Virginia Law

A. An owner or operator may meet the requirements of this part by obtaining a written guarantee, referred to in this section as "corporate guarantee." The guarantor shall be the direct or higher-tier parent corporation or direct or higher-tier parent company of the owner or operator, a firm whose parent corporation or parent company is also the parent corporation or parent company of the owner or operator, or a firm with a "substantial business relationship" with the owner or operator.

B. Financial component. The guarantor shall meet the requirements for owners or operators in 9VAC25-650-124 and shall comply with the terms of the corporate guarantee.

C. Reporting requirements.

1. The wording of the corporate guarantee shall be identical to the wording specified in 9VAC25-650 127 G. The corporate guarantee shall accompany the items sent to the director as specified in 9VAC25-650-124 A 2. A copy of the guarantee and other items listed in of 9VAC25-650-124 A 2 shall be placed in the facility's operating record.

2. If the guarantor's parent corporation is also the parent corporation of the owner or operator, the letter shall describe the value received in consideration of the guarantee. If the guarantor is a firm with a "substantial business relationship" with the owner or operator, this letter shall describe this "substantial business relationship" and the value received in consideration of the guarantee.

3. If the owner or operator changes the financial assurance mechanism to corporate guarantee from any other mechanism, the guarantor shall submit the required items 60 days before the former mechanism expires.

D. The terms of the corporate guarantee shall provide that:

1. If the owner or operator fails to perform final closure of a facility covered by the corporate guarantee in accordance with the closure plan and other permit or order requirements whenever required to do so, the guarantor shall:

a. Perform, or pay a third party to perform, closure as required (performance guarantee); or

b. Establish a fully funded trust fund as specified in 9VAC25-650-90 in the name of the owner or operator (payment guarantee).

2. The corporate guarantee will remain in force unless the guarantor sends a prior notice of cancellation by certified mail to the owner or operator and to the director. Cancellation may not occur, however, during the 120 days beginning on the date of receipt of the notice of cancellation by both the owner or operator and the director, as evidenced by the return receipts.

3. If a guarantee is canceled, the owner or operator must within 90 days following receipt of the cancellation notice by the owner or operator obtain alternate financial assurance and submit the required documentation to the director.

4. If the owner or operator fails to provide alternate financial assurance as specified in this part and to obtain the written approval of such alternate assurance from the director within 90 days after the receipt by both the owner or operator and the director of a notice of cancellation of the corporate guarantee from the guarantor, the guarantor will provide such alternate financial assurance in the name of the owner or operator within 120 days of issuing the cancellation notice.

E. If a corporate guarantor no longer meets the requirements of subdivision 1 of 9VAC25-650-124, the owner or operator must, within 90 days following the close of the guarantor's fiscal year, obtain alternative assurance and submit the required documentation to the director. If the owner or operator fails to provide alternate financial assurance within the 90-day period, the guarantor must provide that alternate assurance within 120 days following the close of the guarantor's fiscal year, obtain alternative assurance, and submit the necessary documentation to the director.

F. The owner or operator is no longer required to submit the items specified in this section when:

1. The owner or operator substitutes alternate financial assurance; or

2. The owner or operator is released from the requirements by the director.

G. The wording of the corporate guarantee shall be as follows, except that instructions in parentheses shall be replaced with the relevant information and the parentheses deleted.

CORPORATE GUARANTEE

Guarantee made this (date) by (name of guaranteeing entity), a business corporation or company organized under the laws of the state of (insert name of state), herein referred to as guarantor. This guarantee is made on behalf of the (owner or operator) of (business address), which is (one of the following: "our subsidiary"; "a subsidiary of (name and address of common parent corporation or parent company) of which guarantor is a subsidiary"; or "an entity with which the guarantor has a substantial business relationship, as defined in Part I of the Closure Plan and Demonstration of Financial Capability Regulation 9VAC25-650") to the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality ("Department"), obligee, on behalf of the (owner or operator) of (business address).

Recitals:

1. Guarantor meets or exceeds the financial test criteria in 9VAC25-650-124 and agrees to comply with the reporting requirements for guarantors as specified in 9VAC25-650-127 of the Closure Plan and Demonstration of Financial Capability Regulation ("Regulation").

2. (Owner or operator) owns or operates the following sewage treatment plant(s) covered by this guarantee: (List for each facility: name, address, and permit number, if any.)

3. "Closure plans" as used below refer to the plans maintained as required by the Regulation.

4. For value received from (owner or operator), guarantor guarantees to the Department that in the event that (owner or operator) fails to perform closure of the above facility(ies) in accordance with the closure plan and other (requirements of the) permit or (the order) whenever required to do so, the guarantor shall do so or establish a trust fund as specified in 9VAC25-650-90 in the name of (owner or operator) in the amount of the current closure plan cost estimates.

5. Guarantor agrees that if, at the end of any fiscal year before termination of this guarantee, the guarantor fails to meet the financial test criteria, guarantor shall send within 90 days, by certified mail, notice to the director and to (owner or operator) that guarantor intends to provide alternate financial assurance as specified in 9VAC25-650, in the name of (owner or operator). Within 120 days after the end of such fiscal year, the guarantor shall establish such financial assurance unless (owner or operator) has done so.

6. The guarantor agrees to notify the director by certified mail of a voluntary or involuntary proceeding under Title 11 (Bankruptcy) of the United States Code, naming guarantor as debtor, within 10 days after commencement of the proceeding.

7. Guarantor agrees that within 30 days after being notified by the director of a determination that guarantor no longer meets the financial test criteria or that guarantor is disallowed from continuing as a guarantor of closure, guarantor shall establish alternate financial assurance as specified in 9VAC25-650 in the name of (owner or operator) unless (owner or operator) has done so.

8. Guarantor agrees to remain bound under this guarantee notwithstanding any or all of the following: amendment or modification of the closure plan, amendment or modification of the permit, amendment or modification of the order, the extension or reduction of the time of performance of closure, or any other modification or alteration of an obligation of the owner or operator pursuant to the Regulation or § 62.1-44.18:3 of the Code of Virginia.

9. Guarantor agrees to remain bound under this guarantee for so long as (owner or operator) shall comply with the applicable financial assurance requirements of the Regulation for the above-listed facilities, except as provided in paragraph 10 of this agreement.

10. (Insert the following language if the guarantor is (a) a direct or higher-tier parent corporation or company or (b) a firm whose parent corporation or parent company is also the parent corporation or parent company of the owner or operator:) Guarantor may terminate this guarantee by sending notice by certified mail to the Director of the Department of Environmental Quality and to the (owner or operator), provided that this guarantee may not be terminated unless and until (the owner or operator) obtains and the director approves alternate financial assurance coverage complying with the requirements of 9VAC25-650. (Insert the following language if the guarantor is a firm qualifying as a guarantor due to its "substantial business relationship" with the owner or operator:) Guarantor may terminate this guarantee 120 days following the receipt of notification of cancellation through certified mail by the director and by (the owner or operator).

11. Guarantor agrees that if (owner or operator) fails to provide alternate financial assurance as specified in the Regulation and obtain written approval of such assurance from the director within 90 days after a notice of cancellation by the guarantor is received by the director from guarantor, guarantor shall provide such alternate financial assurance in the name of (owner or operator).

12. Guarantor expressly waives notice of acceptance of this guarantee by the Department or by (owner or operator). Guarantor also expressly waives notice of amendments or modifications of the closure plan and of amendments or modifications of the facility permit(s) or order.

I hereby certify that the wording of this guarantee is identical to the wording in 9VAC25-650-127 G of the Closure Plan and Demonstration of Financial Capability Regulation as such regulation was constituted on the date shown immediately below.