Virginia Law

A. Any owner or operator of a privately owned sewerage system subject to this regulation shall file with the department a plan to abate, control, prevent, remove, or contain any substantial imminent threat to public health or the environment that is reasonably likely to occur if such facility ceases operations. Such plan shall be referred to as a closure plan. The closure plan shall include a detailed written estimate of the cost to implement the plan. The owner or operator shall file a closure plan and associated cost estimate for the facility with the department concurrently with the owner's or operator's first VPDES permit application for issuance or reissuance for the facility. Closure plans and cost estimates filed with the department shall be reviewed by the owner or operator and updated as necessary at the end of each VPDES permit term. Revised and updated closure plans shall be filed with the department concurrently with each subsequent VPDES permit application.

B. Closure plans and cost estimates shall be subject to review by the department. The owner or operator shall be notified in writing within 60 days of receipt of the closure plan and cost estimate of the department's decision to approve or disapprove the proposed closure plan and cost estimate. If the department disapproves the closure plan or cost estimate, the department shall notify the owner or operator as to what measures, if any, the owner or operator may take to secure approval. If the owner or operator submits a closure plan that is not approvable by the department, the department may, at its sole discretion, promulgate a closure plan and cost estimate for the facility, subject to appeal by the owner or operator only as to content under the Virginia Administrative Process Act (§ 2.2-4000 et seq. of the Code of Virginia).

C. Closure plans shall be implemented when the department has determined, at its sole discretion, that the facility has ceased operations. The owner or operator of a privately owned facility shall notify the department within 24 hours of the facility ceasing operations as defined in this chapter.

D. In order to assure that the costs associated with protecting public health and the environment are to be recovered from the owner or operator in the event that a facility subject to this regulation ceases operation, the owner or operator of such facility shall submit to the department one or a combination of the financial assurance mechanisms described in this chapter. Financial assurance mechanisms shall be in amounts calculated as the inflation-adjusted cost estimate using the procedures set forth in this chapter.

E. In the case of new facilities or increased discharges from existing facilities, the selected financial assurance mechanism or mechanisms shall be filed with the department no less than 90 days prior to the discharge or increased discharge to state waters.

F. The department may disapprove the proposed evidence of financial assurance if the mechanism or mechanisms submitted do not adequately assure that funds will be available for implementation of the closure plan. The owner or operator shall be notified in writing of the department's decision to approve or disapprove the proposed mechanism. If the department disapproves the financial assurance mechanism, the department shall notify the owner or operator as to what measures, if any, the owner or operator may take to secure approval.

G. Closure plans, cost estimates, and financial assurance mechanisms shall remain in place for the active life of the facility and for the time required to complete the activities specified in the closure plan.