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Administrative Code

Virginia Administrative Code
11/21/2024

Article 3. Cost Estimates

9VAC20-70-110. (Repealed.)

Article 3
Cost Estimates

Historical Notes

Derived from VR672-20-1 § 3.4, eff. July 22, 1987; repealed, Virginia Register Volume 14, Issue 6, eff. January 7, 1998.

9VAC20-70-111. Cost estimate for facility closure.

A. The owner or operator shall submit to the department a detailed written cost estimate, in current dollars, of the cost of closing the facility in accordance with the requirements of 9VAC20-70-90 A as part of any permit application, or at the request of the director. The owner or operator shall also submit to the department a revised cost estimate in current dollars when requesting a permit modification that changes the closure cost estimate. The closure cost estimate shall be approved by the director.

1. The estimate shall equal the cost of final closure at the point in the facility's active life when the extent and manner of its operation would make closure the most expensive, as indicated by its closure plan.

2. The closure cost estimate shall be based on the costs to the owner or operator of hiring a third party to close the facility. A third party may not be either a parent or a subsidiary of the owner or operator.

3. The closure cost estimate may not incorporate any salvage value that may be realized by the sale of wastes, facility structures or equipment, land or other facility assets at the time of partial or final closures.

B. During the active life of the facility, the owner or operator shall adjust the closure cost estimate annually for inflation within 60 days prior to the anniversary date of the establishment of the financial mechanisms used to comply with this chapter. For owners and operators using the financial test or guarantee, the closure cost estimate shall be updated for inflation within 30 days after the close of the owner's or operator's fiscal year. The adjustment shall be made by using an inflation factor derived from the most recent Implicit Price Deflator for Gross National Product published by the U.S. Department of Commerce in its Survey of Current Business, as specified below. The inflation factor is the result of dividing the latest published annual deflator by the deflator for the previous year.

1. The first adjustment is made by multiplying the closure cost estimate by the latest inflation factor. The result is the adjusted closure cost estimate.

2. Subsequent adjustments are made by multiplying the latest adjusted closure cost estimate by the latest inflation factor.

C. During the active life of the facility, the owner or operator shall revise the closure cost estimate no later than 30 days after a revision has been made to the closure plan which increases the cost of closure. If the owner or operator has an approved closure plan, the closure cost estimate shall be revised no later than 30 days after the closure plan has been modified, if the change in the closure plan increases the cost of closure. The revised closure cost estimate shall also be adjusted for inflation as specified in subdivisions B 1 and B 2 of this section.

D. The owner or operator shall maintain in the facility's operating record the latest closure cost estimate prepared in accordance with subsections A through C of this section during the operating life of the facility.

E. The owner or operator of each solid waste management unit shall establish financial assurance in current dollars for the cost of closure of the unit in compliance with 9VAC20-70-140. The owner or operator shall provide continuous coverage for closure until released from financial assurance requirements by the director.

F. The owner or operator may request a reduction in the closure cost estimate and the amount of financial assurance provided under subsection E of this section, if the cost estimate exceeds the maximum cost of closure at any time during the active life of the unit. The owner or operator shall submit a revised cost estimate with the justification for the reduction to the director when requesting a reduction in the amount of the closure cost estimate and the amount of financial assurance provided. The justification shall include an itemization of all closure costs. No reduction request shall be reviewed until a complete cost estimate acceptable to the department has been submitted. A request for a reduction in the closure cost estimate shall be reviewed in a timely manner.

Statutory Authority

§§ 10.1-1402 and 10.1-1410 of the Code of Virginia.

Historical Notes

Derived from Virginia Register Volume 14, Issue 6, eff. January 7, 1998; amended, Virginia Register Volume 18, Issue 3, eff. November 21, 2001.

9VAC20-70-112. Cost estimate for facility post-closure.

A. The owner or operator shall submit to the department a detailed written estimate, in current dollars, of the cost of hiring a third party to conduct post-closure care for the solid waste disposal unit in compliance with the post-closure plan required by 9VAC20-70-90 B. The post-closure cost estimate used to demonstrate financial assurance shall account for the total costs of conducting post-closure care, including annual and periodic costs as described in the post-closure plan over the entire post-closure care period. The owner or operator shall submit the estimate to the director and place the estimate in the operating record. The post-closure cost estimate shall be approved by the director.

1. The cost estimate for post-closure care shall be based on the total costs of post-closure care during the post-closure care period.

2. During the active life of the solid waste disposal unit and during the post-closure care period, the owner or operator shall adjust the post-closure cost estimate annually for inflation within 60 days prior to the anniversary date of the establishment of the financial mechanism used to comply with this part. For owners or operators using the financial test or guarantee, the post-closure care cost estimate shall be updated for inflation within 30 days after the close of the owner's or operator's fiscal year. The adjustment process to be used is described in 9VAC20-70-111 B.

3. The owner or operator shall increase the post-closure care cost estimate and the amount of financial assurance provided under subsection B of this section no later than 30 days after a revision to the post-closure plan has been approved by the director or where a change in the solid waste disposal unit conditions increase the maximum costs of post-closure care.

4. The owner or operator may request a reduction in the post-closure cost estimate and the amount of financial assurance provided under subsection B of this section if the cost estimate exceeds the maximum costs of post-closure care remaining over the post-closure care period. The owner or operator shall submit a revised post closure cost estimate with the justification for the reduction to the director when requesting a reduction in the amount of the post-closure cost estimate and the amount of financial assurance provided. The justification shall include an itemization of all post-closure costs. No reduction request shall be reviewed until a complete cost estimate acceptable to the department has been submitted. A request for a reduction in the post-closure cost estimate shall be reviewed in a timely manner.

B. The owner or operator of each solid waste disposal unit shall establish, in a manner under 9VAC20-70-140, financial assurance in current dollars for the costs of post-closure care as required under 9VAC20-70-90 B. The owner or operator shall provide continuous coverage for post-closure care until released from financial assurance requirements for post-closure care by the director.

C. The owner or operator shall maintain in the facility's operating record the latest post-closure cost estimate prepared in accordance with subsection B of this section during the active life of the facility and during the entire post-closure care period.

Statutory Authority

§§ 10.1-1402 and 10.1-1410 of the Code of Virginia.

Historical Notes

Derived from Virginia Register Volume 14, Issue 6, eff. January 7, 1998; amended, Virginia Register Volume 18, Issue 3, eff. November 21, 2001.

9VAC20-70-113. Financial assurance for corrective action.

A. Within 120 days of a facility's finding or the director's determining (whichever first occurs) that Groundwater Protection Standards established as required by 9VAC20-81-250 have been statistically exceeded, an owner or operator of a landfill or other unit subject to groundwater monitoring shall provide additional financial assurance in the amount of $1 million to the department using the mechanisms listed under Article 4 (9VAC20-70-140 et seq.) of this part. The director shall release the owner or operator from this requirement after the director has determined:

1. The owner or operator is providing financial assurance for a corrective action program using one or more mechanisms listed under Article 4 (9VAC20-70-140 et seq.) of this part, as required under 9VAC20-70-90 C and subsections B and C of this section; or

2. The owner of operator has achieved compliance with Groundwater Protection Standards by demonstrating that concentrations of Table 3.1, Column B of 9VAC20-81-250 have not exceeded the Groundwater Protection Standards for a period of three consecutive years using the appropriate statistical procedures and performance standards.

B. An owner or operator of a solid waste management unit required to undertake a corrective action program under 9VAC20-70-90 C shall prepare and submit to the director a detailed written estimate, in current dollars, of the cost of hiring a third party to perform the corrective action. The corrective action cost estimate shall account for the total costs of corrective action activities as described in the corrective action plan for the entire corrective action period. The owner or operator shall notify the director that the estimate has been placed in the operating record unless corrective action is proceeding under 9VAC20-81-45. In the latter case, the new corrective action cost estimate shall be submitted to the director within 30 days of its preparation. The corrective action cost estimate shall be approved by the director.

1. The owner or operator shall adjust the estimate annually for inflation within 60 days prior to the anniversary date of the establishment of the financial mechanism used to comply with this part until the corrective action program is completed. For owners or operators using the financial test or guarantee, the corrective action cost estimate shall be updated for inflation within 30 days after the close of the owner's or operator's fiscal year. The adjustment process to be used is described in 9VAC20-70-111 B.

2. The owner or operator shall increase the corrective action cost estimate and the amount of financial assurance provided under this subsection no later than 30 days after revisions to the corrective action program or where a change in the solid waste management unit conditions increase the maximum costs of corrective action.

3. The owner or operator may request a reduction in the amount of the corrective action cost estimate and the amount of financial assurance provided under this subsection if the cost estimate exceeds the maximum remaining costs of corrective action. The owner or operator shall submit a revised cost estimate with the justification for the reduction to the director when requesting a reduction in the amount of the corrective action cost estimate and the amount of financial assurance provided. The justification shall include an itemization of all corrective action costs. No reduction request shall be reviewed until a complete cost estimate acceptable to the department has been submitted. A request for a reduction in the corrective action cost estimate shall be reviewed in a timely manner.

C. The owner or operator of each solid waste management unit required to undertake a corrective action program under 9VAC20-70-90 C shall establish financial assurance in the amount specified by the most recently approved cost estimate for the selected remedy in accordance with 9VAC20-70-140. The owner or operator shall provide continuous coverage for corrective action until released from financial assurance requirements for corrective action by the director.

Statutory Authority

§§ 10.1-1402 and 10.1-1410 of the Code of Virginia.

Historical Notes

Derived from Virginia Register Volume 14, Issue 6, eff. January 7, 1998; amended, Virginia Register Volume 18, Issue 3, eff. November 21, 2001; Volume 27, Issue 22, eff. August 3, 2011.

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