§ 22-18-6 — Promulgation of rules by director

(a) The director has overall responsibility for the promulgation of rules under this article. The director shall promulgate the following rules, in consultation with the Department of Health, the Office of Emergency Services, the Public Service Commission, the state Fire Marshal, the department of public safety, the Division of Highways, the Department of Agriculture, and the environmental quality board. In promulgating and revising such rules, the director shall comply with the provisions of chapter twenty-nine-a of this code, shall avoid duplication to the maximum extent practicable with the appropriate provisions of the acts and laws set out in subsection (b), section five of this article and shall be consistent with but no more expansive in coverage nor more stringent in effect than the rules and regulations promulgated by the federal environmental protection agency pursuant to the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act:

(1) Rules establishing a plan for the safe and effective management of hazardous wastes within the state;

(2) Rules establishing criteria for identifying the characteristics of hazardous waste, identifying the characteristics of hazardous waste and listing particular hazardous wastes which are subject to the provisions of this article:Provided, That:

(A) Each waste listed below shall, except as provided in paragraph (B) of this subdivision, be subject only to regulation under other applicable provisions of federal or state law in lieu of this article until proclamation by the Governor finding that at least six months have elapsed since the date of submission of the applicable study required to be conducted under Section 8002 of the federal Solid Waste Disposal Act, as amended, and that regulations have been promulgated with respect to such wastes in accordance with Section 3001 (b)(3)(C) of the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act, and finding in the case of the wastes identified in subparagraph (iv) of this paragraph that the regulation of such wastes has been authorized by an act of Congress in accordance with Section 3001 (b)(2) of the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act:

(i) Fly ash waste, bottom ash waste, slag waste and flue gas emission control waste generated primarily from the combustion of coal or other fossil fuels;

(ii) Solid waste from the extraction, beneficiation and processing of ores and minerals, including phosphate rock and overburden from the mining of uranium ore;

(iii) Cement kiln dust waste; and

(iv) Drilling fluids, produced waters and other wastes associated with the exploration, development or production of crude oil or natural gas or geothermal energy.

(B) Owners and operators of disposal sites for wastes listed in paragraph (A) of this subdivision may be required by the director through rule prescribed under authority of this section:

(i) As to disposal sites for such wastes which are to be closed, to identify the locations of such sites through surveying, platting or other measures, together with recordation of such information on the public record, to assure that the locations where such wastes are disposed of are known and can be located in the future; and

(ii) To provide chemical and physical analysis and composition of such wastes, based on available information, to be placed on the public record;

(3) Rules establishing such standards applicable to generators of hazardous waste identified or listed under this article as may be necessary to protect public health and safety and the environment, which standards shall establish requirements respecting: (A) Record-keeping practices that accurately identify the quantities of such hazardous waste generated, the constituents thereof which are significant in quantity or in potential harm to public health or the environment and the disposition of such wastes; (B) labeling practices for any containers used for the storage, transport or disposal of such hazardous waste such as will identify accurately such waste; (C) use of appropriate containers for such hazardous waste; (D) furnishing of information on the general chemical composition of such hazardous wastes to persons transporting, treating, storing or disposing of such wastes; (E) use of a manifest system and any other reasonable means necessary to assure that all such hazardous waste generated is designated for treatment, storage or disposal in, and arrives at treatment, storage or disposal facilities (other than facilities on the premises where the waste is generated) with respect to which permits have been issued which are required: (i) By this article or any rule required by this article to be promulgated; (ii) by Subtitle C of the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act; (iii) by the laws of any other state which has an authorized hazardous waste program pursuant to Section 3006 of the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act; or (iv) by Title I of the federal Marine Protection, Research and Sanctuaries Act; and (F) the submission of reports to the director at such times as the director deems necessary setting out the quantities of hazardous wastes identified or listed under this article that the generator has generated during a particular time period, and the disposition of all such hazardous waste;

(4) Rules establishing such performance standards applicable to owners and operators of facilities for the treatment, storage or disposal of hazardous waste identified or listed under this article as may be necessary to protect public health and safety and the environment, which standards shall, where appropriate, distinguish in such standards between requirements appropriate for new facilities and for facilities in existence on the date of promulgation of such rules and shall include, but need not be limited to, requirements respecting: (A) Maintaining records of all hazardous wastes identified or listed under this article which are treated, stored or disposed of, as the case may be, and the manner in which such wastes were treated, stored or disposed of; (B) satisfactory reporting, monitoring and inspection and compliance with the manifest system referred to in subdivision (3) of subsection (a) of this section; (C) treatment, storage or disposal of all such waste received by the facility pursuant to such operating methods, techniques and practices as may be satisfactory to the director; (D) the location, design and construction of such hazardous waste treatment, disposal or storage facilities; (E) contingency plans for effective action to minimize unanticipated damage from any treatment, storage or disposal of any such hazardous waste; (F) the maintenance of operation of such facilities and requiring such additional qualifications as to ownership, continuity of operation, training for personnel and financial responsibility as may be necessary or desirable; however, no private entity may be precluded by reason of criteria established under this subsection from the ownership or operation of facilities providing hazardous waste treatment, storage or disposal services where such entity can provide assurances of financial responsibility and continuity of operation consistent with the degree and duration of risks associated with the treatment, storage or disposal of specified hazardous waste; and (G) compliance with the requirements of section eight of this article respecting permits for treatment, storage or disposal;

(5) Rules specifying the terms and conditions under which the director shall issue, modify, suspend, revoke or deny such permits as may be required by this article;

(6) Rules for the establishment and maintenance of records; the making of reports; the taking of samples and the performing of tests and analyses; the installing, calibrating, operating and maintaining of monitoring equipment or methods; and the providing of any other information as may be necessary to achieve the purposes of this article;

(7) Rules establishing standards and procedures for the certification of personnel at hazardous waste treatment, storage or disposal facilities or sites;

(8) Rules for public participation in the implementation of this article;

(9) Rules establishing procedures and requirements for the use of a manifest during the transport of hazardous wastes;

(10) Rules establishing procedures and requirements for the submission and approval of a plan, applicable to owners or operators of hazardous waste storage, treatment and disposal facilities, as necessary or desirable for closure of the facility, post-closure monitoring and maintenance, sudden and accidental occurrences and nonsudden and accidental occurrences;

(11) Rules establishing a schedule of fees to recover the costs of processing permit applications and permit renewals;

(12) Rules, including exemptions and variances, as appropriate: (A) Establishing standards and prohibitions relating to the management of hazardous waste by land disposal methods; (B) establishing standards and prohibitions relating to the land disposal of liquid hazardous wastes or free liquids contained in hazardous wastes and any other liquids which are not hazardous wastes; (C) establishing standards applicable to producers, distributors or marketers of hazardous waste fuels; and (D) as are otherwise necessary to allow the state to assume primacy for the administration of the federal hazardous waste management program under the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act and in particular, the Hazardous and Solid Waste Amendments of 1984:Provided, That such rules authorized by this subdivision shall be consistent with but no more expansive in coverage nor more stringent in effect than rules and regulations promulgated by the federal environmental protection agency under Subtitle C;

(13) Rules: (A) Establishing air pollution performance standards and permit requirements and procedures as may be necessary to comply with the requirements of this article and in accordance with the provisions of article five of this chapter. Such permits shall be in addition to those permits required by section eight of this article;

(B) For the monitoring and control of air emissions at hazardous waste treatment storage and disposal facilities, including, but not limited to, open tanks, surface impoundments and landfills, as may be necessary to protect human health and the environment; and

(C) Establishing standards applicable to the owners and operators of facilities which burn, for purposes of energy recovery, any fuel produced from any hazardous waste identified or listed pursuant to subdivision (2), subsection (a) of this section or which is produced from any hazardous waste identified or listed pursuant to subdivision (2), subsection (a) of this section and any other material, as may be necessary to protect human health and the environment:Provided, That such legislative rules shall be consistent with Subtitle C.

Any person aggrieved or adversely affected by an order of the director made and entered to implement or enforce the rules required by this subdivision or by the failure or refusal of said director to act within a reasonable time on an application for a permit or by the issuance or denial of or by the terms and conditions of a permit granted under the provisions of the rules required by this subdivision, may appeal to the air quality board in accordance with the procedure set forth in article one, chapter twenty-two-b of this code, and orders made and entered by said board are subject to judicial review in accordance with the procedures set forth in article one, chapter twenty-two-b of this code, except that as to cases involving an order granting or denying an application for a permit, revoking or suspending a permit or approving or modifying the terms and conditions of a permit or the failure to act within a reasonable time on an application for a permit, the petition for judicial review shall be filed in the circuit court of Kanawha County.

(14) Rules developing performance standards and other requirements under this section as may be necessary to protect public health and the environment from any hazard associated with the management of used oil and recycled oil. The director shall ensure that such rules do not discourage the recovery or recycling of used oil. For these purposes, "used oil" shall mean any oil that has been refined from crude oil, or any synthetic oil, that has been used and as a result of such use is contaminated by physical or chemical impurities.

(15) Such other rules as are necessary to effectuate the purposes of this article.

(b) The rules required by this article to be promulgated shall be reviewed and, where necessary, revised not less frequently than every three years. Additionally, the rules required to be promulgated by this article shall be revised, as necessary, within two years of the effective date of any amendment of the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act and within six months of the effective date of any adoption or revision of rules required to be promulgated by the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act.

(c) Notwithstanding any other provision in this article, the director shall not promulgate rules which are more properly within the jurisdiction and expertise of any of the agencies empowered with rule-making authority pursuant to section seven of this article.

Legislative History

2024 Reg. Sess., HB4274; 1994 Reg. Sess., HB4065