(1) Construction and demolition debris facility and co-located processing facility. The owner or operator of a construction and demolition debris facility shall establish and maintain financial assurance for final closure of the facility and a co-located processing facility, if applicable, as required by paragraph (S) of rule 3745-400-11 of the Administrative Code. Financial assurance may be established and maintained through the use of one of the options specified in paragraphs (B) to (F) of this rule, unless it is demonstrated to the satisfaction of the director or health commissioner of the licensing authority that an alternate option will guarantee funding for final closure. The owner or operator may use the options in combination as specified in paragraph (G) of this rule. Financial assurance documentation shall be submitted and include the information specified in this paragraph and in rule 3745-400-18 of the Administrative Code. [Comment: Because many local health departments had construction and demolition rules in place prior to September 30, 1996, many existing facilities may have financial assurance mechanisms already established. These mechanisms may be acceptable alternatives to the mechanisms outlined in this rule.]
(a) Final closure cost estimate. Financial assurance documentation shall include a final closure cost estimate that calculates the cost of conducting final closure activities in accordance with rule 3745-400-12 of the Administrative Code and includes the following, as applicable:(i) Construction and demolition debris facility. An itemized written closure cost estimate calculated in current dollars and based upon a third party conducting all of the final closure activities as specified in rule 3745-400-12 of the Administrative Code for the construction and demolition debris facility. The amount of the final closure cost estimate shall not be less than thirteen thousand dollars per acre to the nearest tenth of an acre as established in the license application for the construction and demolition debris facility for areas that have been or are being used for disposal.(ii) Co-located processing facility. A fixed per cubic yard closure cost estimate for the co-located processing facility, calculated as follows:(a) If the owner or operator demonstrates annually in the license application that the facility has sufficient constructed and certified airspace to dispose of the maximum volume of mixed C&DD specified in the facility design plan, by multiplying the maximum volume of mixed C&DD as follows: (i) For mixed C&DD located within the active licensed disposal area, four dollars and twenty-five cents.(ii) For mixed C&DD located outside of the active licensed disposal area but within the facility boundary, eight dollars and twenty-five cents.(b) If the owner or operator cannot demonstrate annually in the license application that the facility has sufficient constructed and certified airspace to dispose of the maximum volume of mixed C&DD specified in the facility design plan, by multiplying the maximum volume of mixed construction and demolition debris by thirty-five dollars.(c) Paragraphs (A)(1)(a)(ii)(a) and (A)(1)(a)(ii)(b) of this rule do not apply to the owner or operator of a co-located processing facility with a final closure cost estimate equal to five thousand five hundred dollars or less.(b) Amount and funding of financial assurance. Final closure financial assurance shall be funded in an amount not less than the final closure cost estimate calculated in accordance with paragraph (A)(1)(a) of this rule. If the funded financial assurance is less than the final closure cost estimate authorized in the license, the owner or operator shall fund an amount not less than the final closure cost estimate not later than thirty days after license issuance. If a portion of the increase in the final closure cost estimate is due to the addition of active licensed disposal area for which a construction certification report has not been submitted in accordance with rule 3745-400-08 of the Administrative Code, the owner or operator may delay funding that portion of the final closure cost estimate necessary to close that uncertified active licensed disposal area until the date of submittal of the construction certification report. The owner or operator shall use any single or combination of financial assurance instruments as specified in paragraphs (B) to (G) of this rule.
(c) Review of the final closure financial assurance.(i) The final closure cost estimate shall be recalculated in accordance with paragraph (A)(1)(a) of this rule for each renewal of the annual license application and each application for a modification. (a) The final closure cost estimate shall be recalculated if there is a change in the location or an increase in the acreage of the active licensed disposal area established in the facility's most recent issued license or if there is an increase in the maximum volume of mixed C&DD authorized to be at the co-located processing facility.(b) If there is no change in the location and no increase in the acreage of the active licensed disposal area established in the facility's most recent issued license, and no increase in the maximum volume of mixed C&DD specified in the facility design plan, the owner or operator may as an alternative to recalculating the final closure cost estimate, adjust the final closure cost estimate established in the facility's most recent issued license for inflation as provided in paragraph (A)(1) (c)(ii) of this rule.(ii) Adjustment of the final closure cost estimate for inflation. The adjustment shall be made as specified in this paragraph and paragraphs (A)(1)(c)(2)(a) and (A)(1)(c)(2)(b) of this rule, using the preceding February inflation factor derived from the annual implicit price deflator for gross domestic product as published by the United States department of commerce. The inflation factor is the result of dividing the latest published annual deflator by the deflator for the previous year. (a) The first adjustment is made by multiplying the final closure cost estimate by the inflation factor. The result is the adjusted final closure cost estimate.(b) Subsequent adjustments are made by multiplying the most recently adjusted final closure cost estimate by the most recent inflation factor.(iii) The amount of financial assurance shall not be less than the recalculated final closure cost estimate for each renewal of the annual license application and each application for a modification. The financial assurance provided in a current unexpired license may be utilized to fulfill the financial assurance requirements of an annual license application or a modification if the dollar amount of the financial assurance is equal to or greater than the license application's calculated amount as specified in paragraph (A)(1)(a) of this rule.(d) Final closure financial assurance documentation. Final closure financial assurance documentation shall include the original copy of the financial assurance instruments necessary to achieve compliance with the financial assurance provisions of this rule. The wording contained in the instruments shall be in accordance with the appropriate paragraph of rule 3745-400-14 of the Administrative Code, unless either of the following are applicable: (i) A financial assurance instrument that has been established prior to August 1, 2012 is being utilized pursuant to paragraph (A)(1)(c) (iii) of this rule.(ii) An option other than those specified in paragraphs (B) to (F) of this rule is proposed.(e) Notice of deficiency. The licensing authority shall notify the license applicant of deficiencies with the final closure cost estimate and final closure financial assurance documentation not later than thirty days after licensing authority receipt of the license application. Such notification shall identify any adjustment in the amount of final closure financial assurance being considered by the licensing authority. The owner or operator may demonstrate that the final closure cost estimate for the facility is based upon a third party conducting all of the final closure activities as required by rule 3745-400-12 of the Administrative Code by submitting one of the following:
(i) Three separate cost quotes from three independent entities that are each valid for the applicable license year.(ii) Invoices for specified services incurred by the owner or operator at the facility over the previous license year, accompanied by documentation that the entity will continue to offer the service at the same cost for the applicable license year.(iii) Other documentation acceptable to the director or health commissioner of the licensing authority. [Comment: Various aids are available to assist owners and operators in the development of financial assurance cost estimates through the Ohio EPA web page or by contacting Ohio EPA. Aides include but are not limited to recorded training on C&DD facility cost estimation, the "Financial Assurance Cost Estimation (FACE) spreadsheet," and "Financial Assurance FAQ's for Ohio C&DD Facilities."]
The director or health commissioner of the licensing authority may adjust the amount of financial assurance in conjunction with the issuance of the annual license provided the director or health commissioner of the licensing authority identifies the deficiencies in the itemized final closure cost estimate and provides an explanation of the rationale for financial assurance exceeding thirteen thousand dollars per acre. The rationale may include information provided to or obtained by Ohio EPA or a local board of health.
(f) Release of funds.(i) Release of funds prior to final closure certification. The owner or operator, or any other person authorized to perform final closure on behalf of the owner or operator, may request and receive authorization for reimbursement from or a reduction of the financial assurance required under this rule when the director or health commissioner of the licensing authority has provided written approval of the construction certification report for engineered components of the cap system required in paragraph (A)(3) of rule 3745-400-08 of the Administrative Code. The amount of financial assurance remaining shall not be less than the final closure cost estimate recalculated in accordance with paragraph (A)(1)(a) of this rule. A request for reimbursement from or a reduction of financial assurance shall be submitted to the licensing authority and include the following:(a) A copy of the director or health commissioner of the licensing authority's written approval with the construction certification report for engineered components of the cap system required in paragraph (A)(3) of rule 3745-400-08 of the Administrative Code.(b) The amount of reimbursement or reduction of the financial assurance calculated based upon the unit cost of the completed engineered components contained in the current approved final closure cost estimate, or the total acreage of the certified cap system, to the nearest tenth of an acre.(c) A final closure cost estimate recalculated in accordance with paragraph (A)(1)(a) of this rule.(d) A comparison of the revised final closure cost estimate to the amount of financial assurance remaining if the requested amount of reimbursement or reduction of the financial assurance is released or reduced.(ii) Release of funds after final closure certification. The owner or operator, or any other person authorized to perform final closure on behalf of the owner or operator, may request and receive authorization for reimbursement of all remaining funds or termination of the financial assurance required under this rule only after final closure of the facility and co-located processing facility is deemed complete in accordance with paragraph (G) of rule 3745-400-12 of the Administrative Code.(iii) The licensing authority shall make a determination not later than ninety days after receipt of a complete request.