42 U.S.C. § 6945
Upon promulgation of criteria under section 6907(a)(3) of this title, any solid waste management practice or disposal of solid waste or hazardous waste which constitutes the open dumping of solid waste or hazardous waste is prohibited, except in the case of any practice or disposal of solid waste under a timetable or schedule for compliance established under this section. The prohibition contained in the preceding sentence shall be enforceable under section 6972 of this title against persons engaged in the act of open dumping. For purposes of complying with section 6943(a)(2) and 6943(a)(3) of this title, each State plan shall contain a requirement that all existing disposal facilities or sites for solid waste in such State which are open dumps listed in the inventory under subsection (b) shall comply with such measures as may be promulgated by the Administrator to eliminate health hazards and minimize potential health hazards. Each such plan shall establish, for any entity which demonstrates that it has considered other public or private alternatives for solid waste management to comply with the prohibition on open dumping and is unable to utilize such alternatives to so comply, a timetable or schedule for compliance for such practice or disposal of solid waste which specifies a schedule of remedial measures, including an enforceable sequence of actions or operations, leading to compliance with the prohibition on open dumping of solid waste within a reasonable time (not to exceed 5 years from the date of publication of criteria under section 6907(a)(3) of this title).
To assist the States in complying with section 6943(a)(3) of this title, not later than one year after promulgation of regulations under section 6944 of this title, the Administrator, with the cooperation of the Bureau of the Census shall publish an inventory of all disposal facilities or sites in the United States which are open dumps within the meaning of this chapter.
Each State may submit to the Administrator, in such form as the Administrator may establish, evidence of a permit program or other system of prior approval and conditions under State law for regulation by the State of coal combustion residuals units that are located in the State that, after approval by the Administrator, will operate in lieu of regulation of coal combustion residuals units in the State by-
Not later than 180 days after the date on which a State submits the evidence described in subparagraph (A), the Administrator, after public notice and an opportunity for public comment, shall approve, in whole or in part, a permit program or other system of prior approval and conditions submitted under subparagraph (A) if the Administrator determines that the program or other system requires each coal combustion residuals unit located in the State to achieve compliance with-
The Administrator shall approve under subparagraph (B)(ii) a State permit program or other system of prior approval and conditions that allows a State to include technical standards for individual permits or conditions of approval that differ from the criteria under part 257 of title 40, Code of Federal Regulations (or successor regulations promulgated pursuant to sections 6907(a)(3) and 6944(a) of this title) if, based on site-specific conditions, the Administrator determines that the technical standards established pursuant to a State permit program or other system are at least as protective as the criteria under that part.
The Administrator shall review a State permit program or other system of prior approval and conditions that is approved under subparagraph (B)-
The Administrator shall provide to a State notice of deficiencies with respect to the permit program or other system of prior approval and conditions of the State that is approved under subparagraph (B), and an opportunity for a public hearing, if the Administrator determines that-
The Administrator shall withdraw approval of a State permit program or other system of prior approval and conditions if, after the Administrator provides notice and an opportunity for a public hearing to the relevant State under subparagraph (D)(ii), the Administrator determines that the State has not corrected the deficiencies identified by the Administrator under subparagraph (D)(ii).
Any withdrawal of approval under clause (i) shall cease to be effective on the date on which the Administrator makes a determination that the State has corrected the deficiencies identified by the Administrator under subparagraph (D)(ii).
In this paragraph, the term "nonparticipating State" means a State-
In the case of a nonparticipating State and subject to the availability of appropriations specifically provided in an appropriations Act to carry out a program in a nonparticipating State, the Administrator shall implement a permit program to require each coal combustion residuals unit located in the nonparticipating State to achieve compliance with applicable criteria established by the Administrator under part 257 of title 40, Code of Federal Regulations (or successor regulations promulgated pursuant to sections 6907(a)(3) and 6944(a) of this title).
The applicable criteria for coal combustion residuals units under part 257 of title 40, Code of Federal Regulations (or successor regulations promulgated pursuant to sections 6907(a)(3) and 6944(a) of this title), shall apply to each coal combustion residuals unit in a State unless-
The Administrator may use the authority provided by sections 6927 and 6928 of this title to enforce the prohibition on open dumping under subsection (a) with respect to a coal combustion residuals unit-
In the case of a coal combustion residuals unit located in a State that is approved to operate a permit program or other system of prior approval and conditions under paragraph (1)(B), the Administrator may commence an administrative or judicial enforcement action under section 6928 of this title if-
In the case of an enforcement action by the Administrator under clause (i)(II), before issuing an order or commencing a civil action, the Administrator shall notify the State in which the coal combustion residuals unit is located.
Subject to subclause (II), not later than December 31, 2017, and December 31 of each year thereafter, the Administrator shall submit to the Committee on Environment and Public Works of the Senate and the Committee on Energy and Commerce of the House of Representatives a report that describes any enforcement action commenced under clause (i), including a description of the basis for the enforcement action.
Subclause (I) shall not apply for any calendar year during which the Administrator does not commence an enforcement action under clause (i).
The Administrator shall establish and carry out a permit program, in accordance with this subsection, for coal combustion residuals units in Indian country (as defined in section 1151 of title 18) to require each coal combustion residuals unit located in Indian country to achieve compliance with the applicable criteria established by the Administrator under part 257 of title 40, Code of Federal Regulations (or successor regulations promulgated pursuant to sections 6907(a)(3) and 6944(a) of this title).
A coal combustion residuals unit shall be considered to be a sanitary landfill for purposes of this chapter, including subsection (a), only if the coal combustion residuals unit is operating in accordance with-
Nothing in this subsection affects any authority, regulatory determination, other law, or legal obligation in effect on the day before December 16, 2016.
1So in original. Probably should be "section".
2So in original. Probably should be "of".
42 U.S.C. § 6945
EDITORIAL NOTES
CODIFICATIONAnother section 19(b) of Pub. L. 96-482 amended section 6946 of this title.
AMENDMENTS2016-Subsec. (d). Pub. L. 114-322 added subsec. (d). 1984-Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 98-616, §403(c), inserted after first sentence "The prohibition contained in the preceding sentence shall be enforceable under section 6972 of this title against persons engaged in the act of open dumping." Pub. L. 98-616, §502(c), inserted a closing parenthesis before the period at end. Subsec. (c). Pub. L. 98-616, §302(c), added subsec. (c). 1980-Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 96-482, §19(a), (b) (1), struck out subsec. (a) which defined "open dump", which is covered in section 6903(14) of this title, redesignated subsec. (c) as (a) and substituted "Upon promulgation of criteria under section 6907(a)(3) of this title, any" for "Any", "section 6943(a)(2) and 6943(a)(3) of this title" for "section 6943(2) of this title", and "criteria under section 6907(a)(3) of this title" for "the inventory under subsection (b)".Amendment by section 19(b)(1) of Pub. L. 96-482 directing that following reference to "4003(2)", which had been editorially translated as section 6943(2) of this title, the phrase "and 4003(3)" be inserted, was executed by translating "4003(2) and 4003(3)" as section 6943(a)(2) and 6943(a)(3) of this title, in view of the designation of the existing provisions of section 6943 of this title as subsec. (a) of section 6943 of this title by section 5(b) of Pub. L. 96-463 and also by section 32(d)(2) of Pub. L. 96-482.Subsec. (b). Pub. L. 96-482, §19(b)(2), inserted introductory phrase "To assist the States in complying with section 6943(a)(3) of this title". Amendment referring to section "4003(3)" was executed by translating "4003(3)" as section 6943(a)(3) of this title, in view of the designation of the existing provisions of section 6943 of this title as subsec. (a) of section 6943 of this title by section 5(b) of Pub. L. 96-463 and also by section 32(d)(2) of Pub. L. 96-482. Subsec. (c). Pub. L. 96-482, §19(a), redesignated subsec. (c) as (a).
EXECUTIVE DOCUMENTS
TRANSFER OF FUNCTIONSFor transfer of certain enforcement functions of Administrator or other official of Environmental Protection Agency under this chapter to Federal Inspector, Office of Federal Inspector for the Alaska Natural Gas Transportation System, and subsequent transfer to Secretary of Energy, then to Federal Coordinator for Alaska Natural Gas Transportation Projects, see note set out under section 6903 of this title.
- Administrator
- The term "Administrator" means the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency.
- Secretary
- The term "Secretary" means the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development.1See References in Text note below.
- State
- The term "State" means any of the several States, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, Guam, American Samoa, and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands.
- disposal
- The term "disposal" means the discharge, deposit, injection, dumping, spilling, leaking, or placing of any solid waste or hazardous waste into or on any land or water so that such solid waste or hazardous waste or any constituent thereof may enter the environment or be emitted into the air or discharged into any waters, including ground waters.
- hazardous waste
- The term "hazardous waste" means a solid waste, or combination of solid wastes, which because of its quantity, concentration, or physical, chemical, or infectious characteristics may-(A) cause, or significantly contribute to an increase in mortality or an increase in serious irreversible, or incapacitating reversible, illness; or(B) pose a substantial present or potential hazard to human health or the environment when improperly treated, stored, transported, or disposed of, or otherwise managed.
- open dump
- The term "open dump" means any facility or site where solid waste is disposed of which is not a sanitary landfill which meets the criteria promulgated under section 6944 of this title and which is not a facility for disposal of hazardous waste.
- sanitary landfill
- The term "sanitary landfill" means a facility for the disposal of solid waste which meets the criteria published under section 6944 of this title.(26A) The term "sludge" means any solid, semisolid or liquid waste generated from a municipal, commercial, or industrial wastewater treatment plant, water supply treatment plant, or air pollution control facility or any other such waste having similar characteristics and effects.
- solid waste management facility
- The term "solid waste management facility" includes-(A) any resource recovery system or component thereof,(B) any system, program, or facility for resource conservation, and(C) any facility for the collection, source separation, storage, transportation, transfer, processing, treatment or disposal of solid wastes, including hazardous wastes, whether such facility is associated with facilities generating such wastes or otherwise.
- solid waste management
- The term "solid waste management" means the systematic administration of activities which provide for the collection, source separation, storage, transportation, transfer, processing, treatment, and disposal of solid waste.
- solid waste
- The term "solid waste" means any garbage, refuse, sludge from a waste treatment plant, water supply treatment plant, or air pollution control facility and other discarded material, including solid, liquid, semisolid, or contained gaseous material resulting from industrial, commercial, mining, and agricultural operations, and from community activities, but does not include solid or dissolved material in domestic sewage, or solid or dissolved materials in irrigation return flows or industrial discharges which are point sources subject to permits under section 1342 of title 33, or source, special nuclear, or byproduct material as defined by the Atomic Energy Act of 1954, as amended (68 Stat. 923) [42 U.S.C. 2011 et seq.].