Virginia Law

Monthly Fees Collected by Receiving Facilities

A. Purpose and application.

1. The purpose of this section is to establish schedules and procedures pertaining to the payment and collection of waste monthly fees from any owner or operator of any ship, barge or other vessel by the receiving facility.

2. The fees shall be based on the accurate weight of waste received at the receiving facility. If scales are unavailable, the maximum volumetric capacity of the container multiplied by 0.50 tons per cubic yard may be used as an alternative to accurate weighing of the waste. If the volumetric alternative is used, accurate and complete records of the volume of each container of such waste must be maintained in addition to the calculated weight records describe in this part.

3. If a ship, barge or other vessel that off-loads no more than 50 tons of waste per month in total at all facilities, then the owner or operator of the ship, barge, or other vessel is exempt from the assessment and payment of operating fees and related requirements set out in this section, except for the maintenance of records.

B. Payment, deposit and use of fees.

1. Due date. The owner or operator of the ship, barge, or other vessel shall pay, and the receiving facility shall collect, the correct fees for all waste off-loading at the facility at or before the time it is off-loaded. The owner or operator of the receiving facility shall be the responsible steward for the funds collected and shall forward to the department the total amounts due from all ships, barges or other vessels off-loading at the facility on a monthly basis. All payments for waste received at a facility during the month shall be received by the department no later than the fifteenth of the succeeding month.

2. Method of payment.

a. The owner or operator of the receiving facility shall send a payment transmittal letter to the Department of Environmental Quality regional office for the area in which the receiving facility is located. The letter shall contain the name of the facility, the period that the payment covers, and a summary of weights of wastes received at the facility for the period, including those calculated in accordance with subdivision A 2 of this section. Attached to the letter shall be a log of the waste received showing the date; time of weighing or measurement; weight or volume and calculated weight of each container received; the name, address, and telephone number of the owner or operator of the ship, barge, or other vessel off-loading the container; the name, address and telephone number of the person actually weighing the waste container or verifying the volume; a certification of the accuracy of the scales based on a calibration, including the name, address and telephone number of the person certifying the accuracy of the scale. A facsimile of the check, draft, or money order submitted under subdivision B 2 b of this section shall also be attached. The owner or operator of the receiving facilities shall keep accurate accounts of all payments of monthly fees by ship, barge or vessel owners and make them available to the department for audit; however, he need not send this information with the aforementioned payment unless requested to do so by the department.

b. Fees shall be paid by check, draft or postal money order made payable to "Treasurer of Virginia/DEQ", and shall be sent to the Department of Environmental Quality, Receipts Control, P. O. Box 1104, Richmond, VA 23218. A copy of the transmittal letter required in subdivision B 2 a of this section, not to include the attachments, shall be included with the check.

c. Scales shall be accurate to measurements of plus or minus 40 pounds and shall be calibrated at least every 180 days. Scales for weighing containers must be located at the receiving facility, unless the monthly fee is determined by the maximum volumetric capacity of the container. Any failure to provide immediate access by Department of Environmental Quality personnel or agents to records or scale equipment during business hours shall be a violation of these regulations.

3. Late payment and incomplete payments. A late fee of 18.0% per annum, compounded daily, shall accrue immediately after a payment is due but not received by VDEQ. A facility shall be in arrears when a payment has not been received by the Department of Environmental Quality by the date it is due. In the event that a facility fails to submit the required monthly fee, the owner or operator of the facility will be considered to be operating an unpermitted facility and shall be required to either obtain a new permit by rule in accordance with 9VAC20-170-180 A or close the facility in accordance with Article 2 (9VAC20-170-120 et seq.) of Part III of this chapter.

4. Fee schedules. The fee for each ton or partial ton of waste (the weight of the waste subject to the fee does not include the weight of the empty container itself) off-loaded at the facility shall be $1.00.

5. The fees collected shall be deposited into a separate account with the Virginia Waste Management Board Permit Program Fund and shall be treated as are other moneys in that fund except that they shall only be used for the purposes of Article 7.1 (§ 10.1-1454.1) of Chapter 14 of Title 10.1 of the Code of Virginia, and for funding purposes authorized by the article. Authorized funding purposes under the article include the administrative and enforcement costs associated with such operations including, but not limited to, the inspection and monitoring of such ships, barges or other vessels to ensure compliance with the article, and activities authorized by § 10.1-1454.1 to abate pollution caused by barging of waste, to improve water quality, or for other waste-related purposes.

C. Right of entry, inspection and audit. Upon presentation of appropriate credentials and upon the consent of the owner or custodian, the director of the Department of Environmental Quality or his designee, in addition to the routine inspection of the facility, shall have the right to enter, inspect and audit the records of the receiving facility. The owner or operator of the facility shall provide complete and timely access, during business hours, to all associated equipment, records and facility personnel.