Section 410. Termination of permits

A. The following are causes for terminating a permit during its term, or for denying a permit renewal application, after public notice and opportunity for a public hearing:

1. The permittee has violated any regulation or order of the board, any provision of the law, or any order of a court, where such violation results in a release of harmful substances into the environment or poses a substantial threat of release of harmful substances into the environment or presents a hazard to human health or the violation is representative of a pattern of serious or repeated violations which in the opinion of the board, demonstrates the permittee's disregard for or inability to comply with applicable laws, regulations or requirements;

2. Noncompliance by the permittee with any condition of the permit;

3. The permittee's failure to disclose fully all relevant material facts, or the permittee's misrepresentation of any relevant material facts in applying for a permit, or in any other report or document required under the law or this chapter;

4. A determination that the permitted activity endangers human health or the environment and can only be regulated to acceptable levels by permit modification or termination;

5. A change in any condition that requires either a temporary or permanent reduction or elimination of any discharge or sludge use or disposal practice controlled by the permit; or

6. There exists a material change in the basis on which the permit was issued that requires either a temporary or a permanent reduction or elimination of any discharge controlled by the permit necessary to protect human health or the environment.

B. The board shall follow the applicable procedures in this chapter in terminating any VPDES permit under this section, except that if the entire discharge is permanently terminated by elimination of the flow or by connection to a POTW or a PVOTW (but not by land application or disposal into a well), the board may terminate the permit by notice to the permittee. Termination by notice shall be effective 30 days after notice is sent, unless the permittee objects within that time. If the permittee objects during that period, the board shall follow the applicable procedures for termination under 9VAC25-31-370 D. Expedited permit termination procedures are not available to permittees that are subject to pending state or federal enforcement actions including citizen suits brought under state or federal law. If requesting expedited permit termination procedures, a permittee must certify that it is not subject to any pending state or federal enforcement actions including citizen suits brought under state or federal law.

Historical Notes

Derived from Volume 12, Issue 20, eff. July 24, 1996; amended, Virginia Register Volume 17, Issue 13, eff. April 11, 2001.

Statutory Authority

§ 62.1-44.15(10) of the Code of Virginia.