Title 40—Protection of Environment--Volume 1
PART 254—PRIOR NOTICE OF CITIZEN SUITS
§ 254.1   Purpose.
Section 7002 of the Solid Waste Disposal Act, as amended by the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act of 1976, authorizes suit by any person to enforce the Act. These suits may be brought where there is alleged to be a violation by any person (including (a) the United States, and (b) any other governmental instrumentality or agency, to the extent permitted by the eleventh amendment to the Constitution) of any permit, standard, regulation, condition, requirement, or order which has become effective under the Act, or a failure of the Administrator to perform any act or duty under the Act, which is not discretionary with the Administrator. These actions are to be filed in accordance with the rules of the district court in which the action is instituted. The purpose of this part is to prescribe procedures governing the notice requirements of subsections (b) and (c) of section 7002 as a prerequisite to the commencement of such actions.
§ 254.2   Service of notice.
(a) Notice of intent to file suit under subsection 7002(a)(1) of the Act shall be served upon an alleged violator of any permit, standard, regulation, condition, requirement, or order which has become effective under this Act in the following manner:
(1) If the alleged violator is a private individual or corporation, service of notice shall be accomplished by registered mail, return receipt requested, addressed to, or by personal service upon, the owner or site manager of the building, plant, installation, or facility alleged to be in violation. A copy of the notice shall be mailed to the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency, the Regional Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency for the region in which the violation is alleged to have occurred, and the chief administrative officer of the solid waste management agency for the State in which the violation is alleged to have occurred. If the alleged violator is a corporation, a copy of the notice shall also be mailed to the registered agent, if any, of that corporation in the State in which such violation is alleged to have occurred.
(2) If the alleged violator is a State or local agency, service of notice shall be accomplished by registered mail, return receipt requested, addressed to, or by personal service upon, the head of that agency. A copy of the notice shall be mailed to the chief administrator of the solid waste management agency for the State in which the violation is alleged to have occurred, the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency, and the Regional Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency for the region in which the violation is alleged to have occurred.
(3) If the alleged violator is a Federal agency, service of notice shall be accomplished by registered mail, return receipt requested, addressed to, or by personal service upon, the head of the agency. A copy of the notice shall be mailed to the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency, the Regional Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency for the region in which the violation is alleged to have occurred, the Attorney General of the United States, and the chief administrative officer of the solid waste management agency for the State in which the violation is alleged to have occurred.
(b) Service of notice of intent to file suit under subsection 7002(a)(2) of the Act shall be accomplished by registered mail, return receipt requested, addressed to, or by personal service upon, the Administrator, Environmental Protection Agency, Washington, DC 20460. A copy of the notice shall be mailed to the Attorney General of the United States.
(c) Notice given in accordance with the provisions of this part shall be considered to have been served on the date of receipt. If service was acomplished by mail, the date of receipt will be considered to be the date noted on the return receipt card.
§ 254.3   Contents of notice.
(a) Violation of permit, standard, regulation, condition, requirement, or order. Notice regarding an alleged violation of a permit, standard, regulation, condition, requirement, or order which has become effective under this Act shall include sufficient information to permit the recipient to identify the specific permit, standard, regulation, condition, requirement, or order which has allegedly been violated, the activity alleged to constitute a violation, the person or persons responsible for the alleged violation, the date or dates of the violation, and the full name, address, and telephone number of the person giving notice.
(b) Failure to act. Notice regarding an alleged failure of the Administrator to perform an act or duty which is not discretionary under the Act shall identify the provisions of the Act which require such act or create such duty, shall describe with reasonable specificity the action taken or not taken by the Administrator which is claimed to constitute a failure to perform the act or duty, and shall state the full name, address, and telephone number of the person giving the notice.
(c) Identification of counsel. The notice shall state the name, address, and telephone number of the legal counsel, if any, representing the person giving the notice.