Or. Admin. Code § 340-253-0670

Current through Register Vol. 63, No. 12, December 1, 2024

Section 340-253-0670 - Authority to Suspend, Revoke, or Modify

(1) If DEQ determines that any basis for invalidation set forth in section (2) below has occurred, in addition to taking any other authorized enforcement action, DEQ may take any of the actions described in subsections (a) through (d). For the purposes of this section an approved carbon intensity refers both to carbon intensities approved by DEQ under OAR 340-253-0450 and under OAR 340-253-0400(4).

(a) Suspend, restrict, modify, or revoke an account in the Oregon Fuels Reporting System, or take one combination of two or more such actions;

(b) Modify or delete an approved carbon intensity;

(c) Restrict, suspend, or invalidate credits; and

(d) Recalculate the deficits in a regulated party's Oregon Fuels Reporting System account.

(2) DEQ may take any of the actions described in section (1) based on any of the following:

(a) Any of the information used to generate or support the approved carbon intensity was incorrect, including if material information was omitted or the process changed following the submission of the carbon intensity application;

(b) Any material information submitted in connection with the approved carbon intensity or a credit transaction was incorrect;

(c) Fuel reported under a given pathway was produced or transported in a manner that varies in any way from the methods set forth in any corresponding pathway application documents submitted under OAR 340-253-0400 and OAR 340-253-0450 such that the variance would meet the threshold to be material information;

(d) Fuel transaction data or other data reported into the Oregon Fuels Reporting System and used to calculate credits and deficits was incorrect or omitted material information;

(e) Credits or deficits were generated or transferred in violation of any provision of this division or in violation of other laws, statutes, or regulations;

(f) A party obligated to provide records under this division refused to provide such records or failed to do so within the required timeframe in OAR 340-253-0600(4);

(g) Failure to submit a verification statement when it is required under OAR chapter 340, division -272; or

(h) An adverse verification statement submitted under OAR chapter 340, division 272.

(3) Providing Notice of an Initial Determination.

(a) Upon making an initial determination that a credit calculation, deficit calculation, or an approved carbon intensity may be subject to an action described in section (1), DEQ will notify all potentially affected parties.

(b) The notice shall state the reason for the initial determination and may also include a specific request from any party for information relevant to any of the bases described in section (2).

(c) Within 20 days of the issuance of the notice, the affected parties shall make records and personnel available to DEQ as it conducts its investigation.

(d) Any party receiving the notice may submit any information it believes is relevant to the investigation and that it wants DEQ to consider in its evaluation.

(4) Interim Account Suspension. Once a notice has been issued under section (3), DEQ may immediately take one or both of the following actions:

(a) Deactivate an approved carbon intensity in the AFP; or

(b) Suspend an account in the Oregon Fuels Reporting System. In cases where a discrete number of credits are being investigated, DEQ may place an administrative hold on a specific number of credits rather than suspending an entire account.

(5) Final Determination. Within 50 days after making an initial determination under sections (2) and (3) above, the DEQ shall make a final determination based on the available information.

(a) The final determination should include:

(A) Whether any of the bases for invalidation in section (2) exist;

(B) Identification of the affected parties; and

(C) What actions in section (1) DEQ will impose and how many credits, deficits, or approved carbon intensities are affected. If the final determination invalidates credits or deficit calculations, the corresponding credits and deficits will be added or subtracted from the appropriate accounts in the Oregon Fuels Reporting System.

(b) The affected parties may contest the final determination by providing DEQ with a written request for a hearing within 20 days of receipt of the final determination.

(c) The hearing will be conducted as a contested case hearing under ORS 183.413 through 183.470 and OAR chapter 340, division 11. Any action taken in subsection (a) will remain in place pending the outcome of the contested case.

(6) Responsibility for invalidated credits or miscalculated deficits. Any party that generated, previously held, or holds invalidated credits or whose account reflects an invalid deficit calculation is responsible for returning its account to compliance without regard to its fault or role with respect to the invalidation of the credits or miscalculation of deficits.

Or. Admin. Code § 340-253-0670

DEQ 27-2017, adopt filed 11/17/2017, effective 11/17/2017; DEQ 199-2018, amend filed 11/16/2018, effective 1/1/2019; DEQ 14-2020, amend filed 05/07/2020, effective 5/7/2020; DEQ 17-2022, amend filed 09/23/2022, effective 1/1/2023

Statutory/Other Authority: ORS 468.020, 468A.266, 468A.268 & 468A.277

Statutes/Other Implemented: ORS 468.020 & ORS 468A.265 through 468A.277