the host community; or
(b) The facilities within a 75-mile radius of the proposed facility.
9. If the location and operation of the facility is stated by the local governing body to be consistent with all its ordinances, without qualifications, conditions, or reservations, and the notice intent is complete, the applicant will be notified that he may submit his application for a SWMF permit. This application shall be submitted in two parts, identified as Part A and Part B.
10. The applicant shall submit certification from the State Corporation Commission that the business entity pursuing the solid waste management permit is a valid entity, authorized to transact its business in Virginia. This requirement does not apply to those facilities owned solely by governmental units.
11. If the application is for an existing CCR landfill or existing CCR surface impoundment, a complete permit application must be submitted no later than October 17, 2017, to continue operation.
C. Part A application. Part A application provides the information essential for assessment of the site suitability for the proposed facility. It contains information on the proposed facility to be able to determine site suitability for intended uses. It provides information on all siting criteria applicable to the proposed facility.
1. The applicant shall complete, sign, and submit three copies of the Part A application containing required information and attachments as specified in 9VAC20-81-460 to the department and shall submit to the department the applicable permit fee under the provisions of 9VAC20-90.
2. The Part A application will be reviewed for completeness. The applicant will be notified within 30 days whether the application is administratively complete or incomplete. If complete information is not provided within 60 days after the applicant is notified, or an alternate timeframe approved by the department, the application will be returned to the applicant without further review. Subsequent resubmittals of the application, submitted after 18 months from the date of the department's response letter, shall be considered as a new application, unless an alternate timeline has been approved by the department.
3. Upon receipt of a complete Part A application, the department shall conduct a technical review of the submittal. Additional information may be required or the site may be visited before the review is completed. The director shall notify the applicant in writing of approval or disapproval of the Part A application or provide conditions to be made a part of the approval.
4. For sanitary landfills, the director's notification must indicate that the site on which the landfill will be located is suitable for the construction and operation of a landfill. In making this determination, the director will consider the information presented in the site hydrogeologic and geotechnical report (9VAC20-81-460 F), the landfill impact statement (9VAC20-81-460 H 1) and the adequacy of transportation facilities (9VAC20-81-460 G). The director may also consider other factors at his discretion.
5. In case of the approval or conditional approval, the applicant may submit the Part B application provided the required conditions are addressed in the submission.
D. Part B application. The Part B application involves the submission of the detailed engineering design and operating plans for the proposed facility.
1. The applicant, after receiving Part A approval, may submit to the department a Part B application to include the required documentation for the specific solid waste management facility as provided for in 9VAC20-81-470 or 9VAC20-81-480. The Part B application and supporting documentation shall be submitted in three copies and must include the applicable permit fee under the provisions of 9VAC20-90 and the financial assurance documentation as required by 9VAC20-70.
2. The Part B application shall be reviewed for administrative completeness before technical evaluation is initiated. The applicant shall be advised in writing within 30 days whether the application is complete or what additional documentation is required. Subsequent resubmittals of the application, submitted after 18 months from the date of the department's response letter, shall be considered a new application, unless an alternate timeline has been approved by the department. The Part B application will not be evaluated until an administratively complete application is received.
3. The administratively complete application will be coordinated with other state agencies according to the nature of the facility. The comments received shall be considered in the permit review by the department. The application will be evaluated for technical adequacy and regulatory compliance. In the course of this evaluation, the department may require the applicant to provide additional information. At the end of the evaluation, the department will notify the applicant that the application is technically adequate and in regulatory compliance, or that the department intends to deny the application.
4. The procedures addressing the denial are contained in 9VAC20-81-550.
E. Permit issuance.
1. If the application is found to be technically adequate and in full compliance with this chapter, a draft permit shall be developed by the department.
2. Copies of the draft permit will be available for viewing at the applicant's place of business or at the regional office of the department, or both, upon request. A notice announcing the beginning of the public comment period and the availability of the draft permit shall be made in a newspaper with general circulation in the area of the facility. A copy of the notice of availability will be provided to the chief administrative officer of all cities and counties that are contiguous to the host community.
3. If the application is for a new landfill or an increase in landfill capacity (includes expansion), then the department shall hold a public hearing and the notice in subdivision 2 of this subsection will include such information.
4. For any application (other than subdivision 3 of this subsection), the notice shall notify the public of the 30-day public comment period and include the opportunity to request a public hearing. The department shall hold a public hearing on the draft permit whenever the department finds, on the basis of requests, that:
a. There is a significant public interest in the issuance, denial, modification, or revocation of the permit in question;
b. There are substantial, disputed issues relevant to the issuance, denial, modification, or revocation of the permit in question; and
c. The action requested is not, on its face, inconsistent with, or in violation of, these regulations, the Waste Management Act (§ 10.1-1400 et seq. of the Code of Virginia), or federal law or regulations.
5. The department also may hold a public hearing when it is believed that such a hearing might clarify one or more issues involved in a permit decision.
6. If a public hearing is to be held, the department shall convene it 30 days or more after the notice is published in the local newspaper. The public hearing shall be conducted within the local government jurisdiction of the facility. A comment period shall extend for a 15-day period after the conclusion of the public hearing.
7. A decision to permit, to deny a permit, or to modify the draft permit shall be rendered by the director within 90 days of the close of the hearing comment period.
8. The permit applicant and the persons who commented during the public participation period shall be notified in writing of the decision on the draft permit. That decision may include denial of the permit (see also 9VAC20-81-550), issuance of the permit as drafted, or modification of the draft permit and issuance.
9. No permit for a new solid waste management facility nor any modification to a permit allowing a facility expansion or an increase in capacity shall be issued until the director has made a written determination, after an investigation and analysis of the potential human health, environmental, transportation infrastructure, and transportation safety impacts and needs and an evaluation of comments by the host local government, other local governments and interested persons, that (i) the proposed facility, expansion, or increase protects present and future human health and safety and the environment; (ii) there is a need for the additional capacity; (iii) sufficient infrastructure will exist to safely handle the waste flow; (iv) the increase is consistent with locality imposed or state-imposed daily disposal limits; (v) the public interest will be served by the proposed facility's operation or the expansion or increase in capacity of a facility; and (vi) the proposed solid waste management facility, facility expansion, or additional capacity is consistent with regional and local solid waste management plans developed pursuant to § 10.1-1411 of the Code of Virginia.
10. For nonhazardous industrial solid waste management facilities owned or operated by the generator of the waste managed at the facility, and that accept only waste generated by the facility owner or operator the following determination shall apply in lieu of subdivision 9 of this subsection. No new permit for a nonhazardous industrial solid waste management facility that is owned or operated by the generator of the waste managed at the facility, and that accepts only waste generated by the facility owner or operator, shall be issued until the director has determined, after investigation and evaluation of comments by the local government, that the proposed facility poses no substantial present or potential danger to human health or the environment. The department shall hold a public hearing within the county, city, or town where the facility is to be located prior to the issuance of any such permit for the management of nonhazardous industrial solid waste.
11. Where either subdivision 9 or 10 of this subsection apply, the director may request updated information during the review of the permit application if the information on which the director's determination is based is no longer current. If, based on the analysis of the materials presented in the permit application, the determination required in § 10.1-1408.1 of the Code of Virginia cannot be made, the application will be denied in accordance with 9VAC20-81-560 9VAC20-81-550 A 6.
12. Any permit for a new sanitary landfill and any permit modification authorizing expansion of an existing sanitary landfill shall incorporate the conditions required for a disposal capacity guarantee in § 10.1-1408.1 of the Code of Virginia. This provision does not apply to permit applications from one or more political subdivisions that will only accept waste from within those political subdivisions' jurisdiction or municipal solid waste generated within other political subdivisions pursuant to an interjurisdictional agreement.
9VAC20-81-460. Part A permit application.
The following information shall be included in the Part A permit application for all solid waste management facilities unless otherwise specified in this section. All plans and drawings of the Part A application shall be certified by a professional engineer or professional geologist.
A. The Part A permit application consists of a letter stating the type of the facility for which the permit application is made and the certification required in subsection I of this section. The applicant shall submit the completed DEQ Form SW PTA (Part A Permit Application Form) and all required information and attachments as detailed in this section.
B. A key map of the Part A permit application, delineating the general location of the proposed facility, shall be prepared and attached as part of the application. The key map shall be plotted on a seven and one-half minute United States U.S. Geological Survey topographical quadrangle. The quadrangle shall be the most recent revision available, shall include the name of the quadrangle and shall delineate a minimum of one mile from the perimeter of the proposed facility boundaries. One or more maps may be utilized where necessary to insure clarity of the information submitted.
C. A vicinity map shall be prepared and attached as part of the application. This vicinity map shall have a minimum scale of one inch equals 200 feet (1" = 200') and shall delineate an area of 500 feet from the perimeter of the property line of the proposed facility. A vicinity map may be prepared with a reduced scale if it does not fit in a sheet with the required minimum scale and multiple sheets may be used to meet the requirement of minimum scale. The vicinity maps may be an enlargement of a United States U.S. Geological Survey topographical quadrangle or a recent aerial photograph. Notes may be provided in the map if one or more of the following are not present within the delineated area. The vicinity map shall depict the following:
1. All homes, buildings, or structures including the layout of the buildings that will compose the proposed facility;
2. The surveyed boundaries for the property boundary, facility boundary, and waste management boundary, and the acreages within these boundaries;
3. The limits of the actual disposal operations within the boundaries of the proposed facility;
4. Lots and blocks taken from the tax map for the site of the proposed facility and all contiguous properties;
5. The base floodplain, where it passes through the map area; or, otherwise, a note indicating the expected flood occurrence period for the area;
6. Existing land uses and zoning classification;
7. All water supply wells, springs or intakes, both public and private;
8. All utility lines, pipelines or land-based facilities (including mines and wells); and
9. All parks, recreation areas, surface water bodies, dams, historic areas, wetlands areas, monument areas, cemeteries, wildlife refuges, unique natural areas, or similar features.
D. Any applicant must demonstrate legal control over the site for the permit life.
E. For solid waste disposal facilities regulated under Part III (9VAC20-81-100 et seq.), site hydrogeologic and geotechnical reports by professional geologist or professional engineer.
1. The site investigation for a proposed landfill facility shall provide information regarding the geotechnical and hydrogeologic conditions at the site to allow a reasonable determination of the usefulness of the site for development as a landfill. The geotechnical exploration efforts shall be designed to provide information regarding the availability and suitability of onsite soils for use in the various construction phases of the landfill including liner, cover, drainage material, and cap. The hydrogeologic information shall be sufficient to determine the characteristics of the uppermost aquifer underlying the facility. Subsurface investigation programs conducted shall meet the minimum specifications here.
a. Borings shall be located to identify the uppermost aquifer within the proposed facility boundary, determine the ability to perform groundwater monitoring at the site, and provide data for the evaluation of the physical properties of soils and soil availability. Borings completed for the proposed facility shall be sufficient in number and depth to identify the thickness of the uppermost aquifer and the presence of any significant underlying impermeable zone in the waste management boundary. Impermeable zone shall not be fully penetrated within the anticipated fill areas, whenever possible. The number of borings shall be at a minimum in accordance with Table 5.1 as follows:
| Table 5.1 |
| Waste Management Boundary Acreage | Total Number of Borings |
| Less than 10 | 4 |
| 10 - 49 | 8 |
| 50 - 99 | 14 |
| 100 - 200 | 20 |
| More than 200 | 24 + 1 boring for each additional 10 acres |
b. The department reserves the right to require additional borings in areas in which the number of borings required by Table 5.1 is not sufficient to describe the geologic formations and groundwater flow patterns below the proposed solid waste disposal facility.
c. In highly uniform geological formations, the number of borings may be reduced, as approved by the department.
d. The borings shall employ a grid pattern, wherever possible, such that there is, at a minimum, one boring in each major geomorphic feature. The borings pattern shall enable the development of detailed cross sections through the proposed landfill site.
e. Subsurface data obtained by borings shall be collected by standard soil sampling techniques. Diamond bit coring, air rotary drilling, or other appropriate methods, or a combination of methods shall be used as appropriate to characterize competent bedrock. The borings shall be logged from the surface to the lowest elevation (base grade) or to bedrock, whichever is shallower, according to standard practices and procedures. In addition, the borings required by Table 5.1 shall be performed on a continuous basis for the first 20 feet below the lowest elevation of the solid waste disposal facility or to the bed rock. Additional samples as determined by the professional geologist or professional engineer shall be collected at five-foot intervals thereafter.
f. Excavations, test pits, and geophysical methods may be employed to supplement the soil boring investigation.
g. At a minimum, four of the borings shall be converted to water level observations wells, well nests, piezometers, or piezometer nests to allow determination of the rate and direction of groundwater flow across the site. All groundwater monitoring points or water level measurement points shall be designed to allow proper abandonment by backfilling with an impermeable material. The total number of wells or well nests shall be based on the complexity of the geology of the site.
h. Field analyses shall be performed in representative borings to determine the in situ hydraulic conductivity of the uppermost aquifer.
i. All borings not to be utilized as permanent monitoring wells, and wells within the active solid waste disposal area, shall be sealed and excavations and test pits shall be backfilled and properly compacted to prevent possible paths of leachate migration. Boring sealing procedures shall be documented in the hydrogeologic report.
2. The geotechnical and hydrogeologic reports shall at least include the following principal sections:
a. Field procedures. Boring records and analyses from properly spaced borings in the facility portion of the site. Final boring logs shall be submitted for each boring, recording soils or rock conditions encountered. Each log shall include the type of drilling and sampling equipment, date the boring was started, date the boring was finished, a soil or rock description in accordance with the United Soil Classification System or the Rock Quality Designation, the method of sampling, the depth of sample collection, the water levels encountered, and the Standard Penetration Test blow counts, if applicable. Boring locations and elevations shall be surveyed with a precision of 0.01 foot. At least one surveyed point shall be indelibly marked by the surveyor on each well. All depths of soil and rock as described within the boring log shall be corrected to National Geodetic Vertical Datum, if available.
b. Geotechnical interpretations and report including complete engineering description of the soil units underlying the site.
(1) Soil unit descriptions shall include estimates of soil unit thickness, continuity across the site, and genesis. Laboratory determination of the soil unit's physical properties shall be discussed.
(2) Soil units that are proposed for use as a drainage layer, impermeable cap, or impermeable liner material shall be supported by laboratory determinations of the remolded permeability. Remolded hydraulic conductivity tests require a Proctor compaction test (ASTM D698) soil classification liquid limit, plastic limit, particle size distribution, specific gravity, percent compaction of the test sample, remolded density and remolded moisture content, and the percent saturation of the test sample. Proctor compaction test data and hydraulic conductivity test sample data shall be plotted on standard moisture-density test graphs.
(3) The geotechnical report shall provide an estimate of the available volume of materials suitable for use as liner, cap, and drainage layer. It shall also discuss the anticipated uses of the onsite materials, if known.
c. Hydrogeologic report.
(1) The report shall include water table elevations, direction, and calculated rate of groundwater flow and similar information on the hydrogeology of the site. All raw data shall be submitted with calculations.
(2) The report shall contain a discussion of field test procedures and results, laboratory determinations made on undisturbed samples, recharge areas, discharge areas, adjacent or areal usage, and typical radii of influence of pumping wells.
(3) The report shall also contain a discussion of the regional geologic setting, the site geology, and a cataloging and description of the uppermost aquifer from the site investigation and from referenced literature. The geologic description shall include a discussion of the prevalence and orientation of fractures, faults, and other structural discontinuities, and presence of any other significant geologic features. The aquifer description shall address homogeneity, horizontal and vertical extent, isotropy, the potential for groundwater remediation, if required, and the factors influencing the proper placement of a groundwater monitoring network.
(4) The report shall include a geologic map of the site prepared from one of the following sources as available, in order of preference:
(a) Site specific mapping prepared from data collected during the site investigation;
(b) Published geologic mapping at a scale of 1:24,000 or larger;
(c) Published regional geologic mapping at a scale of 1:250,000 or larger; or
(d) Other published mapping.
(5) At least two generally orthogonal, detailed site specific cross sections, which shall describe the geologic formations identified by the geologic maps prepared in accordance with subdivision 2 c (4) of this subsection at a scale that clearly illustrates the geologic formations, shall be included in the hydrogeologic report. Cross sections shall show the geologic units, approximate construction of existing landfill cells base grades, water table, surficial features, and bedrock along the line of the cross section. Cross section locations shall be shown on an overall facility map.
(6) Potentiometric surface maps for the uppermost aquifer that define the groundwater conditions encountered below the proposed solid waste disposal facility area based upon stabilized groundwater elevations. Potentiometric surface maps shall be prepared for each set of groundwater elevation data available. The applicant shall include a discussion of the effects of site modifications, seasonal variations in precipitation, and existing and future land uses of the site on the potentiometric surface.
(7) If a geological map or report from either the Department of Mines, Minerals, and Energy or the U.S. Geological Survey is published, it shall be included.
F. For solid waste management facilities regulated under Part IV (9VAC20-81-300 et seq.) of this chapter:
1. A cataloging and description of aquifers, geological features or any similar characteristic of the site that might affect the operation of the facility or be affected by that operation.
2. If a geological map or report from either the Department of Mines, Minerals, and Energy or the U.S. Geological Survey is published, it shall be included.
G. For a new sanitary landfill or for an increase in daily disposal limit, an adequacy report prepared by the Virginia Department of Transportation or other responsible agency. As required under § 10.1-1408.4 A 1 of the Code of Virginia, the report will address the adequacy of transportation facilities that will be available to serve the landfill, including daily travel routes and traffic volumes that correlate with the daily disposal limit, road congestion, and highway safety. The department may determine an adequacy report is not required for small increases in the daily disposal limit.
H. For a new sanitary landfill or an expansion of an existing sanitary landfill or an increase in capacity by expanding an existing facility vertically upward, a Landfill Impact Statement (LIS).
1. A report must be provided to the department that addresses the potential impact of the landfill on parks, recreational areas, wildlife management areas, critical habitat areas of endangered species as designated by applicable local, state, or federal agencies, public water supplies, marine resources, wetlands, historic sites, fish and wildlife, water quality, and tourism. This report shall comply with the statutory requirements for siting landfills in the vicinity of public water supplies or wetlands as set forth in §§ 10.1-1408.4 and 10.1-1408.5 of the Code of Virginia.
2. The report will include a discussion of the landfill configuration and how the facility design addresses any impacts identified in the report required under subdivision 1 of this subsection.
3. The report will identify all of the areas identified under subdivision 1 of this subsection that are within five miles of the facility.
I. For a new facility or an expansion of an existing facility, or an increase in capacity by expanding an existing facility vertically upward, a signed statement by the applicant that he has sent written notice to all adjacent property owners or occupants that he intends to develop a SWMF or expand laterally or vertically upward of an existing facility on the site, a copy of the notice and the names and addresses of those to whom the notices were sent.
J. The total capacity of the solid waste management facility.
K. One or more of the following indicating that the public interest would be served by a new facility or a facility expansion, which includes:
1. Cost effective waste management for the public within the service area comparing the costs of a new facility or facility expansion to waste transfer, or other disposal options;
2. The facility provides protection of human health and safety and the environment;
3. The facility provides alternatives to disposal including reuse or reclamation;
4. The facility allows for the increased recycling opportunities for solid waste;
5. The facility provides for energy recovery or the subsequent use of solid waste, or both, thereby reducing the quantity of solid waste disposed;
6. The facility will support the waste management needs expressed by the host community; or
7. Any additional factors that indicate that the public interest would be served by the facility.
L. For CCR surface impoundments regulated under Part VIII (9VAC20-81-800 et seq.) of this chapter, site hydrogeologic and geotechnical reports by a professional geologist or professional engineer that meet the requirements of 9VAC20-81-800.
9VAC20-81-470. Part B permit application for solid waste disposal facilities.
Part B permit application requirements for all solid waste disposal facilities regulated under Part III (9VAC20-81-100 et seq.) are contained in this section. The Part B applications shall include the following requirements and documentation:
A. Plans submitted as part of the Part B application shall include the following:
1. Design plans. Design plans shall be certified by a professional engineer and shall consist of, at least, the following:
a. A title sheet indicating the project title, who prepared the plans, the person for whom the plans were prepared, a table of contents, and a location map showing the location of the site and the area to be served.
b. An existing site conditions plans sheet indicating site conditions prior to development.
c. A base grade plan sheet indicating site base grades or the appearance of the site if it were excavated in its entirety to the base elevation, before installation of any engineering modifications or the beginning of any filing.
d. An engineering modification plan sheet indicating the appearance of the site after installation of engineering modifications. More than one plan sheet may be required for complicated sites. This plan is required only for those sites with engineering modifications.
e. A final site topography plan sheet indicating the appearance of the site, and final contours of the site at closing including the details necessary to prepare the site for long-term care.
f. A series of phasing plan sheets showing the progression of site development through time. At a minimum, a separate plan shall be provided for initial site preparations and for each subsequent major phase or new area where substantial site preparation must be performed. Each such plan shall include a list of construction items and quantities necessary to prepare the phase indicated.
g. A site monitoring plan showing the location of all devices for the monitoring of leachate production, groundwater quality, and gas production and venting. This plan shall include a table indicating the parameters to be monitored for the frequency of monitoring before and during site development. The groundwater monitoring plan shall include information as applicable under 9VAC20-81-250 or 9VAC20-81-260.
h. A series of site cross-sections shall be drawn perpendicular and parallel to the site base line at a maximum distance of 500 feet between cross-sections and at points of grade break and important construction features. The location of the cross-sections shall be shown on the plan sheets and the section labeled using the site grid system. Where applicable, each cross-section shall show existing, proposed base and final grades; soil borings and monitoring wells that the section passes through or is adjacent to; soil types, bedrock and water table; leachate control, collection, and monitoring systems; limits of filling for each major waste type; drainage control structures; access roads and ramps on the site perimeter and within the active fill area; the filling sequence or phases; and other site features.
i. Detailed drawings and typical sections for drainage control structures, access roads, fencing, leachate and gas control systems, and monitoring devices, buildings, signs, and other construction details.
j. Plan sheets shall include:
(1) A survey grid with base lines and bench marks to be used for field control.
(2) Limits of filling for each major waste type or fill area.
(3) All drainage patterns and surface water drainage control structures both within the actual fill area and at the site perimeter. Such structures may include berms, ditches, sedimentation basins, pumps, sumps, culverts, pipes, inlets, velocity breaks, sodding, erosion matting, or other methods of erosion control.
(4) Ground surface contours at the time represented by the drawing. Spot elevations shall be indicated for key features.
(5) Areas to be cleared and grubbed and stripped of topsoil.
(6) Borrow areas for liner materials, gas venting materials, berms, roadway construction, daily cover, and final cover.
(7) All soil stockpiles including daily and final cover, topsoil, liner materials, gas venting materials, and other excavation.
(8) Access roads and traffic flow patterns to and within the active fill area.
(9) All temporary and permanent fencing.
(10) The methods of screening such as berms, vegetation, or special fencing.
(11) Leachate collection, control, storage, and treatment systems that may include pipes, manholes, trenches, berms, collection sumps, storage units, pumps, risers, liners, and liner splices.
(12) Gas, leachate, and groundwater monitoring devices and systems.
(13) Severe weather solid waste disposal areas.
(14) Support buildings, scale, utilities, gates, and signs.
(15) Special waste handling areas.
(16) Construction notes and references to details.
(17) Other site features.
2. Closure plan. A detailed closure plan shall be prepared and submitted. Such a plan shall be prepared in two parts, one reflecting those measures to be accomplished at the midpoint of the permit period, and the other when the useful life of the landfill is reached. The plan shall show how the facility will be closed to meet the requirements of 9VAC20-81-160 and 9VAC20-81-170, or 9VAC20-81-800. The plan shall include the procedures to be followed in closing the site, sequence of closure, time schedules, final plans of completion of closure to include final contours, and long-term care plan sheets showing the site at the completion of closing and indicating those items anticipated to be performed during the period of long-term care for the site. The plans shall include a table listing the items and the anticipated schedule for monitoring and maintenance. In many instances this information can be presented on the final site topography sheet.
3. Postclosure plan. A postclosure care plan containing shall contain long-term care information including a discussion of the procedures to be utilized for the inspection and maintenance of: run-off control structures; settlement; erosion damage; gas and leachate control facilities; monitoring for gas, leachate, and groundwater; and other long-term care needs.
B. A design report shall be submitted, which shall include supplemental discussions and design calculations, to facilitate department review and provide supplemental information including the following information:
1. The design report shall identify the project title; engineering consultants; site owner, permittee and operator; proposed permitted acreage; hours of operation; wastes to be accepted; site life; design capacity; and the daily disposal limit. It shall also identify any variances desired by the applicant.
2. A discussion of the basis for the design of the major features of the site, such as traffic routing, base grade and relationships to subsurface conditions, anticipated waste types and characteristics, phases development, liner design, leachate management system design, facility monitoring, and similar design features shall be provided. A list of the conditions of site development as stated in the department determination of site feasibility and the measures taken to meet the conditions shall be included. A discussion of all calculations, such as refuse-cover balance computations, stockpile sizing estimates, estimate of site life, and run-off and leachate volume estimates shall be included. The calculations shall be summarized with the detailed equations presented in an appendix.
3. Specifications, including detailed instructions to the site operator for all aspects of site construction.
a. Initial site preparations including specifications for clearing and grubbing, topsoil stripping, other excavations, berm construction, drainage control structures, leachate collection system, access roads and entrance, screening, fencing, groundwater monitoring, and other special design features.
b. A plan for initial site preparation including a discussion of the field measurements, photographs to be taken, sampling and testing procedures to be utilized to verify that the in-field conditions encountered were the same as those defined in the feasibility report, and to document that the site was constructed according to the engineering plans and specifications submitted for department approval.
C. Financial assurance documentation. When required by the Financial Assurance Regulations of Solid Waste Disposal, Transfer, and Treatment Facilities (9VAC20-70), the applicant shall provide the completed documentation to demonstrate compliance with those regulations; proof of financial responsibility must be for the entity identified in accordance with 9VAC20-81-450 B 10.
D. DEQ Form SW PTB (Part B Permit Application Form). The applicant shall submit a completed DEQ Form SW PTB.
9VAC20-81-475. Part B permit application requirements for CCR surface impoundments.
A. Part B permit application requirements for CCR surface impoundments regulated under Part VIII (9VAC20-81-800 et seq.) of this chapter are contained in this section. The Part B applications shall include the requirements and documentation described in this section.
B. A detailed design plan shall be prepared and submitted that describes how the CCR surface impoundment meets the design criteria found in 40 CFR 257.71 (existing CCR surface impoundments), 40 CFR 257.72 (new or lateral expansions of CCR surface impoundments), 40 CFR 257.73 (existing CCR surface impoundments), 40 CFR 257.74 (new or lateral expansions of CCR surface impoundments), as applicable;
C. An operating plan meeting the requirements of 40 CFR 257.80, 40 CFR 257.82, and 40 CFR 257.83 shall be prepared and submitted;
D. A site groundwater monitoring plan shall be prepared and submitted that meets the requirements of 40 CFR 257.90, 40 CFR 257.91, 40 CFR 257.93, 40 CFR 257.94, 40 CFR 257.95, 40 CFR 257.96, 40 CFR 257.97, and 40 CFR 257.98; and
E. A detailed closure plan and post-closure plan meeting the requirements found in 40 CFR 257.101, 40 CFR 257.102, 40 CFR 257.103, 40 CFR 257.104 shall be prepared and submitted.
9VAC20-81-485. Operations manual requirements for solid waste management facilities.
A. Solid waste disposal facilities. An operations manual shall be prepared and maintained in the operating record. The operations manual shall include a certification page signed by a responsible official. This signature shall certify the manual meets the requirements of this chapter. This manual shall be reviewed and recertified annually (by December 31 of each calendar year) to ensure consistency with current operations and regulatory requirements, and shall be made available for review by the department upon request. The operations manual for disposal facility operation shall contain at least the following plans:
1. An operations plan that at a minimum includes:
a. Explanation of how the design and construction plans will be implemented from the initial phase of operation until closure;
b. Municipalities, industries, and collection and transportation agencies served;
c. Waste types and quantities to be disposed;
d. Detailed instructions to the site operator regarding all aspects of site operation in order to ensure that the operational requirements of Part III (9VAC20-81-100 et seq.) of this chapter are achieved. References to specifications on the plan sheet shall be pointed out as well as additional instructions included, where appropriate. At a minimum, the plan specifications shall include:
(1) Daily operations including a discussion of the timetable for development, waste types accepted or excluded, inspection of incoming waste, typical waste handling techniques, hours of operation, traffic routing, drainage and erosion control, windy, wet and cold weather operations, fire protection equipment, manpower, methods for handling of any unusual waste types, methods for vector, dust and odor control, daily cleanup, direction of filling, salvaging, recordkeeping, parking for visitors and employees, monitoring, maintenance, closure of filled areas, gas and leachate control methods, backup equipment with names and telephone numbers where equipment may be obtained, and other special design features;
(2) Development of subsequent phases; and
(3) Site closing information consisting of a discussion of those actions necessary to prepare the site for long-term care and final use in the implementation of the closure plan.
2. An inspection plan that at a minimum includes:
a. A schedule for inspecting all applicable major aspects of facility operations necessary to ensure compliance with the requirements of Part III (9VAC20-81-100 et seq.) of this chapter.
b. The frequency of inspection based on the rate of potential equipment deterioration or malfunction and the probability of an adverse incident occurring if the deterioration or malfunction goes undetected between inspections. The plan shall establish the minimum frequencies for inspections required in 9VAC20-81-140. This plan shall identify areas of the facility subject to spills such as loading and unloading areas and areas in which significant adverse environmental or health consequences may result if breakdown occurs.
c. A schedule for inspecting monitoring, safety, and emergency equipment; security devices; and process operating and structural equipment.
d. The types of potential problems that may be observed during the inspection and any maintenance activities required as a result of the inspection.
3. A health and safety plan that includes description of measures to protect the facility and other personnel from injury and is consistent with the requirements of 29 CFR Part 1910.
4. An unauthorized waste control plan that includes, at a minimum, the methods to be used by the operator to prevent unauthorized disposal of hazardous wastes, bulk liquids, or other wastes not authorized for management or disposal in the facility in order to meet the requirements of 9VAC20-81-140.
5. An emergency contingency plan that includes:
a. Delineation of procedures for responding to fire, explosions, or any unplanned sudden or nonsudden releases of harmful constituents to the air, soil, or surface water;
b. Description of the actions facility personnel shall take in the event of various emergency situations;
c. Description of arrangements made with the local police and fire department that allow for immediate entry into the facility by their authorized representatives should the need arise, such as in the case of personnel responding to an emergency situation; and
d. A list of names, addresses, and phone numbers (office and home) of all persons qualified to act as emergency coordinator for the facility. This list shall be kept up to date. Where more than one person is listed, one shall be named as primary emergency coordinator and the others shall be listed in the order in which they will assume responsibility as alternates.
6. A landscaping plan that shall:
a. Delineate existing site vegetation to be retained;
b. Discuss methods to be employed in order to ensure protection of vegetation to be retained during the clearing, grading and construction phases of the project and the supplemental vegetation to be planted; and
c. Information Provide information relating to vegetation type, location and purpose, such as for buffer, screening or aesthetics, and schedules for planting, shall accompany the plan.
B. Other solid waste management facilities. An operations manual shall be prepared and maintained in the operating record. The Operations Manual shall include a certification page signed by a responsible official. This signature shall certify the manual meets the requirements of this chapter. This manual shall be reviewed and re-certified annually (by December 31 of each calendar year) to ensure consistency with current operations and regulatory requirements and shall be made available to the department upon request. The manual for facility operation shall contain at least the following plans:
1. An operations plan that at a minimum includes:
a. An explanation of how the design and construction plans will be implemented from the initial phase of operation until closure.
b. Detailed instructions to the site operator regarding all aspects of site operation in order to ensure that the applicable operational requirements of Part IV (9VAC20-81-300 et seq.) are achieved. Daily operations including a discussion of the timetable for development, waste types accepted or excluded, typical waste handling techniques, hours of operation, traffic routing, drainage and erosion control, windy, wet and cold weather operations, fire protection equipment, manpower, methods for handling of any unusual waste types, methods for vector, dust and odor control, daily cleanup, salvaging, record keeping, parking for visitors and employees, monitoring, backup equipment with names and telephone numbers where equipment may be obtained, and other special design features. The daily operations section of the operations manual may be developed as a removable section to improve accessibility for the site operator.
c. Development of subsequent phases of the facility, if applicable.
d. Site closing information consisting of a discussion of those actions necessary to prepare the site for long-term care and final use in the implementation of the closure plan.
2. An inspection plan that at a minimum includes:
a. A schedule for inspecting all applicable major aspects of facility operations necessary to ensure compliance with the requirements of Part IV (9VAC20-81-300 et seq.) of this chapter.
b. The frequency of inspection shall be based on the rate of potential equipment deterioration or malfunction and the probability of an adverse incident occurring if the deterioration or malfunction goes undetected between inspections. The plan shall establish the minimum frequencies for inspections required in 9VAC20-81-340. This plan shall identify areas of the facility subject to spills such as loading and unloading areas and areas in which significant adverse environmental or health consequences may result if breakdown occurs.
c. A schedule for inspecting monitoring, safety, and emergency equipment; security devices; and process operating and structural equipment.
d. The types of potential problems that may be observed during the inspection and any maintenance activities required as a result of the inspection.
3. A health and safety plan that includes description of measures to protect the facility and other personnel from injury and is consistent with the requirements of 29 CFR Part 1910.
4. An unauthorized waste control plan that includes, at a minimum, the methods to be used by the operator to prevent unauthorized disposal of hazardous wastes, bulk liquids, or other wastes not authorized for management or disposal in the facility in order to meet the applicable requirements of 9VAC20-81-340.
5. An emergency contingency plan that includes:
a. Delineation of procedures for responding to fire, explosions, or any unplanned sudden or nonsudden releases of harmful constituents to the air, soil, or surface water;
b. Description of the actions facility personnel shall take in the event of various emergency situations;
c. Description of arrangements made with the local police and fire department that allow for immediate entry into the facility by their authorized representatives should the need arise, such as in the case of personnel responding to an emergency situation; and
d. A list of names, addresses and phone numbers (office and home) of all persons qualified to act as emergency coordinator for the facility. This list shall be kept up to date. Where more than one person is listed, one shall be named as primary emergency coordinator and the others shall be listed in the order in which they will assume responsibility as alternates.
C. CCR surface impoundments. Operating plans meeting the requirements of 9VAC20-81-800 shall be prepared, implemented, and placed in the facility's operating record.
9VAC20-81-550. Permit denial.
A. A permit shall be denied if:
1. The applicant fails to provide complete information required for an application;
2. The facility does not conform with the siting standards set forth for the facility in 9VAC20-81-120 or, 9VAC20-81-320, or 9VAC20-81-800, unless an exemption or variance from the specific siting criteria has been granted;
3. The facility design and construction plans or operating plans, or both, fail to comply with requirements specified for the proposed type of facility unless an exemption or variance from the specific requirement has been granted;
4. The department finds that there is an adverse impact on the public health or the environment by the design, construction, or operation;
5. The applicant is not able to fulfill the financial responsibility requirements as specified in 9VAC20-70; or
6. Current information sufficient to make the determination required in § 10.1-1408.1 D of the Code of Virginia has not been provided.
B. Reasons for the denial of any permit shall be provided to the applicant in writing by the director within 30 days of the decision to deny the permit.
9VAC20-81-600. Modification of permits.
A. Permits may be modified at the request of any interested person or upon the director's initiative. However, permits may only be modified for the reasons specified in subsections E and F of this section. All requests shall be in writing and shall contain facts or reasons supporting the request. Any permit modification authorizing expansion of an existing sanitary landfill shall incorporate the conditions required for a disposal capacity guarantee in § 10.1-1408.1 P of the Code of Virginia. This provision does not apply to permit applications from one or more political subdivisions that will only accept waste from within those political subdivisions' jurisdiction or municipal solid waste generated within other political subdivisions pursuant to an interjurisdictional agreement.
B. If the director decides the request is not justified, he shall send the requester a response providing justification for the decision.
C. If the director tentatively decides to modify, he shall prepare a draft permit incorporating the proposed changes. The director may request additional information and may require the submission of an updated permit application. In a permit modification under subsection E of this section, only those conditions to be modified shall be reopened when a new draft permit is prepared. All other aspects of the existing permit shall remain in effect. During any modification proceeding the permittee shall comply with all conditions of the existing permit until the modified permit is issued.
D. When the director receives any information, he may determine whether or not one or more of the causes listed for modification exist. If cause exists, the director may modify the permit on his own initiative subject to the limitations of subsection E of this section and may request an updated application if necessary. If a permit modification satisfies the criteria in subsection F of this section for minor modifications, the permit may be modified without a draft permit or public review. Otherwise, a draft permit shall be prepared and other appropriate procedures followed.
E. Causes for modification. The director may modify a permit upon his own initiative or at the request of a third party:
1. When there are material and substantial alterations or additions to the permitted facility or activity that occurred after permit issuance that justify the application of permit conditions that are different or absent in the existing permit;
2. When there is found to be a possibility of pollution causing significant adverse effects on the air, land, surface water, or groundwater;
3. When an investigation has shown the need for additional equipment, construction, procedures and testing to ensure the protection of the public health and the environment from adverse effects;
4. If the director has received information pertaining to circumstances or conditions existing at the time the permit was issued that was not included in the administrative record and would have justified the application of different permit conditions, the permit may be modified accordingly if in the judgment of the director such modification is necessary to prevent significant adverse effects on public health or the environment;
5. When the standards or regulations on which the permit was based have been changed by promulgation of amended standards or regulations or by judicial decision after the permit was issued;
6. When the director determines good cause exists for modification of a compliance schedule, such as an act of God, strike, flood, or material shortage or other events over which the permittee has little or no control and for which there is no reasonably available remedy;
7. When a modification of a closure plan is required under 9VAC20-81-160, or 9VAC20-81-360, or 9VAC20-81-800 and the permittee has failed to submit a permit modification request within the specified period;
8. When the corrective action program specified in the permit under 9VAC20-81-260 or 9VAC20-81-800 has not brought the facility into compliance with the groundwater protection standard within a reasonable period of time; or
9. When cause exists for revocation under 9VAC20-81-570 and the director determines that a modification is more appropriate.
F. Permit modification at the request of the permittee.
TABLE 5.2 PERMIT MODIFICATIONS |
MAJOR | 1. Implementation of a groundwater corrective action program as required by 9VAC20-81-260 or 9VAC20-81-800 |
2. Change in the remedy applied as part of the groundwater corrective action program |
3. Groundwater monitoring plan for an existing facility where no written plan has previously been provided |
4. Changes to the design of final closure cover |
5. Landfill mining |
6. Reduction in the postclosure care period |
7. Changes in postclosure use of the property with disturbance of cover |
8. All new or modifications of a leachate collection tank or a leachate collection surface impoundment |
9. Addition of new landfill units |
10. Expansion or increase in capacity |
11. Increase in daily disposal limit |
12. Addition or modification of a liner, leachate collection system, leachate detection system |
13. Incorporation or modification of a Research, Development, and Demonstration Plan |
MINOR | Any change not specified as major modification (above) or a permittee change (below) |
PERMITTEE CHANGE | 1. Correction of typographical errors |
2. Equipment replacement or upgrade with functionally equivalent components |
3. Replacement of an existing leachate tank with a tank that meets the same design standards and has a capacity within +/-10% of the replaced tank |
4. Replacement with functionally equivalent, upgrade, or relocation of emergency equipment |
5. Changes in name, address, or phone number of contact personnel |
6. Replacement of an existing well that has been damaged or rendered nonoperable, without change to location, design, or depth of the well |
7. Changes to the expected year of final closure, where other permit conditions are not changed |
8. Changes in postclosure use of the property, without disturbance of the cover |
9. Modification of a leachate tank management practice |
1. Permittee change. Items listed under Permittee Change in Table 5.2 may be implemented without approval of the department. If a permittee changes such an item, the permittee shall:
a. Notify the department of the change at least 14 calendar days before the change is put into effect, indicating the affected permit conditions; and
b. Notify the governing body of the county, city, or town in which the facility is located, within 90 calendar days after the change is put into effect.
2. Minor modifications.
a. Minor modifications apply to minor changes that keep the permit current with routine changes to the facility or its operation. These changes do not substantially alter the permit conditions or reduce the capacity of the facility to protect human health or the environment.
b. Minor modifications may be requested for changes that will result in a facility being more protective of human health and the environment or equivalent to the standards contained in this chapter, unless otherwise noted in Table 5.2. The request for such a minor permit modification will be accompanied by a description of the desired change and an explanation of the manner in which the health and environment will be protected in a greater degree than required by the chapter.
c. Minor permit modifications may be made only with the prior written approval of the department. The permittee shall notify the department that a minor modification is being requested. Notification of the department shall be provided by certified mail or other means that establish proof of delivery. This notice shall specify the changes being made to permit conditions or supporting documents referenced by the permit and shall include an explanation of why they are necessary. Along with the notice, the permittee shall provide the applicable information required by 9VAC20-81-460 and 9VAC20-81-470 or as required by 9VAC20-81-480.
d. The permittee shall send a notice of the modification to the governing body of the county, city or town in which the facility is located. This notification shall be made within 90 days after the department approves the request.
3. Major modifications.
a. Major modifications substantially alter the facility or its operation. Major modifications are listed in Table 5.2.
b. The permittee shall submit a modification request to the department that:
(1) Describes the exact change to be made to the permit conditions and supporting documents referenced by the permit;
(2) Identifies that the alteration is a major modification;
(3) Contains an explanation of why the modification is needed; and
(4) Provides the applicable information required by 9VAC20-81-460 and 9VAC20-81-470, by 9VAC20-81-460 and 9VAC20-81-475, or as required by 9VAC20-81-480.
c. No later than 90 days after receipt of the notification request, the director will determine whether the information submitted under subdivision 3 b (4) of this subsection is adequate to formulate a decision. If found to be inadequate, the permittee will be requested to furnish additional information within 30 days of the request by the director to complete the modification request record. The 30-day period may be extended at the request of the applicant. After the completion of the record, the director will either:
(1) Approve the modification request, with or without changes, and draft a permit modification accordingly;
(2) Deny the request; or
(3) Approve the request, with or without changes, as a temporary authorization having a term of up to 180 days in accordance with subdivision 3 of this subsection.
d. If the director proposes to approve the permit modification, he will proceed with the permit issuance in accordance with 9VAC20-81-450 E.
e. The director may deny or change the terms of a major permit modification request under subdivision F 3 b of this section for the following reasons:
(1) The modification request is incomplete;
(2) The requested modification does not comply with the appropriate requirements of Part III (9VAC20-81-100 et seq.) or, Part IV (9VAC20-81-300 et seq.), or Part VIII (9VAC20-81-800 et seq.) of this chapter or other applicable requirements; or
(3) The conditions of the modification fail to protect human health and the environment.
4. Temporary authorizations.
a. Upon request of the permittee, the director may, without prior public notice and comment, grant the permittee a temporary authorization in accordance with the requirements of subdivision 4 of this subsection. Temporary authorizations shall have a term of not more than 180 days.
b. (1) The permittee may request a temporary authorization for any major modification that meets the criteria in subdivision 4 c (2) (a) or (b) of this subsection; or that meets the criteria in subdivision 4 c (2) (c) and (d) of this subsection and provides improved management or treatment of a solid waste already listed in the facility permit.
(2) The temporary authorization request shall include:
(a) A description of the activities to be conducted under the temporary authorization;
(b) An explanation of why the temporary authorization is necessary; and
(c) Sufficient information to ensure compliance with the standards of Part III (9VAC20-81-100 et seq.) or, Part IV (9VAC20-81-300 et seq.), or Part VIII (9VAC20-81-800 et seq.) standards of this chapter.
(3) The permittee shall send a notice about the temporary authorization request to all persons on the facility mailing list. This notification shall be made within seven days of submission of the authorization request.
c. The director shall approve or deny the temporary authorization as quickly as practical. To issue a temporary authorization, the director shall find:
(1) The authorized activities are in compliance with the standards of Part III (9VAC20-81-100 et seq.) or, Part IV (9VAC20-81-300 et seq.), or Part VIII (9VAC20-81-800 et seq.) of this chapter.
(2) The temporary authorization is necessary to achieve one of the following objectives before action is likely to be taken on an modification request:
(a) To facilitate timely implementation of closure or corrective action activities;
(b) To prevent disruption of ongoing waste management activities;
(c) To enable the permittee to respond to sudden changes in the types or quantities of the wastes managed under the facility permit; or
(d) To facilitate other changes to protect human health and the environment.
d. A temporary authorization may be reissued for one additional term of up to 180 days provided that the permittee has requested a major permit modification for the activity covered in the temporary authorization, and the director determines that the reissued temporary authorization involving a major permit modification request is warranted to allow the authorized activities to continue while the modification procedures of subdivision 3 of this subsection are conducted.
5. The director's decision to grant or deny a permit modification request under subdivision of this subsection may be appealed under the case decision provisions of the Virginia Administrative Process Act (§ 2.2-4000 et seq. of the Code of Virginia).
6. Newly defined or identified wastes. The permitted facility is authorized to continue to manage wastes defined or identified as solid waste under 9VAC20-81-95 if:
a. It was in existence as a solid waste management facility with respect to the newly defined or identified solid waste on the effective date of the final rule defining or identifying the waste; and
b. It is in compliance with the standards of Part III (9VAC20-81-100 et seq.) or, Part IV (9VAC 20-81-300 et seq.), or Part VIII (9VAC20-81-800 et seq.) of this chapter, as applicable, with respect to the new waste, submits a minor modification request on or before the date on which the waste becomes subject to the new requirements; or
c. It is not in compliance with the standards of Part III (9VAC 20-81-100 et seq.) or, Part IV (9VAC 20-81-300 et seq.), or Part VIII (9VAC20-81-800 et seq.) of this chapter, as applicable, with respect to the new waste, also submits a complete permit modification request within 180 days after the effective date of the definition or identifying the waste.
7. Research, development and demonstration plans. Research, development and demonstration (RDD) plans may be submitted for sanitary landfills that meet the applicability requirements. These plans shall be submitted as a major permit modification application for existing sanitary landfills or as a part of the Part B application for new sanitary landfills.
a. Applicability.
(1) RDD shall be restricted to permitted sanitary landfills designed with a composite liner system, as required by 9VAC20-81-130 J 1. The effectiveness of the liner system and leachate collection system shall be demonstrated in the plan and shall be assessed at the end of the testing period in order to compare the effectiveness of the systems to the start of the RDD testing period.
(2) Operating permitted sanitary landfills that have exceeded groundwater protection standards at statistically significant levels in accordance with 9VAC20-81-250 B, from any waste unit on site shall have implemented a remedy in accordance with 9VAC20-81-260 C prior to the RDD plan submittal. Operating permitted sanitary landfills that have an exceedance in the concentration of methane gas migrating from the landfill in accordance with 9VAC20-81-200 shall have a gas control system in place per 9VAC20-81-200 B prior to the RDD plan submittal.
(3) An owner or operator of a sanitary landfill that disposes of 20 tons of municipal solid waste per day or less, based on annual average, may not apply for a modification to include a RDD plan.
(4) The sanitary landfill shall have a leachate collection system designed and constructed to maintain less than a 30 cm depth of leachate on the liner.
b. Requirements.
(1) RDD Plans may be submitted for activities such as:
(a) The addition of liquids in addition to leachate and gas condensate from the same landfill for accelerated decomposition of the waste mass;
(b) Allowing run-on water to flow into the landfill waste mass;
(c) Allowing testing of the construction and infiltration performance of alternative final cover systems; and
(d) For other measures to be taken to enhance stabilization of the waste mass.
(2) No landfill owner or operator may continue to implement an RDD plan beyond any time limit placed in the initial plan approval or any renewal without issuance of written prior approval by the department. Justification for renewals shall be based upon information in annual and final reports as well as research and findings in technical literature.
(3) RDD plans may not include changes to the approved design and construction of subgrade preparation, liner system, leachate collection and removal systems, final cover system, gas and leachate systems outside the limits of waste, run-off controls, run-on controls, or environmental monitoring systems exterior to the waste mass.
(4) Implementation of an approved RDD plan shall comply with the specific conditions of the RDD Plan as approved in the permit for the initial testing period and any renewal.
(5) Structures and features exterior to the waste mass or waste final grades shall be removed at the end of the testing period, unless otherwise approved by the department in writing.
(6) The RDD plan may propose an alternate final cover installation schedule.
c. An RDD plan shall include the following details and specifications. Processes other than adding liquids to the waste mass and leachate recirculation may be practiced in conjunction with the RDD plan.
(1) Initial applications for RDD plans shall be submitted for review and approval prior to the initiation of the process to be tested. These plans shall specify the process that will be tested, describe preparation and operation of the process, describe waste types and characteristics that the process will affect, describe desired changes and end points that the process is intended to achieve, define testing methods and observations of the process or waste mass that are necessary to assess effectiveness of the process, and include technical literature references and research that support use of the process. The plans shall specify the time period for which the process will be tested. The plans shall specify the additional information, operating experience, data generation, or technical developments that the process to be tested is expected to generate.
(2) The test period for the initial application shall be limited to a maximum of three years.
(3) Renewals of testing periods shall be limited to a maximum of three years each. The maximum number of renewals shall be limited to three.
(4) Renewals shall require department review and approval of reports of performance and progress on achievement of goals specified in the RDD plan.
(5) RDD Plans for addition of liquids, in addition to leachate and gas condensate from the same landfill, for accelerated decomposition of the waste mass and/or or for allowing run-on water to flow into the landfill waste mass shall demonstrate that there is no increased risk to human health and the environment. The following minimum performance criteria shall be demonstrated.
(a) Risk of contamination to groundwater or surface water will not be greater than the risk without an approved RDD plan.
(b) Stability analysis demonstrating the physical stability of the landfill.
(c) Landfill gas collection and control in accordance with applicable Clean Air Act requirements (i.e., Title V, NSPS or EG rule, etc.).
(d) For RDD plans that include the addition of offsite nonhazardous waste liquids to the landfill, the following information shall be submitted with the RDD plan:
(i) Demonstration of adequate facility liquid storage volume to receive the offsite liquid;
(ii) A list of proposed characteristics for screening the accepted liquids is developed; and
(iii) The quantity and quality of the liquids are compatible with the RDD plan.
If offsite nonhazardous liquids are certified by the offsite generator as stormwater uncontaminated by solid waste, screening is not required for this liquid.
(6) RDD plans for testing of the construction and infiltration performance of alternative final cover systems shall demonstrate that there is no increased risk to human health and the environment. The proposed final cover system shall be as protective as the final cover system required by 9VAC20-81-160 D. The following minimum performance criteria shall be demonstrated:
(a) No build up of excess liquid in the waste and on the landfill liner;
(b) Stability analysis demonstrating the physical stability of the landfill;
(c) No moisture will escape from the landfill to the surface water or groundwater; and
(d) Sufficient reduction in infiltration so that there will be no leakage of leachate from the landfill.
(7) RDD plans that evaluate introduction of liquids in addition to leachate or gas condensate from the same landfill shall propose measures to be integrated with any approved leachate recirculation plan and compliance with requirements for leachate recirculation.
(8) RDD plans shall include a description of warning symptoms and failure thresholds that will be used to initiate investigation, stand-by, termination, and changes to the process and any other landfill systems that might be affected by the process, such as gas extraction and leachate recirculation. Warning symptoms shall result in a reduction or suspension of liquids addition, leachate recirculation, investigation, and changes to be implemented before resuming the process being tested. Failure thresholds shall result in termination of the process being tested, investigation, and changes that will be submitted to the department for review and approval in writing prior to resumption of the process being tested.
(9) RDD plans shall include an assessment of the manner in which the process to be tested might alter the impact that the landfill may have on human health or environmental quality. The assessment shall include both beneficial and deleterious effects that could result from the process.
(10) RDD plans shall include a geotechnical stability analysis of the waste mass and an assessment of the changes that the implementation of the plan are expected to achieve. The geotechnical stability analysis and assessment shall be repeated at the end of testing period, with alteration as needed to include parameters and parameter values derived from field measurements. The plan shall define relevant parameters and techniques for field measurement.
(11) RDD plans shall propose monitoring parameters, frequencies, test methods, instrumentation, recordkeeping and reporting to the department for purposes of tracking and verifying goals of the process selected for testing.
(12) RDD plans shall propose monitoring techniques and instrumentation for potential movements of waste mass and settlement of waste mass, including proposed time intervals and instrumentation, pertinent to the process selected for testing.
(13) RDD plans shall propose construction documentation, construction quality control and construction quality assurance measures, and recordkeeping for construction and equipment installation that is part of the process selected for testing.
(14) RDD plans shall propose operating practices and controls, staffing, monitoring parameters, and equipment needed to support operations of the process selected for testing.
(15) RDD plans that include aeration of the waste mass shall include a temperature monitoring plan, a fire drill and safety program, instructions for use of liquids for control of temperature and fires in the waste mass, and instructions for investigation and repair of damage to the liner and leachate collection system.
(16) RDD plans may include an alternate interim cover system and final cover installation schedule. The interim cover system shall be designed to account for weather conditions, slope stability, and leachate and gas generation. The interim cover shall also control, at a minimum, disease vectors, fires, odors, blowing litter, and scavenging.
d. Reporting. An annual report shall be prepared for each year of the RDD testing period, including any renewal periods, and a final report shall be prepared for the end of the testing period. These reports shall assess the attainment of goals proposed for the process selected for testing, recommend changes, recommend further work, and summarize problems and their resolution. Reports shall include a summary of all monitoring data, testing data and observations of process or effects and shall include recommendations for continuance or termination of the process selected for testing. Annual reports shall be submitted to the department within three months after the anniversary date of the approved permit or permit modification. Final reports shall be submitted at least 90 days prior to the end of the testing period for evaluation by the department. The department shall review this report within 90 days. If the department's evaluation indicates that the goals of the project have been met, are reliable and predictable, the department will provide a minor permit modification to incorporate the continued operation of the project with the appropriate monitoring.
e. Termination. The department may require modifications to or immediate termination of the RDD process being tested if any of the following conditions occur:
(1) Significant and persistent odors;
(2) Significant leachate seeps or surface exposure of leachate;
(3) Significant leachate head on the liner;
(4) Excessively acidic leachate chemistry or gas production rates or other monitoring data indicate poor waste decomposition conditions;
(5) Instability in the waste mass; or
(6) Other persistent and deleterious effects.
The RDD program is an optional participation program, by accepting the modification or new permit, the applicant acknowledges that the program is optional; and that they are aware the department may provide suspension or termination of the RDD program for any reasonable cause, without a public hearing. Notice of suspension or termination will be by letter for a cause related to a technical problem, nuisance problem, or for protection of human health or the environment as determined by the department.
G. Facility siting. The suitability of the facility location will not be considered at the time of permit modification unless new information or standards indicate that an endangerment to human health or the environment exists which was unknown at the time of permit issuance or the modification is for an expansion or increase in capacity.
Part VI
Special Wastes
9VAC20-81-610. General.
A. The requirements and standards contained in this part apply to solid waste that requires special handling and precautions and are in addition to the general requirements contained in Part III (9VAC20-81-100 et seq.) and, Part IV (9VAC20-81-300 et seq.), and Part VIII (9VAC20-81-800 et seq.) of this chapter, as applicable.
1. Facilities may receive solid waste that requires special handling for processing or disposal only with specific approval of the director or by specific provisions within the facility permit. The operator should contact the department for advice about new or unusual wastes and proper handling techniques. If it is not clear that a particular waste is within the authorized wastes that a permitted facility may receive, it is required that the operator receive a letter of clarification from the department before receiving the waste.
2. Nothing in this part shall limit or affect the power of the director, by his order, to prohibit storage, treatment, or disposal of any waste or require special handling requirements he determines are necessary to protect the public health or the environment.
B. The requirements and standards contained in this part also apply to specific materials that are used in a manner that constitutes disposal.
Part VII
Variance Application Procedures
9VAC20-81-700. General.
A. Any person affected by this chapter may apply to the department for a variance from any requirement of this chapter. Variance determinations shall be subject to the provisions of the Virginia Administrative Process Act (§ 2.2-4000 et seq. of the Code of Virginia).
B. The department shall not accept any variance application relating to:
1. Equivalent testing or analytical methods contained in EPA Publication SW-846;
2. Definition of solid waste contained in 9VAC20-81-95;
3. Criteria used for classification of solid waste disposal facilities contained in 40 CFR Parts 257 and 258, as amended; and
4. A change in the regulatory requirements that the applicant is currently violating until such time as the violation has been resolved through the enforcement process; and
5. Any of the requirements of Part VIII (9VAC20-81-800 et seq.) of this chapter.
Part VIII
Requirements for the Management of Coal Combustion Residuals
9VAC20-81-800. Adoption of 40 CFR Part 257 Subpart D by reference - Standards for the Disposal of Coal Combustion Residuals in Landfills and Surface Impoundments.
A. Except as otherwise provided, those regulations of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency set forth in Subpart D of 40 CFR Part 257, wherein they relate to standards for the disposal of coal combustion residuals in landfills and surface impoundments, are hereby incorporated as part of the Virginia Solid Waste Management Regulations, 9VAC20-81. Except as otherwise provided, all material definitions, reference materials, and other ancillaries that are a part of incorporated sections of 40 CFR Part 257 are also hereby incorporated as part of the Virginia Solid Waste Management Regulations.
B. In all locations in this chapter where text from 40 CFR Part 257 is incorporated by reference, the following additions, modifications, and exceptions shall amend the incorporated text for the purpose of its incorporation into this chapter. The following terms, where they appear in the Code of Federal Regulations shall, for the purpose of this chapter, have the following meanings or interpretations:
1. "Director" shall supplant the "State Director" wherever it appears.
2. "Qualified professional engineer" or "engineer" means a "professional engineer" certified to practice in the Commonwealth of Virginia as defined in 9VAC20-81-10.
C. Definitions in 40 CFR 257.53 are incorporated by reference into this part and are applicable to CCR landfills and CCR surface impoundments.
9VAC20-81-810. Permits for CCR landfills and CCR surface impoundments.
A. CCR landfills are a specific type of industrial landfill. Permit requirements for industrial landfills are outlined in Part III (9VAC20-81-100 et seq.) and Part V (9VAC20-81-400 et seq.) of this chapter and must be complied with in addition to the requirements applicable to CCR landfills found in this part. Existing CCR landfills shall submit a complete permit application no later than October 17, 2017. Owners and operators of new CCR landfills are required to submit to the director a permit application for an industrial landfill that meets the requirements of this chapter and receive a permit for an industrial landfill prior to the initial receipt of CCR in the CCR unit. An application for a CCR landfill or lateral expansion of a CCR landfill shall include the following:
1. Location restriction demonstrations required by 40 CFR 257.60, 40 CFR 257.61, 40 CFR 257.62, 40 CFR 257.63, and 40 FR 257.64, as applicable;
2. Description of the CCR landfill's design criteria required by 40 CFR 257.70 (new CCR landfill or lateral expansion of a CCR landfill);
3. Description of how the CCR landfill's operating criteria required by 40 CFR 257.80, 40 CFR 257.81, and 40 CFR 257.84 are met;
4. Explanation of how groundwater monitoring and corrective action criteria required by 40 CFR 257.90, 40 CFR 257.91, 40 CFR 257.93, 40 CFR 257.94, 40 CFR 257.95, 40 CFR 257.96, 40 CFR 257.97, and 40 CFR 257.98 are met;
5. Explanation of how closure and post-closure care requirements found in 40 CFR 257.101, 40 CFR 257.102, 40 CFR 257.103, and 40 CFR 257.104 will be met;
6. Website address for information required to be posted by 40 CFR 257.105, 40 CFR 257.106, and 40 CFR 257.107; and
7. Part III requirements concerning industrial landfills. If more than one standard is listed, the more stringent standard is to be complied with unless the director has granted a variance to a more stringent state specific standard.
B. Existing CCR surface impoundments are required to submit to the director a permit application for a CCR surface impoundment permit that meets the requirements of this chapter before October 17, 2017. New CCR surface impoundments are required to submit to the director a permit application for a surface impoundment that meets the requirements of this chapter prior to the initial receipt of CCR in the CCR unit. An application for a CCR surface impoundment shall include the following:
1. Location restriction demonstrations required by 40 CFR 257.60, 40 CFR 257.61, 40 CFR 257.62, 40 CFR 257.63, and 40 FR 257.64;
2. Description of the CCR surface impoundment's design criteria required by 40 CFR 257.71 (existing CCR surface impoundments), 40 CFR 257.72 (new CCR surface impoundments and lateral expansions), 40 CFR 257.73 (existing CCR surface impoundments), and 40 CFR 257.74 (new CCR surface impoundments and lateral expansions) as applicable;
3. Description of how the CCR surface impoundment's operating criteria required by 40 CFR 257.80, 40 CFR 257.82, and 40 CFR 257.83 are met;
4. Explanation of how groundwater monitoring and corrective action criteria required by 40 CFR 257.90, 40 CFR 257.91, 40 CFR 257.93, 40 CFR 257.94, 40 CFR 257.95, 40 CFR 257.96, 40 CFR 257.97, and 40 CFR 257.98 are met;
5. Explanation of how closure and post-closure care requirements found in 40 CFR 257.101, 40 CFR 257.102, 40 CFR 257.103, and 40 CFR 257.104 will be met; and
6. Website address for information required to be posted by 40 CFR 257.105, 40 CFR 257.106, and 40 CFR 257.107.
C. CCR landfills and new and existing surface impoundments are required to comply with the applicable permitting provisions in Part V (9VAC20-81-400 et seq.) of this chapter, including Virginia public participation requirements.
D. Inactive CCR surface impoundments were not subject to (i) this chapter during their operating life or (ii) a solid waste permit for operation. Inactive CCR surface impoundments are subject to a solid waste permit to address closure and post-closure, as applicable, except where the applicable requirements are included in an existing solid waste permit or a permit issued under State Water Control Law.
9VAC20-81-820. Inactive surface impoundments.
A. No later than December 17, 2015, the owner or operator of an inactive surface impoundment must prepare and place in the facility's operating record a notification of intent to initiate closure of the CCR surface impoundment.
B. An owner or operator of an inactive CCR surface impoundment shall complete closure of the CCR unit as specified in 40 CFR 257.100 no later than April 17, 2018, or submit a permit application for an existing CCR surface impoundment.
VA.R. Doc. No. R16-4272; Filed December 7, 2015, 4:01 p.m.