The standardized permit is a special form of RCRA permit, that may consist of two parts: A uniform portion that the Director issues in all cases, and a supplemental portion that the Director issues at his or her discretion. We formally define the term “Standardized permit” in § 124.2.

(a) What comprises the uniform portion? The uniform portion of a standardized permit consists of terms and conditions, relevant to the unit(s) you are operating at your facility, that EPA has promulgated in 40 CFR part 267 (Standards for Owners and Operators of Hazardous Waste Facilities Operating under a Standardized Permit). If you intend to operate under the standardized permit, you must comply with these nationally applicable terms and conditions.

(b) What comprises the supplemental portion? The supplemental portion of a standardized permit consists of site-specific terms and conditions, beyond those of the uniform portion, that the Director may impose on your particular facility, as necessary to protect human health and the environment. If the Director issues you a supplemental portion, you must comply with the site-specific terms and conditions it imposes.

(1) When required under § 267.101, provisions to implement corrective action will be included in the supplemental portion.

(2) Unless otherwise specified, these supplemental permit terms and conditions apply to your facility in addition to the terms and conditions of the uniform portion of the standardized permit and not in place of any of those terms and conditions.

(a) You may be eligible for a standardized permit if:

(1) You generate hazardous waste and then store or non-thermally treat the hazardous waste on-site in containers, tanks, or containment buildings; or

(2) You receive hazardous waste generated off-site by a generator under the same ownership as the receiving facility, and then you store or non-thermally treat the hazardous waste in containers, tanks, or containment buildings.

(3) In either case, the Director will inform you of your eligibility when a decision is made on your permit.

(b) [Reserved]

(a) You must follow the requirements in this subpart as well as those in § 124.31, 40 CFR 270.10, and 40 CFR part 270, subpart J.

(b) You must submit to the Director a written Notice of Intent to operate under the standardized permit. You must also include the information and certifications required under 40 CFR part 270, subpart J.

Where all units in the RCRA permit are eligible for the standardized permit, you may request that your individual permit be revoked and reissued as a standardized permit, in accordance with § 124.5. Where only some of the units in the RCRA permit are eligible for the standardized permit, you may request that your individual permit be modified to no longer include those units and issue a standardized permit for those units in accordance with § 124.204.

(a) You must review the Notice of Intent and supporting information submitted by the facility owner or operator.

(b) You must determine whether the facility is or is not eligible to operate under the standardized permit.

(1) If the facility is eligible for the standardized permit, you must propose terms and conditions, if any, to include in a supplemental portion. If you determine that these terms and conditions are necessary to protect human health and the environment and cannot be imposed, you must tentatively deny coverage under the standardized permit.

(2) If the facility is not eligible for the standardized permit, you must tentatively deny coverage under the standardized permit. Cause for ineligibility may include, but is not limited to, the following:

(i) Failure of owner or operator to submit all the information required under § 270.275.

(ii) Information submitted that is required under § 270.275 is determined to be inadequate.

(iii) Facility does not meet the eligibility requirements (activities are outside the scope of the standardized permit).

(iv) Demonstrated history of significant non-compliance with applicable requirements.

(v) Permit conditions cannot ensure protection of human health and the environment.

(c) You must prepare your draft permit decision within 120 days after receiving the Notice of Intent and supporting documents from a facility owner or operator. Your tentative determination under this section to deny or grant coverage under the standardized permit, including any proposed site-specific conditions in a supplemental portion, constitutes a draft permit decision. You are allowed a one time extension of 30 days to prepare the draft permit decision. When the use of the 30-day extension is anticipated, you should inform the permit applicant during the initial 120-day review period. Reasons for an extension may include, but is not limited to, needing to complete review of submissions with the Notice of Intent (e.g., closure plans, waste analysis plans, for facilities seeking to manage hazardous waste generated off-site).

(d) Many requirements in subpart A of this part apply to processing the standardized permit application and preparing your draft permit decision. For example, your draft permit decision must be accompanied by a statement of basis or fact sheet and must be based on the administrative record. In preparing your draft permit decision, the following provisions of subpart A of this part apply (subject to the following modifications):

(1) Section 124.1 Purpose and Scope. All paragraphs.

(2) Section 124.2 Definitions. All paragraphs.

(3) Section 124.3 Application for a permit. All paragraphs, except paragraphs (c), (d), (f), and (g) of this section apply.

(4) Section 124.4 Consolidation of permit processing. All paragraphs apply; however, in the context of the RCRA standardized permit, the reference to the public comment period is § 124.208 instead of § 124.10.

(5) Section 124.5 Modification, revocation and re-issuance, or termination of permits. Not applicable.

(6) Section 124.6 Draft permits. This section does not apply to the RCRA standardized permit; procedures in this subpart apply instead.

(7) Section 124.7 Statement of basis. The entire section applies.

(8) Section 124.8 Fact sheet. All paragraphs apply; however, in the context of the RCRA standardized permit, the reference to the public comment period is § 124.208 instead of § 124.10.

(9) Section 124.9 Administrative record for draft permits when EPA is the permitting authority. All paragraphs apply; however, in the context of the RCRA standardized permit, the reference to draft permits is § 24.204(c) instead of § 124.6.

(10) Section 124.10 Public notice of permit actions and public comment period. Only §§ 124.10(c)(1)(ix) and (c)(1)(x)(A) apply to the RCRA standardized permit. Most of § 124.10 does not apply to the RCRA standardized permit; §§ 124.207, 124.208, and 124.209 apply instead.

As Director of the regulatory agency, you must consider all comments received during the public comment period (see § 124.208) in making your final permit decision. In addition, many requirements in subpart A of this part apply to the public comment period, public hearings, and preparation of your final permit decision. In preparing a final permit decision, the following provisions of subpart A of this part apply (subject to the following modifications):

(a) Section 124.1 Purpose and Scope. All paragraphs.

(b) Section 124.2 Definitions. All paragraphs.

(c) Section 124.11 Public comments and requests for public hearings. This section does not apply to the RCRA standardized permit; the procedures in § 124.208 apply instead.

(d) Section 124.12 Public hearings. Paragraphs (b), (c), and (d) apply.

(e) Section 124.13 Obligation to raise issues and provide information during the public comment period. The entire section applies; however, in the context of the RCRA standardized permit, the reference to the public comment period is § 124.208 instead of § 124.10.

(f) Section124.14 Reopening of the public comment period. All paragraphs apply; however, in the context of the RCRA standardized permit, use the following reference: in § 124.14(b)(1) use reference to § 124.204 instead of § 124.6; in § 124.14(b)(3) use reference to § 124.208 instead of § 124.10; in § 124.14(c) use reference to § 124.207 instead of § 124.10.

(g) Section 124.15 Issuance and effective date of permit. All paragraphs apply, however, in the context of the RCRA standardized permit, the reference to the public comment period is § 124.208 instead of § 124.10.

(h) Section 124.16 Stays of contested permit conditions. All paragraphs apply.

(i) Section 124.17 Response to comments. This section does not apply to the RCRA standardized permit; procedures in § 124.209 apply instead.

(j) Section 124.18 Administrative record for final permit when EPA is the permitting authority. All paragraphs apply, however, use reference to § 124.209 instead of § 124.17.

(k) Seciton124.19 Appeal of RCRA, UIC, NPDES, and PSD permits. All paragraphs apply.

(l) Section 124.20 Computation of time. All paragraphs apply.

(a) Cases where you may determine that a facility is not eligible for the standardized permit include, but are not limited to, the following:

(1) The facility does not meet the criteria in § 124.201.

(2) The facility has a demonstrated history of significant non-compliance with regulations or permit conditions.

(3) The facility has a demonstrated history of submitting incomplete or deficient permit application information.

(4) The facility has submitted an incomplete or inadequate materials with the Notice of Intent.

(b) If you determine that a facility is not eligible for the standardized permit, you must inform the facility owner or operator that they must apply for an individual permit.

(c) You may require any facility that has a standardized permit to apply for and obtain an individual RCRA permit. Any interested person may petition you to take action under this paragraph. Cases where you may require an individual RCRA permit include, but are not limited to, the following:

(1) The facility is not in compliance with the terms and conditions of the standardized RCRA permit.

(2) Circumstances have changed since the time the facility owner or operator applied for the standardized permit, so that the facility's hazardous waste management practices are no longer appropriately controlled under the standardized permit.

(d) You may require any facility authorized by a standardized permit to apply for an individual RCRA permit only if you have notified the facility owner or operator in writing that an individual permit application is required. You must include in this notice a brief statement of the reasons for your decision, a statement setting a deadline for the owner or operator to file the application, and a statement that, on the effective date of the individual RCRA permit, the facility's standardized permit automatically terminates. You may grant additional time upon request from the facility owner or operator.

(e) When you issue an individual RCRA permit to an owner or operator otherwise subject to a standardized RCRA permit, the standardized permit for their facility will automatically cease to apply on the effective date of the individual permit.

(a) You, as the Director, must provide public notice of your draft permit decision and must provide an opportunity for the public to submit comments and request a hearing on that decision. You must provide the public notice to:

(1) The applicant;

(2) Any other agency which you know has issued or is required to issue a RCRA permit for the same facility or activity (including EPA when the draft permit is prepared by the State);

(3) Federal and State agencies with jurisdiction over fish, shellfish, and wildlife resources and over coastal zone management plans, the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation, State Historic Preservation Officers, including any affected States;

(4) To everyone on the facility mailing list developed according to the requirements in § 124.10(c)(1)(ix); and

(5) To any units of local government having jurisdiction over the area where the facility is proposed to be located and to each State agency having any authority under State law with respect to the construction or operation of the facility.

(b) You must issue the public notice according to the following methods:

(1) Publication in a daily or weekly major local newspaper of general circulation and broadcast over local radio stations;

(2) When the program is being administered by an approved State, in a manner constituting legal notice to the public under State law; and

(3) Any other method reasonably calculated to give actual notice of the draft permit decision to the persons potentially affected by it, including press releases or any other forum or medium to elicit public participation.

(c) You must include the following information in the public notice:

(1) The name and telephone number of the contact person at the facility.

(2) The name and telephone number of your contact office, and a mailing address to which people may direct comments, information, opinions, or inquiries.

(3) An address to which people may write to be put on the facility mailing list.

(4) The location where people may view and make copies of the draft standardized permit and the Notice of Intent and supporting documents.

(5) A brief description of the facility and proposed operations, including the address or a map (for example, a sketched or copied street map) of the facility location on the front page of the notice.

(6) The date that the facility owner or operator submitted the Notice of Intent and supporting documents.

(d) At the same time that you issue the public notice under this section, you must place the draft standardized permit (including both the uniform portion and the supplemental portion, if any), the Notice of Intent and supporting documents, and the statement of basis or fact sheet in a location accessible to the public in the vicinity of the facility or at your office.

(a) The public notice that you issue under § 124.207 must allow at least 45 days for people to submit written comments on your draft permit decision. This time is referred to as the public comment period. You must automatically extend the public comment period to the close of any public hearing under this section. The hearing officer may also extend the comment period by so stating at the hearing.

(b) During the public comment period, any interested person may submit written comments on the draft permit and may request a public hearing. If someone wants to request a public hearing, they must submit their request in writing to you. Their request must state the nature of the issues they propose to raise during the hearing.

(c) You must hold a public hearing whenever you receive a written notice of opposition to a standardized permit and a request for a hearing within the public comment period under paragraph (a) of this section. You may also hold a public hearing at your discretion, whenever, for instance, such a hearing might clarify one or more issues involved in the permit decision.

(d) Whenever possible, you must schedule a hearing under this section at a location convenient to the nearest population center to the facility. You must give public notice of the hearing at least 30 days before the date set for the hearing. (You may give the public notice of the hearing at the same time you provide public notice of the draft permit, and you may combine the two notices.)

(e) You must give public notice of the hearing according to the methods in § 124.207(a) and (b). The hearing must be conducted according to the procedures in § 124.12(b), (c), and (d).

(f) In their written comments and during the public hearing, if held, interested parties may provide comments on the draft permit decision. These comments may include, but are not limited to, the facility's eligibility for the standardized permit, the tentative supplemental conditions you proposed, and the need for additional supplemental conditions.

(a) At the time you issue a final standardized permit, you must also respond to comments received during the public comment period on the draft permit. Your response must:

(1) Specify which additional conditions (i.e., those in the supplemental portion), if any, you changed in the final permit, and the reasons for the change.

(2) Briefly describe and respond to all significant comments on the facility's ability to meet the general requirements (i.e., those terms and conditions in the uniform portion) and on any additional conditions necessary to protect human health and the environment raised during the public comment period or during the hearing.

(3) Make the comments and responses accessible to the public.

(b) You may request additional information from the facility owner or operator or inspect the facility if you need additional information to adequately respond to significant comments or to make decisions about conditions you may need to add to the supplemental portion of the standardized permit.

(c) If you are the Director of an EPA permitting agency, you must include in the administrative record for your final permit decision any documents cited in the response to comments. If new points are raised or new material supplied during the public comment period, you may document your response to those matters by adding new materials to the administrative record.

You may petition for administrative review of the Director's final permit decision, including his or her decision that the facility is eligible for the standardized permit, according to the procedures of § 124.19. However, the terms and conditions of the uniform portion of the standardized permit are not subject to administrative review under this provision.

You may make both routine changes, routine changes with prior Agency approval, and significant changes. For the purposes of this section:

(a) “Routine changes” are any changes to the standardized permit that qualify as a class 1 permit modification (without prior Agency approval) under 40 CFR 270.42, appendix I, and

(b) “Routine changes with prior Agency approval” are for those changes to the standardized permit that would qualify as a class 1 modification with prior agency approval, or a class 2 permit modification under 40 CFR 270.42, appendix I; and

(c) “Significant changes” are any changes to the standardized permit that:

(1) Qualify as a class 3 permit modification under 40 CFR 270.42, appendix I;

(2) Are not explicitly identified in 40 CFR 270.42, appendix I; or

(3) Amend any terms or conditions in the supplemental portion of your standardized permit.

(a) You can make routine changes to the standardized permit without obtaining approval from the Director. However, you must first determine whether the routine change you will make amends the information you submitted under 40 CFR 270.275 with your Notice of Intent to operate under the standardized permit.

(b) If the routine changes you make amend the information you submitted under 40 CFR 270.275 with your Notice of Intent to operate under the standardized permit, then before you make the routine changes you must:

(1) Submit to the Director the revised information pursuant to 40 CFR 270.275(a); and

(2) Provide notice of the changes to the facility mailing list and to state and local governments in accordance with the procedures in § 124.10(c)(1)(ix) and (x).

(a) Routine changes to the standardized permit with prior Agency approval may only be made with the prior written approval of the Director.

(b) You must also follow the procedures in § 124.212(b)(1)-(2).

(a) You must first provide notice of and conduct a public meeting.

(1) Public Meeting. You must hold a meeting with the public to solicit questions from the community and inform the community of your proposed modifications to your hazardous waste management activities. You must post a sign-in sheet or otherwise provide a voluntary opportunity for people attending the meeting to provide their names and addresses.

(2) Public Notice. At least 30 days before you plan to hold the meeting, you must issue a public notice in accordance with the requirements of § 124.31(d).

(b) After holding the public meeting, you must submit a modification request to the Director that:

(1) Describes the exact change(s) you want and whether they are changes to information you provided under 40 CFR 270.275 or to terms and conditions in the supplemental portion of your standardized permit;

(2) Explain why the modification is needed; and

(3) Includes a summary of the public meeting under paragraph (a) of this section, along with the list of attendees and their addresses and copies of any written comments or materials they submitted at the meeting.

(c) Once the Director receives your modification request, he or she must make a tentative determination within 120 days to approve or disapprove your request. You are allowed a one time extension of 30 days to prepare the draft permit decision. When the use of the 30-day extension is anticipated, you should inform the permit applicant during the initial 120-day review period.

(d) After the Director makes this tentative determination, the procedures in § 124.205 and §§ 124.207 through 124.210 for processing an initial request for coverage under the standardized permit apply to making the final determination on the modification request.