JIM MAlTOX Attorney General

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# The Attorney General of Texas
April 11, 1986
EonorablaRobert E, Bell CriminalDistrictMxornay 115W. Main, Room '205 Edna, Texas 7795 ’1 DearMr. Bell: OpinionNo. JR-473 Re: Application fees for solid waste disposalpermits

You advise us that Jackson County has applied to the Texas Departmant of HeaLth for a solid waste permit. The Department of Health has refu6e.dto process Jackson County's application until Jackson County pays the application fees set by the Department of Health. Under the rules in effect at the tine Jackson County submitted its application, the required fees were $200 for Part A of the application and $12,000 for Part B of the application. See Tex. Dept. of Health, 10 Tax. Reg. 3286 (1985) (codified at 2E.A.C. 5325.63) (feeseffective from September 1, 1985, through December 30, 1985). You state thatthese fees seem to have no rationalrelation to theDepartment of 'Iealth's expenses in processingyour application. The legislature has granted the Department of Health authority over issuance of solidwaste permits to certain entities. V.T.C.S. art. 4477-7. In setting a fee schedule for applications for solid waste permits, the Department of Health acted pursuant to a legislative delegation of rule-making power set out in arttcle 4477-7, section4(k)(I),V.!P.C.S.. which provides: The department shall charge a fee for the filing with the department and revlw by the departmeat.of a permit application under this section. A fee schedule shallbe adopted by rule that shallbe reasonablyrelated to one ormore of the follmringfactors: A. t'he

population served; B. t'hac volume ofwaste tobe handled; C. t'hetype and size of the facility;or D. the cost of the review of the permit application. The legislature also provided that application fees as well as annual permit fees should be set in an amount that would generate sufficient revenue tomeet the expenses of administering section 4 of article 4477-7. which provides for the issuance and overseeing of solidwaste permits.

p. 2163Honorable Robert E. Bell - !?age2 (JM-473)

The legislaturehas aut.horityto delegate to au agency power to carry out a legislative purpose. State ex rel. Grimes County Taxpayers Association V. Texas Municipal Power Agency, 565 S.W.2d 258, 273 (Tex. Civ. App. - H&ton [lst Dist.] 1978, no writ). The legislaturemust e&ablish reasonable standards to guide the entity, but such standardsmay be broad where conditionsmust be considered that cannotbe conveniently :Lnvestigated by the legislature. Id. - In this instance the Lagislature set out specific guidelines for the Departmant of Bealth ta use in setting fees, and it directed that total fees collected should cover the department's expenses in the permit process. You do not question the propriety of the legislative delegation. gather, you question whether the Department of Health compliedwith the requiremsntsof article 4477-7, section 4(k)(l). The fees that the De~,artmentof Health set pursuant to article 4477-7 purport to be bac.edon the standards established by the legislature:

5325.63. Permit ApplicationFees. (a) Types of applications. (1) New applLcations. With sach application for a permit to construct or operate a municipal solid waste procsssing or disposal facility. the applicant shall mbmit a nonrefundableapplication fee to the departmmt. The fee may be submitted in two parts, with the first part due with submission of Part A of the application and the second part due 3ctthsubmission of Part B or site developmant plar.of the application. The fee shall be based ,011 the tables under subparagraph (A) and subparagr.aph(B) of this paragraph which are graduatad in ;a manner to considerme or more of the following factors: tha population served; the volume of wmte to be handled; the type and size of the faci:.ity; or the cost of the review of thepermit application. (a) Part A al>plication fee schedule. Type of Facilzsy ApplicationFee

I II III IV V VI VII VIII Ix $ 200 $ 100 8 50 $ 100 $ 100 $ 100 $ 100 N/A $ 100

p. 2164EouorableRobert E. Bell - Page 3 LJM-473)

(B) Part B r,itedevelopment plan application fee schedule. P.Rn/sit*

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tWe cannot say. as a matter of law, that these fees are unreasonable. Whether the7 actuallybear a reasonablerelationshipto the cost of processing applicationsand issuingpermits is a question of fact. We are not able to render opinionson questionsof fact. SUMMARY Whether the fees promulgated in 25 T.A.C., section 325.63 (effective September 1, 1985, through Decambex 30. 1985) are proper is a fact question which I:annotbe reached in the opinion process.

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Attorney General of Texas JACKHIGRTOWEZ FirstAssistantAttorney General MARY KELLER ExecutiveAssistantAttoruey General ROBERT GRAY SpecialAssistantAttorney General

p. 2165RonorablcRobert E. Bell - P.agc 4 (JM-473)

RICK GILPIN Chairman,Opinion Committee Preparedby SarahWoelk AssistantAttorney General

p. 2166