Virginia Law

The closure of all compost facilities, solid waste transfer stations, centralized waste treatment facilities, materials recovery facilities, waste to energy and incineration facilities, and waste piles shall be governed by the standards as set forth in this section:

1. The owner or operator shall close his facility in a manner that minimizes the need for further maintenance, and controls, minimizes, or eliminates, to the extent necessary to protect human health and the environment, the postclosure escape of uncontrolled leachate, surface runoff, or waste decomposition products to the groundwater, surface water, or to the atmosphere.

a. At closure, the owner or operator shall remove or decontaminate all waste residues, contaminated containment system components (liners, etc.), contaminated subsoils, and structures and equipment contaminated with waste and leachate. For miscellaneous units, all waste, materials contaminated with waste constituents, and treatment residue shall be removed and disposed in a permitted facility.

b. If, after removing or decontaminating all residues and making all reasonable efforts to effect removal or decontamination of contaminated components, subsoils, structures, and equipment as required in subdivision 1 a of this section, the owner or operator finds that not all contaminated subsoils can be practicably removed or decontaminated, he shall close the facility and perform postclosure care in accordance with the closure and postclosure care requirements of Part III (9VAC20-81-160 and 9VAC20-81-170, respectively). In addition, for compost facilities, other corrective measures approved by the department may be used to remediate the site.

2. Closure plan and modification of plan.

a. The owner or operator of any facility shall have a written closure plan. This plan shall identify the steps necessary to completely close the facility/unit at its full operation under the permit conditions. The closure plan shall include, at least a schedule for final closure including, as a minimum, the anticipated date when wastes will no longer be received, the date when completion of final closure is anticipated, and intervening milestone dates that will allow tracking of the progress of closure.

b. The owner or operator may amend his closure plan at any time during the active life of the facility. The owner or operator shall so amend his plan any time changes in operating plans or facility design affects the closure plan. The amended closure plan shall be placed in the operating record.

c. The owner or operator shall submit to the department the amended closure plan that was placed in the operating record.

d. At least 180 days prior to beginning closure of each unit, the owner or operator shall notify the department of the intent to close.

e. The owner or operator shall provide to the department a certification from a professional engineer that the facility has been closed in accordance with the closure plan.

3. Time allowed for closure.

a. The owner or operator shall complete closure activities in accordance with the closure plan and within six months after receiving the final volume of wastes. The director may approve a longer closure period if the owner or operator can demonstrate that the required or planned closure activities will, of necessity, take longer than six months to complete; and that he has taken all steps to eliminate any significant threat to human health and the environment from the unclosed but inactive facility.

b. The owner or operator shall post one sign notifying all persons of the closing, and providing a notice prohibiting further receipt of waste materials. The sign will remain in place until closure activities are complete. Further, suitable barriers shall be installed at former accesses to prevent new waste from being delivered.

4. Inspection. The department shall inspect all facilities at the time of closure to confirm that the closing is complete and adequate. It shall notify the owner of a closed facility, in writing, if the closure is satisfactory, and shall require any necessary construction or such other steps as may be necessary to bring unsatisfactory sites into compliance with this chapter.