A. Beginning one hundred eighty days after the effective date of the design and operation rules adopted by the director for that type of solid waste facility pursuant to section 49-761 or article 11 of this chapter or after CCR program approval, whichever is later, a solid waste facility may not be operated unless financial responsibility has been demonstrated for the costs of closure, postclosure care, if necessary, and any corrective action as a result of known releases from the facility. Financial assurance for municipal solid waste landfills shall be required pursuant to section 49-761, subsection B. This subsection applies to small municipal solid waste landfills beginning on October 9, 1997. For all other municipal solid waste landfills, this subsection shall apply beginning on September 1, 1997 unless the director establishes an alternative date pursuant to section 49-761, subsection B on a facility-specific basis.

Terms Used In Arizona Laws 49-770

  • Action: includes any matter or proceeding in a court, civil or criminal. See Arizona Laws 1-215
  • CCR: means fly ash, bottom ash, boiler slag and flue gas desulfurization materials generated from burning coal for the purpose of generating electricity by electric utilities and independent power producers. See Arizona Laws 49-701
  • CCR program approval: means United States environmental protection agency approval of the Arizona coal combustion residuals program in accordance with 42 United States Code § 6945(d)(1). See Arizona Laws 49-701
  • Director: means the director of environmental quality who is also the director of the department. See Arizona Laws 49-101
  • Facility plan: means any design or operating plan for a solid waste facility or group of solid waste facilities other than a permit issued under article 11 of this chapter. See Arizona Laws 49-701
  • Solid waste facility: means a transfer facility and any site owned, operated or used by any person for the storage, processing, treatment or disposal of solid waste, conditionally exempt small quantity generator waste or household hazardous waste but does not include the following:

    (a) A site at which less than one ton of solid waste that is not household waste, household hazardous waste, conditionally exempt small quantity generator waste, medical waste or special waste and that was generated on site is stored, processed, treated or disposed in compliance with Section 49-762. See Arizona Laws 49-701

B. Within one hundred eighty days after the effective date of the design and operation rules adopted by the director for that type of solid waste facility pursuant to section 49-761, existing solid waste facilities shall modify and submit existing facility plans to the department to demonstrate the financial responsibility required by this section. A solid waste facility in operation before the effective date of the design and operation rules adopted by the director for that type of solid waste facility pursuant to section 49-761 may continue to operate while the department reviews the modified plan.

C. Within one hundred eighty days after the effective date of design and operation rules adopted by the director for that type of solid waste facility pursuant to article 11 of this chapter, existing solid waste facilities regulated under article 11 of this chapter may submit to the department the financial responsibility required by this section. Within one hundred eighty days after CCR program approval, existing solid waste facilities regulated under article 11 of this chapter shall submit to the department the financial responsibility required by this section. A solid waste facility in operation before the effective date of CCR program approval may continue to operate while the department reviews the submission.

D. A demonstration of financial responsibility made for a solid waste facility under chapter 2, article 3 of this title shall suffice, in whole or in part, for any demonstration of financial responsibility prescribed by this section. A demonstration of financial assurance or competence required under this section or under chapter 2, article 3 of this title for a solid waste facility shall not be required before completion of construction but shall be required before the department issues approval to operate.

E. The terms and conditions adopted by the director for each financial assurance mechanism shall provide:

1. The amount in current dollars equal to the cost of hiring a third party to complete site closure and, if necessary, continued postclosure monitoring and maintenance consistent with the plan and any factor to be applied for inflation. Amounts shall be updated annually for solid waste landfills and every three years for all other solid waste facilities to adjust for inflation or as necessary to reflect increased costs resulting from changes to the facility plan or facility conditions.

2. The period after closure for which financial assurance is required.

F. The approved financial assurance mechanism shall not be released unless the plan-specified closure and postclosure requirements have been completed or unless new financial assurance has been submitted by a new owner or operator of the solid waste facility and approved by the director. The owner or operator of the solid waste facility:

1. Shall receive any accrued interest on financial assurance instruments retained by the department.

2. May request a reduction in financial assurance requirements on completion of closure or portions of postclosure monitoring and maintenance that are approved by the director.

3. Shall justify any reduction in closure or postclosure cost estimates in the facility plan.

4. Shall assure that the period of coverage of the financial assurance instrument exceeds by a minimum of ninety days the applicable one-year or three-year time period required in subsection E of this section.

5. Shall be released from closure or postclosure financial responsibility on certification by a registered professional engineer or other environmental professional deemed acceptable by the director that the specific activities of closure or postclosure have been completed in accordance with the approved facility plan and placed in the operating record of the facility plan.

G. For a local governmental agency with CCR units, the demonstration required by this section may contain the details of the financial arrangements used to meet the estimated closure and postclosure costs without specifying a specific financial assurance mechanism.