§ 22-30-12 — Permit Program

Alabama § 22-30-12

• Jurisdiction: Alabama
• Title 22: Health, Mental Health, and Environmental Control
• Ch. 30: Hazardous Wastes Management

Text

(a) The department, acting through the commission, is authorized to promulgate a permit program for hazardous waste management practices and, acting through the commission, to promulgate criteria for issuing permits and rules identifying procedures for obtaining permits.
(b) Except as provided by this subsection or subsections (i) and (j) of this section, no person shall engage in the transportation, treatment, storage or disposal of hazardous waste without having applied for and obtained a permit from the department issued under authority of this section. The department, acting through the commission, may promulgate rules which exempt certain hazardous waste management practices from the requirement to obtain a permit under this section.
(c) Unless specifically exempted from regulation by this chapter or rules promulgated under authority of this chapter, no person may commence or continue construction or operation of any hazardous waste treatment, storage or disposal facility without having applied for and obtained a permit from the department issued under authority of this section. Each permit issued under this section shall contain such terms and conditions as the director determines necessary to protect human health or the environment.
(d) Permits for hazardous waste treatment, storage or disposal facilities shall be for a fixed term, not to exceed 10 years. Each permit for a land disposal facility shall be reviewed five years after the date of issuance or reissuance and shall be modified as necessary to assure that the facility continues to comply with the applicable requirements of this section and Section 22-30-16. Nothing in this subsection shall preclude the department from reviewing and modifying a permit at any time during its term.
(e) Permits for hazardous waste transportation shall be for a fixed term, not to exceed three years. Nothing in this subsection shall preclude the department from reviewing and modifying a permit at any time during its term.
(f) Any person proposing to transport hazardous waste or to construct or operate a hazardous waste treatment, storage or disposal facility shall submit, prior to issuance of any permit, such financial assurance in such form and amount as the department, acting through the commission, may specify by rule.
(g) Before issuance of any permit for a hazardous waste treatment, storage or disposal facility, the department shall give notice of the application therefor to the local governing bodies having jurisdiction over the facility and the citizens of the county in which the facility is to be located, receive public comment, and may, where significant interest is expressed or on its own initiative, hold a public hearing on the application.
(h) Upon a determination by the department that a facility for which an application has been received is in compliance with the requirements of this section, Section 22-30-16 and the applicable rules and regulations promulgated under authority of this chapter, the department shall issue a permit for such facility. In the event permit applicants propose modification of existing facilities, or in the event the department determines that modifications are necessary to conform to the requirements under this section, Section 22-30-16 or applicable rules and regulations promulgated under authority of this chapter, the permit shall specify the time allowed to complete the modifications.
(i) Interim status.
(1) Any person who
a. Owns or operates a facility required to have a permit under this section which facility
1. Was in existence on November 19, 1980, or
2. Is in existence on the effective date of statutory or regulatory changes under this chapter which render the facility subject to the requirement to have a permit under this section, and
b. Has complied with the requirements of Section 3010(a) of the RCRA, and
c. Has made an application for a permit under this section shall be treated as having been issued such permit until such time as final administrative disposition of such permit is made, unless the department proves that final administrative disposition of such application has not been made because of the failure of the applicant to furnish information reasonably required or requested in order to process the application. This subsection shall not apply to any facility which has previously been denied a permit under this section or if authority to operate the facility under this section has been previously terminated.
(2) Land disposal facilities which had qualified for federal interim status prior to November 8, 1984, and which failed to fully comply with the requirements of Section 3005(e)(2) of the RCRA by November 8, 1985, shall not be eligible for interim status under this subsection.
(3) In the case of each land disposal facility which is in existence on the effective date of statutory or regulatory changes under this act that render the facility subject to the requirement to have a permit under this section and which is granted interim status under this subsection, interim status shall terminate on the date 12 months after the date on which the facility first becomes subject to such permit requirement unless the owner or operator of such facility:
a. Applies for a final determination regarding the issuance of a permit under subsection (c) of this section for such facility not later than 12 months after the date on which the facility first becomes subject to such permit requirement; and
b. Certifies that such facility is in compliance with all applicable groundwater monitoring and financial responsibility requirements.
(4) The department, acting through the commission, shall promulgate rules and regulations establishing such additional requirements regarding qualifications for receiving and retaining interim status as may be deemed necessary to protect human health or the environment or to be consistent with federal interim status requirements.
(j) No permit shall be required under this section in order to construct a facility if such facility is constructed pursuant to an approval issued by the Administrator of the United States Environmental Protection Agency under Section 6 (e) of the Federal Toxic Substances Control Act for the incineration of polychlorinated biphenyls and any person owning or operating such a facility may at any time after operation or construction of such facility has begun, file an application for a permit pursuant to this section authorizing such facility to incinerate hazardous waste identified or listed under this chapter.
(k) Upon a determination by the department of noncompliance by a facility or site having a permit or interim status under this section with the requirements of this chapter, the rules or regulations promulgated under authority of this chapter, a permit issued under authority of this chapter or any order issued under authority of this chapter, the department may suspend or revoke such permit or suspend or terminate such interim status.
(l) Nothing in this act shall be construed to affect the applicability or effect of the Minus Act, Section 22-30-5.1.

Legislative History

(Acts 1978, 2nd Ex. Sess., No. 129, p. 1843, §12; Acts 1984, No. 84-50, §1; Acts 1987, No. 87-807, p. 1590, §9.)