SB0577 EngrossedLRB099 02989 MGM 22997 b

1    AN ACT concerning State government.
 
2    Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
3represented in the General Assembly:
 
4    Section 5. The Environmental Protection Act is amended by
5changing Sections 35, 36, and 38 and by adding Sections 3.547
6and 38.5 as follows:
 
7    (415 ILCS 5/3.547 new)
8    Sec. 3.547. Water quality standards variance. "Water
9quality standards variance" has the meaning ascribed to that
10term in 40 CFR 131.3(o).
 
11    (415 ILCS 5/35)  (from Ch. 111 1/2, par. 1035)
12    Sec. 35. Variances; general provisions. To the extent
13consistent with applicable provisions of the Federal Water
14Pollution Control Act, as now or hereafter amended, the Federal
15Safe Drinking Water Act (P.L. 93-523), as now or hereafter
16amended, the Clean Air Act as amended in 1977 (P.L. 95-95), and
17regulations pursuant thereto, and to the extent consistent with
18applicable provisions of the Federal Resource Conservation and
19Recovery Act of 1976 (P.L. 94-580), and regulations pursuant
20thereto:
21    (a) The Board may grant individual variances beyond the
22limitations prescribed in this Act, whenever it is found, upon

 

 

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1presentation of adequate proof, that compliance with any rule
2or regulation, requirement or order of the Board would impose
3an arbitrary or unreasonable hardship. However, the Board is
4not required to find that an arbitrary or unreasonable hardship
5exists exclusively because the regulatory standard is under
6review and the costs of compliance are substantial and certain.
7In granting or denying a variance the Board shall file and
8publish a written opinion stating the facts and reasons leading
9to its decision.
10    (b) The Agency shall grant provisional variances whenever
11it is found, upon presentation of adequate proof, that
12compliance on a short term basis with any rule or regulation,
13requirement or order of the Board, or with any permit
14requirement, would impose an arbitrary or unreasonable
15hardship.
16    (c) Except as provided in subsection (b) of Section 38,
17water quality standards variances shall be governed solely by
18Section 38.5 of this Act.
19(Source: P.A. 93-152, eff. 7-10-03.)
 
20    (415 ILCS 5/36)  (from Ch. 111 1/2, par. 1036)
21    Sec. 36. Variances and provisional variances.
22    (a) In granting a variance pursuant to Section 35 of this
23Act the Board may impose such conditions as the policies of
24this Act may require. If the hardship complained of consists
25solely of the need for a reasonable delay in which to correct a

 

 

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1violation of this Act or of the Board regulations, the Board
2shall condition the grant of such variance upon the posting of
3sufficient performance bond or other security to assure the
4completion of the work covered by the variance. The Board shall
5have no authority to delegate to the Agency its powers to
6require such performance bond. The original amount of such
7performance bond shall not exceed the reasonable cost of the
8work to be completed pursuant to the variance. The obligation
9under such bond shall at no time exceed the reasonable cost of
10work remaining pursuant to the variance.
11    (b) Except as provided by Section 38 of this Act, any
12variance granted by the Board pursuant to subsection (a) of
13Section 35 the provisions of this Section shall be granted for
14such period of time, not exceeding five years, as shall be
15specified by the Board at the time of the grant of such
16variance, and upon the condition that the person who receives
17such variance shall make such periodic progress reports as the
18Board shall specify. Such variance may be extended from year to
19year by affirmative action of the Board, but only if
20satisfactory progress has been shown.
21    (c) Any provisional variance granted by the Agency pursuant
22to subsection (b) of Section 35 shall be for a period of time
23not to exceed 45 days. A provisional variance may be extended
24up to an additional 45 days by written decision of the Agency.
25The provisional variances granted to any one person shall not
26exceed a total of 90 days during any calendar year.

 

 

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1(Source: P.A. 93-152, eff. 7-10-03.)
 
2    (415 ILCS 5/38)  (from Ch. 111 1/2, par. 1038)
3    Sec. 38. (a) Except as otherwise provided in subsections
4subsection (c) and (d), if the Board fails to take final action
5upon a variance request within 120 days after the filing of the
6petition or the receipt of a request for hearing pursuant to
7subsection (a) of Section 37, whichever is later, the
8petitioner may deem the request granted under this Act, for a
9period not to exceed one year. However, the period of 120 days
10shall not run for any such period of time, not to exceed 30
11days, during which the Board is without sufficient membership
12to constitute the quorum required by subsection (a) of Section
135 of this Act, provided that such 120 day period shall not be
14stayed for lack of quorum beyond 30 days regardless of whether
15the lack of quorum exists at the beginning of such 120 day
16period or occurs during the running of such 120 day period.
17    (b) If any person files a petition for a variance from a
18rule or regulation pursuant to Section 37 or Section 38.5
19within 20 days after the effective date of such rule or
20regulation, the operation of such rule or regulation shall be
21stayed as to such person pending the disposition of the
22petition; provided, however, that the operation of any rule or
23regulation adopted by the Board which implements, in whole or
24in part, a State RCRA, UIC, or NPDES program shall not be
25stayed.

 

 

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1    The Board may hold a hearing upon said petition 5 days from
2the date of notice of such hearing or thereafter. All the
3provisions of this Title shall apply to petitions for extension
4of existing variances and to proposed Contaminant Reduction
5programs designed to secure delayed compliance with the Act or
6with Board regulations.
7    (c) Subsection (a) of this Section shall not apply to a
8request for a variance from any provision of this Act or any
9rule or regulation adopted by the Board which implements, in
10whole or in part, a State RCRA, UIC, or NPDES program. If the
11Board fails to take final action on any request for a variance
12from any such rule or regulation within 120 days of the filing
13of the petition, the Petitioner shall be entitled to an
14Appellate Court order pursuant to Section 41(d) of this Act.
15    (d) Except as provided in subsection (b) of this Section,
16water quality standards variances shall be governed solely by
17Section 38.5 of this Act.
18(Source: P.A. 87-914.)
 
19    (415 ILCS 5/38.5 new)
20    Sec. 38.5. Water quality standards variances.
21    (a) The Board may adopt water quality standards variances
22not only beyond any limitation otherwise prescribed in this Act
23or rules adopted under this Act, but also to the full extent
24allowed under federal law, including the Federal Water
25Pollution Control Act, as amended, and rules adopted by the

 

 

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1United States Environmental Protection Agency under that Act. A
2water quality standards variance may be adopted under this
3Section for a watershed or for one or more bodies of water,
4body of water segments, or dischargers. This Section shall
5apply to all petitions for water quality standards variances,
6even if filed prior to the effective date of this amendatory
7Act of the 99th General Assembly. Any stay granted under
8Section 38 of this Act shall continue pending disposition of
9that petition under this Section.
10    (b) Not later than 6 months after the effective date of
11this amendatory Act of the 99th General Assembly, the Agency
12shall propose, and not later than 6 months thereafter the Board
13shall adopt, rules that prescribe the specific procedures and
14standards to be used by the Board when adopting water quality
15standards variances. Nothing shall prohibit the Board from
16adopting water quality standards variances to the full extent
17allowed under federal law in the absence of these rules.
18    (c) Each Board-approved water quality standards variance
19other than an individual water quality standards variance shall
20set forth criteria that shall be used by the Agency to approve
21or deny petitions for coverage under that water quality
22standards variance. Any discharger may petition the Agency to
23obtain coverage under any Board-approved water quality
24standards variance other than an individual water quality
25standards variance; the Agency shall use the Board-established
26criteria to approve or deny coverage under that variance.

 

 

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1    (d) For petitions for water quality standards variances
2filed on or after the effective date of the rules adopted
3pursuant subsection (b) of this Section, the rules adopted
4pursuant to subsection (b) shall provide the exclusive
5procedural and substantive requirements for obtaining a water
6quality standards variance under this Act.
7    (e) Any person filing a petition for a water quality
8standards variance under this Section shall pay a filing fee to
9the Board in the amount required for a petition for variance
10under Section 7.5 of this Act.
 
11    Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon
12becoming law.