Opinion No. (1983)

Missouri Attorney General Reports·Decided January 31, 1983·Published

Opinion

Dear Mr. Lafser:

This letter, and the attached Memorandum Opinion prepared by my assistant, Dan Summers, which I approve, constitute the Attorney General's statement required by 40 CFR 123.125 as part of the Application for Interim Authorization submitted to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency by the Missouri Department of Natural Resources pursuant to 40 CFR Part 123, Subpart F. In my opinion the laws of the State of Missouri, as discussed in the attached Memorandum Opinion, provide adequate authority to carry out the state's program for the regulation of hazardous waste, as set forth in the state's Application for Interim Authorization respecting Phase I and Phase II, Components A and B, of the federal program. The enabling legislation for the state's program was in existence prior to the July 26, 1982 announcement of the final component of the federal program. The authorities discussed in the attached Memorandum Opinion are contained in statutes and regulations lawfully adopted and in force prior to the date of this letter, except that amendments to certain Air Conservation Commission regulations, necessary to the effectiveness of the Hazardous Waste Management Commission's particulate emission limitation for incinerators, will not be in effect until May 12, 1983. In my opinion the Authorization Plan submitted as part of the state's Application will, if carried out, provide the State of Missouri with the authority to meet the requirements for final authorization under Phase I and Phase II, Components A and B, of the federal hazardous waste program, based on current federal regulations.

Sincerely,

JOHN ASHCROFT Attorney General

MEMORANDUM OPINION

TO: John Ashcroft, Attorney General

FROM: Dan Summers, Assistant Attorney General

DATE: January 31, 1983

RE: Opinion Request No. 41

The Director of the Department of Natural Resources has asked this office to provide our opinion whether the state program for the regulation of the generation, transportation, storage, treatment and disposal of hazardous wastes under §§ 260.350 to 260.430, RSMo, and the Hazardous Waste Management Commission regulations adopted under that law, are equivalent to the regulatory program developed by the federal Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) pursuant to the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act, PL 94-580, as amended by PL 96-482 (RCRA). Our opinion is required under 40 CFR 123.125, as part of Missouri's application for interim authorization under RCRA to administer the federal program for regulation of hazardous wastes. See 42 USCA § 6926(c) and 40 CFR Part 123, Subpart F.

Interim authorization has been divided by EPA into four parts, denominated as Phase I, and Phase II, Components A, B and C. Phase I refers to the identification and listing of hazardous wastes, regulation of the generation and transportation of those wastes, and the regulation of treatment, storage and disposal facilities under interim status regulations found at40 CFR Part 265. Phase I does not require the issuance of permits to hazardous waste management facilities. Phase II involves the issuance of permits to treatment, storage and disposal facilities pursuant to standards at 40 CFR Part 264. Phase II, Component A, refers to storage facilities using containers or tanks, and facilities treating wastes in tanks. Phase II, Component B, refers to treatment of wastes in incinerators. Phase II, Component C, refers to storage, treatment or disposal of wastes in surface impoundments, waste piles, landfills, and land treatment units. Missouri is currently applying for interim authorization for Phase I and Phase II, Components A and B, but not for Component C. Therefore, our opinion does not address the federal standards applicable in the process of permitting Component C facilities.

This memorandum was developed in the format requested by EPA. Each of the statements appearing as a part or subpart heading is found in the EPA format furnished us. A few minor changes have been made in these statements for the purpose of clarity, due to the fact that EPA realigned the grouping of facilities within the various components of Phase II after the format was furnished to us. Parts I through VIII of this memorandum deal with Phase I of the federal program, whereas Parts IX through XI deal with Phase II, Components A and B.

PREFATORY NOTE AS TO DATE OF ENABLING LEGISLATION

The State of Missouri undertook to regulate the generation, transportation, treatment, storage and disposal of hazardous waste in §§ 260.350 to 260.430, RSMo 1978, the Missouri Hazardous Waste Management Law. The law was adopted in H.B. 318, 79th General Assembly, and became effective September 28, 1977. The 1977 Act provides the enabling legislation for the State of Missouri to carry out the hazardous waste management program discussed in detail throughout this memorandum.

In 1980, the Missouri Legislature adopted H.B. 5, 6 and 4, 80th General Assembly, Second Extraordinary Session. H.B. 5, 6 and 4 amended every section of the Missouri Hazardous Waste Management Law except §§ 260.350, 260.355, 260.385, and 260.410. The legislature also added three new sections, 260.372, 260.377, and 260.391. H.B. 5, 6 and 4 became effective on October 31, 1980. Thus, all state enabling legislation was in place well before the July 26, 1982 announcement of the final component of Phase II of the federal program, as required by 40 CFR 123.125(a) and 123.128(d).

In the format of this opinion we are asked by EPA to make a specific citation in each part or subpart to state laws discussed under that part. For the sake of brevity, all citations to Chapter 260, Revised Statutes of Missouri, will be made without reference to whether the statute appears in RSMo 1978, or in H.B. 5, 6 and 4, which is found in RSMo Supp. 1982. It should be understood throughout that §§ 260.350, 260.355, 260.385 and 260.410 are to be found in RSMo 1978, and §§ 260.360 to 260.380, 260.390 to 260.400, and 260.415 to 260.430 are to be found in RSMo Supp. 1982.

I. IDENTIFICATION AND LISTING

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