Title of Regulation: 9VAC20-85. Coal Combustion Byproduct Regulations (amending 9VAC20-85-20, 9VAC20-85-40, 9VAC20-85-70, 9VAC20-85-80, 9VAC20-85-110, 9VAC20-85-150).

Statutory Authority: § 10.1-1402 of the Code of Virginia; 42 USC § 6941; 40 CFR Part 257.

Effective Date: December 22, 2021.

Agency Contact: Kathryn Perszyk, Land Division Director, Department of Environmental Quality, 1111 East Main Street, Suite 1400, P.O. Box 1105, Richmond, VA 23218, telephone (804) 698-4047, FAX (804) 698-4178, or email kathryn.perszyk@deq.virginia.gov.

Summary:

Pursuant to Chapters 387 and 532 of the 2021 Acts of Assembly, Special Session I, the amendments change the name of the Department of Mines, Minerals and Energy to the Department of Energy.

9VAC20-85-20. Definitions.

In addition to the definitions incorporated by reference, the following words and terms shall have, for the purpose of this chapter, the following meanings:

"ASTM" means the American Society for Testing and Materials.

"CCB" means coal combustion byproducts.

"Closure" means the act of securing a fossil fuel combustion products site pursuant to the requirements of this chapter.

"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 non-CCR wastes identified by 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.

"Department" means the Department of Environmental Quality.

"Director" means the Director of the Department of Environmental Quality or the Director of the Department of Mines, Minerals and Energy depending on the context.

"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.

"Fossil fuel combustion products site" means all land and structures, other appurtenances, and improvements on them used to manage fossil fuel combustion products by the methods included in either 9VAC20-85-40 A or B.

"Perennial stream" means a stream or part of a stream that flows continuously during all of the calendar year as a result of groundwater discharge or surface runoff.

"Speculatively accumulated material" means any material that is accumulated before being used, reused, or reclaimed or in anticipation of potential use, reuse, or reclamation. Fossil fuel combustion products 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 accumulated fossil fuel combustion products are being removed from the storage annually.

"TCLP" means a chemical analytical procedure described in the Virginia Hazardous Waste Management Regulations, 9VAC20-60.

"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.

9VAC20-85-40. Applicability.

A. This chapter applies to all persons who use, reuse, or reclaim fossil fuel combustion products by applying them to or placing them on land in a manner other than addressed in 9VAC20-81-95 of the Solid Waste Management Regulations. 9VAC20-81-95 provides for the beneficial use of waste materials such as fossil fuel combustion products, and provides for conditional exemptions from regulation for fossil fuel combustion products. This chapter also applies to all persons who use, reuse, or reclaim 12,400 tons or less of unencapsulated CCR on the land in nonroadway applications.

B. This chapter establishes minimum standards for the owners or operators of coal mining facilities that accept CCB for mine reclamation or mine refuse disposal on a mine site permitted by the Virginia Department of Mines, Minerals and Energy (DMME) unless otherwise exempt under 9VAC20-81-95 D 18 of the Solid Waste Management Regulations. If the permit issued by the DMME Virginia Department of Energy in accordance with the Coal Surface Mining Reclamation Regulations, 4VAC25-130, specifies the applicable conditions set forth in Parts III (9VAC20-85-70 et seq.) and IV (9VAC20-85-150 et seq.) of this chapter, the permittee is exempt from this chapter.

C. Conditions of applicability are as follows:

1. Persons using fossil fuel combustion products other than in a manner prescribed under this chapter, or managing fossil fuel combustion products containing any constituent at a level exceeding levels set forth in Table 1 in Part IV of this chapter, shall manage their waste in accordance with all applicable provisions of the Solid Waste Management Regulations, 9VAC20-81.

2. Materials which that are accumulated speculatively, materials which that are not utilized in a manner described in the operation plan required by 9VAC20-85-90, and off-specification materials which that cannot be utilized or reprocessed to make them usable shall be managed in accordance with all appropriate provisions of the Solid Waste Management Regulations, 9VAC20-81.

3. Storage, stockpiling, and other processing or handling of fossil fuel combustion products, which may need to occur prior to their final placement or use, reuse, or reclamation, shall be in a manner necessary to protect human health and safety and the environment. For projects permitted by the DMME Virginia Department of Energy, the storage, stockpiling, or handling of CCB shall be managed in accordance with the Coal Surface Mining Reclamation Regulations, 4VAC25-130.

4. Use, reuse, or reclamation of greater than 12,400 tons of unencapsulated CCR on the land in nonroadway applications shall be managed in accordance with all applicable provisions of the Solid Waste Management Regulations, 9VAC20-81.

9VAC20-85-70. Locational restrictions.

Fossil fuel combustion products used, reused, or reclaimed on or below ground shall not be placed:

1. In areas subject to base floods unless it can be shown that fossil fuel combustion products can be protected from inundation or washout and that flow of water is not restricted, except for unamended coal combustion byproduct, which shall not be placed in areas subject to base floods;

2. With the vertical separation between the fossil fuel combustion products and the maximum seasonal water table less than five feet or bedrock less than two feet;

3. Closer than:

a. 100 feet of any perennial stream,

b. 100 feet of any water well (other than a monitoring well) in existence at the onset of the project,

c. 25 feet of a bedrock outcrop, unless the outcrop is properly treated to minimize infiltration into fractured zones,

d. 100 feet of a sinkhole, or

e. 25 feet from any property boundary or, in the case of projects permitted by the DMME Virginia Department of Energy, 25 feet from the permit boundary (NOTE: All distances are to be measured in the horizontal plane.);

4. In wetlands, unless applicable federal, state, and local permits are obtained; and

5. On the site of an active or inactive dump, unpermitted landfill, lagoon, or similar facility, even if such facility is closed.

9VAC20-85-80. Design and construction.

This section prescribes design and construction standards for fossil fuel combustion products sites. The owner or operator of such a site shall submit appropriate design plans, specifications and a design report that address, at a minimum, the requirements contained in this section.

1. A survey benchmark shall be identified and its location referenced on drawings and maps of the site.

2. During construction and filling, off-site runoff shall be diverted around the use, reuse or reclamation areas. The uncovered active fossil fuel combustion products fill areas shall be graded to a maximum slope of 5.0% and a smooth surface maintained to provide for sheet flow runoff and to prevent dusting. Runoff from the use, reuse or reclamation area shall be controlled and contained by use of diversion ditches, sediment traps, berms or collection ponds in accordance with the site erosion control plan. The use, reuse, or reclamation projects shall be designed to divert surface water run on from a 25-year, 24-hour storm event. For projects permitted by the DMME Virginia Department of Energy, the standards for runon, grading, and runoff shall be in accordance with the Coal Surface Mining Reclamation Regulations, 4VAC25-130-700.1 et seq (4VAC25-130).

3. Finished side slopes shall be stable and be configured to adequately control erosion and runoff. Side slopes of 33% will be allowed provided that adequate runoff controls are established. Steeper side slopes may be considered if supported by necessary stability calculations and appropriate erosion and runoff control features. All finished slopes and runoff management units shall be supported by necessary calculations and included in the design report.

4. The finished top slope shall be at least 2.0% to prevent ponding of water, except where covered by a building, a paved roadway, a paved parking surface, paved walkways or sidewalks, or similar structures.

5. Specifications prepared by a registered professional engineer shall be provided that indicate the criteria for the placement of the fossil fuel combustion products based on the intended use of the site. Specifications will include lab and field testing to be performed, testing frequency based on the nature and source of the materials, and the required performance of the material based on the intended use of the site. All test methods will be in accordance with the Standard Guide for Design and Construction of Coal Ash Structural Fills, American Standard Test Method E2277-03 et seq., where applicable.

6. Upon reaching the final grade, the placed material shall be covered in accordance with the requirements of Article 4 of this part.

9VAC20-85-110. Exemptions from the closure requirements.

A. An owner or operator of a site that constructs a building, a paved roadway, a paved parking surface, paved walkways and sidewalks, or other similar structures on top of the fill within a reasonable time period of reaching the final grade not to exceed 12 months shall be exempt from the requirements of this article for the portions of the fossil fuel combustion products site directly under the construction area.

B. An operator of a coal mine site permitted by the DMME Virginia Department of Energy who is reclaiming a site in conformance with the Coal Surface Mining Reclamation Regulations, 4VAC25-130-700.1 et seq., (4VAC25-130) shall be exempt from the closure requirements contained in the section.

9VAC20-85-150. General.

A. Notwithstanding any provisions of Part V (9VAC20-81-400 et seq.) of the Solid Waste Management Regulations, 9VAC20-81, the owner or operator of a site which that manages only fossil fuel combustion products allowed under 9VAC20-85-40 shall not be required to have a solid waste management facility permit, neither must a fossil fuel combustion products facility operator certified by the Board for Waste Management Facility Operators directly supervise operations at the site, if the owner or operator at least 30 days prior to initial placement of fossil fuel combustion products provides to the appropriate department regional office and verifies receipt of:

1. A certification that it has legal control over the fossil fuel combustion products site for the project life and the closure period. For the purposes of this section, on a coal mine site permitted by the DMME Virginia Department of Energy, demonstration of legal right to enter and begin surface coal mining and reclamation operations shall constitute compliance with the provisions of this section.

2. A certification from the governing body of the county, city, or town in which the fossil fuel combustion products site is to be located that the location and operation of the fossil fuel combustion products site are consistent with all applicable ordinances, with the exception of projects permitted by the DMME Virginia Department of Energy.

3. A general description of the intended use, reuse, or reclamation of fossil fuel combustion products. Such description will include:

a. A description of the nature, purpose and location of the fossil fuel combustion products site, including a topographic map showing the site area and available soils, and geological maps. The description shall include an explanation of how fossil fuel combustion products will be stored prior to use, reuse, or reclamation, if applicable;

b. The estimated beginning and ending dates for the operation;

c. An estimate of the volume of the fossil fuel combustion products to be utilized; and

d. A description of the proposed type of fossil fuel combustion products to be used, reused, or reclaimed, including physical and chemical characteristics of the fossil fuel combustion products. The chemical description shall contain the results of TCLP analyses for the constituents shown in Table 1. The description shall also contain a statement that the project will not manage fossil fuel combustion products that contain any constituent at a level exceeding those shown in the table.

4. A certification by a professional engineer licensed to practice by the Commonwealth that the project meets the locational restrictions of 9VAC20-85-70. Such certificate shall contain no qualifications or exemptions from the requirements.

5. A certificate signed by a professional engineer licensed to practice by the Commonwealth that the project has been designed in accordance with the standards of 9VAC20-85-80 if applicable. Such certificate shall contain no qualifications or exceptions from the requirements and plans.

6. An operational plan describing how the standards of 9VAC20-85-90 will be met.

7. A closure plan describing how the standards of Article 4 of Part III of this chapter will be met, if applicable.

8. A signed statement that the owner or operator shall allow authorized representatives of the Commonwealth, upon presentation of appropriate credentials, to have access to areas in which the activities covered by this chapter will be, are being, or have been conducted to ensure compliance.

B. The materials submitted under the provisions of subsection A of this section will be evaluated for completeness within 30 days of receipt by the appropriate department regional office. If the department notifies the applicant of deficiencies within 30 days, the applicant shall postpone any construction or activities proposed in the application for the department's approval until the department's approval has been received. If the applicant has not received a notice of deficiency within 30 days, the applicant can proceed.