(a) Except as otherwise provided in subsection (c), if the Board fails to take final action upon a variance request within 120 days after the filing of the petition or the receipt of a request for hearing pursuant to subsection (a) of Section 37, whichever is later, the petitioner may deem the request granted under this Act, for a period not to exceed one year. However, the period of 120 days shall not run for any such period of time, not to exceed 30 days, during which the Board is without sufficient membership to constitute the quorum required by subsection (a) of Section 5 of this Act, provided that such 120 day period shall not be stayed for lack of quorum beyond 30 days regardless of whether the lack of quorum exists at the beginning of such 120 day period or occurs during the running of such 120 day period.(b) If any person files a petition for a variance from a rule or regulation within 20 days after the effective date of such rule or regulation, the operation of such rule or regulation shall be stayed as to such person pending the disposition of the petition; provided, however, that the operation of any rule or regulation adopted by the Board which implements, in whole or in part, a State RCRA, UIC, or NPDES program shall not be stayed. The Board may hold a hearing upon said petition 5 days from the date of notice of such hearing or thereafter. All the provisions of this Title shall apply to petitions for extension of existing variances and to proposed Contaminant Reduction programs designed to secure delayed compliance with the Act or with Board regulations.
(c) Subsection (a) shall not apply to a request for a variance from any provision of this Act or any rule or regulation adopted by the Board which implements, in whole or in part, a State RCRA, UIC, or NPDES program. If the Board fails to take final action on any request for a variance from any such rule or regulation within 120 days of the filing of the petition, the Petitioner shall be entitled to an Appellate Court order pursuant to Section 41(d) of this Act.