Section 30. Eligibility criteria

A. Applicants and proposed sites shall meet eligibility criteria as defined in this section.

B. Eligible applicants are any persons who own, operate, have a security interest in, or enter into a contract for the purchase or use of an eligible site. Those who wish to voluntarily remediate a site may apply to participate in the program. Any person who is an authorized agent of any of the parties identified in this subsection may apply to participate in the program.

Applicants who are not the site owner must demonstrate that they have access to the property at the time of payment of the registration fee in accordance with 9VAC20-160-60 and must maintain such right of access until a certificate is issued or participation in the program is terminated pursuant to 9VAC20-160-100.

C. Sites are eligible for participation in the program if (i) remediation has not been clearly mandated by the United States Environmental Protection Agency, the department, or a court pursuant to the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act (42 USC § 9601 et seq.), the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (42 USC § 6901 et seq.), the Virginia Waste Management Act (§ 10.1-1400 et seq. of the Code of Virginia), the Virginia State Water Control Law (§ 62.1-44.2 et seq. of the Code of Virginia), or other applicable statutory or common law; or (ii) jurisdiction of the statutes listed in clause (i) has been waived.

1. A site on which an eligible party has performed remediation of a release is potentially eligible for the program if the actions can be documented in a way which are equivalent to the requirements for this chapter, and provided the site meets applicable remediation levels.

2. Petroleum or oil releases not mandated for remediation under Articles 9 (§ 62.1-44.34:8 et seq.) and 11 (§ 62.1-44.34:14 et seq.) of the Virginia State Water Control Law may be eligible for participation in the program.

3. Where an applicant raises a genuine issue based on documented evidence as to the applicability of regulatory programs in subsection D of this section, the site may be eligible for the program. Such evidence may include a demonstration that:

a. It is not clear whether the release involved a waste material or a virgin material;

b. It is not clear that the release occurred after the relevant regulations became effective; or

c. It is not clear that the release occurred at a regulated unit.

D. For the purposes of this chapter, remediation has been clearly mandated if any of the following conditions exist, unless jurisdiction for such mandate has been waived:

1. Remediation of the release is the subject of a permit issued by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency or the department, a closure plan, an administrative order, a court order, or a consent order, or the site is on the National Priorities List;

2. The site at which the release occurred is subject to the Virginia Hazardous Waste Management Regulations (9VAC20-60) (VHWMR), is a permitted facility, is applying for or should have applied for a permit, is under interim status or should have applied for interim status, or was previously under interim status, and is thereby subject to requirements of the VHWMR;

3. The site at which the release occurred has been determined by the department prior to the application submittal date to be an open dump or unpermitted solid waste management facility under 9VAC20-81-45 of the Solid Waste Management Regulations and such conditions still exist that made the site an open dump or unpermitted solid waste management facility;

4. The department determines that the release poses an imminent and substantial threat to human health or the environment; or

5. Remediation of the release is otherwise the subject of a response action or investigation required by local, state, or federal law or regulation.

E. The department may determine that a site under subdivision D 3 of this section may participate in the program provided that such participation complies with the substantive requirements of the applicable regulations.

Historical Notes

Derived from Volume 13, Issue 18, eff. June 26, 1997; amended, Virginia Register Volume 18, Issue 18, eff. July 1, 2002; Volume 27, Issue 22, eff. August 3, 2011; Volume 30, Issue 09, eff. January 29, 2014.

Statutory Authority

§ 10.1-1232 of the Code of Virginia.