Opinion ID: 1057964
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: The VWMA

Text: First passed in 1986, the VWMA requires any person who wishes to operate a sanitary landfill or other facility for the disposal, treatment or storage of nonhazardous solid waste to obtain a permit from the DEQ director. 1986 Acts ch. 492; Code § 10.1-1408.1(A). The DEQ director can amend or revoke a permit if the permit holder has violated any regulation that resulted in a release of harmful substances, maintained or operated a facility in such a manner as to pose a hazard to human health or 13 the environment, or if leachate from the landfill poses a substantial threat of contamination or pollution of the air, surface waters, or [groundwater]. Code § 10.1-1409(4). Under the VWMA, the Virginia Waste Management Board (the Board) is authorized to [s]upervise and control waste management activities in the Commonwealth. Code § 10.1- 1402(1). Among other things, the Board is charged with: requiring maintenance of certain records and reporting systems, Code § 10.1-1402(7); promulgating and enforcing regulations, - 1402(11); taking actions to . . . clean up sites . . . where solid or hazardous waste has been improperly managed, - 1402(19); and abating hazards and nuisances dangerous to public health, safety, or the environment . . . created by the improper disposal, treatment, storage, transportation or management of substances within the jurisdiction of the Board, -1402(21). In the event that hazardous or solid waste has been improperly managed, the Board is authorized to contain or clean up sites and may institute legal proceedings to recover the costs of such containment or clean-up activities from the responsible parties. Code § 10.1-1402(19). Pursuant to its authority under Code § 10.1-1402(11), the Board has promulgated extensive regulations governing solid waste management. The purpose of the SWMR is to establish standards and procedures pertaining to the management of solid 14 wastes by providing the requirements for siting, design, construction, operation, maintenance, closure, and postclosure care of solid waste management facilities in the Commonwealth in order to protect the public health, public safety, the environment, and our natural resources. 9 VAC § 20-81-25(A). Any person who operates a facility for the disposal, treatment, or storage of solid waste without a permit, or violates the SWMR or other laws with respect to the disposal or management of solid waste, is required to cease such activity and initiate such removal, cleanup, or closure in place. 9 VAC § 20-8140(D). In addition to obtaining a permit, an owner or operator of a solid waste management facility is required to provide financial assurance for the closure, post-closure care and corrective action at [such facility.] 9 VAC § 20-81-90(C); 9 VAC § 20-70-30. Although Phase II was permitted prior to the existence of the requirement, a solid waste management facility must now contain a bottom liner, the specifications for which are outlined in the SWMR, to protect from and collect the leachate produced by the facility. See 9 VAC § 20-81-130(J). In addition, such facility is required to estimate the quality and quantity of leachate to be produced annually, devise a leachate collection system, and design and plan for the handling, storage and treatment of leachate. 9 VAC § 20-81-210(A). 15 To provide for the protection of public health and safety, and the environment, the operator of a solid waste management facility must ensure that decomposition gases generated at a landfill are controlled during the periods of operation, closure and postclosure care. 9 VAC § 20-81-200(A)(1). The operator must also implement a gas monitoring program at the landfill, and the monitoring network must be designed to ensure detection of the presence of decomposition gas migrating beyond the landfill facility boundary and into landfill structures. 9 VAC § 20-81-200(B)(1). Of particular importance to the present case, [o]wners and operators of all existing landfills shall be in compliance with the groundwater monitoring requirements specified in this section. 9 VAC § 20-81-250(A)(1)(a). Those requirements include the specification that such owners or operators shall install, operate, and maintain a groundwater monitoring system that is capable of determining the landfill's impact on the quality of groundwater in the uppermost aquifer at the disposal unit boundary during the active life and postclosure care period of the landfill. 9 VAC § 20-81-250(A)(2)(a). The system must contain a sufficient number of monitoring wells to sample and analyze groundwater quality, including the groundwater quality at the disposal unit boundary. 9 VAC § 20-81-250(A)(3)(a)(2). The SWMR includes a Groundwater Solid Waste Constituent 16 Monitoring List (Monitoring List), which contains many of the constituents found in the groundwater at issue in this case, including benzene. 9 VAC § 20-81-250, tbl. 3.1. If testing reveals a statistically significant increase above background values, the owner or operator of the facility must propose GPS for all detected Table 3.1 Column B constituents. 9 VAC § 2081-250(A)(6); see also 9 VAC § 20-81-250(B)(3)(d). If additional testing again reveals statistically significant levels above the GPS, the owner or operator must notify DEQ within 14 days and implement a corrective action program. 9 VAC § 20-81-250(B)(2)(b)(1); see also 9 VAC § 20-81-260(A). When a corrective action program is required, the owner or operator of a landfill initially must: install additional monitoring wells; notify all persons who own or reside on land that overlies the release of contaminants; initiate an assessment of corrective measures or a proposal for presumptive remedy; provide an additional $1 million in financial assurance; and hold a public meeting to discuss the corrective measures assessment or proposal for presumptive remedy. 9 VAC § 20-81-260(C)(1). As part of the assessment of corrective measures, the owner or operator must select a remedy that, inter alia, protects human health and the environment, attains the GPS, and controls the sources of releases so as to reduce or eliminate . . . further releases of solid waste constituents 17 into the environment. 9 VAC § 20-81-260(C)(3)(c). After DEQ has reviewed the proposed remedy, the owner or operator must submit to DEQ a corrective action plan. 9 VAC § 20-81-260(D). Any groundwater monitoring to be employed in the corrective action plan must determine the horizontal and vertical extent of the plume of contamination for constituents at statistically significant levels exceeding background concentrations. 9 VAC § 20-81-260(D)(1)(c). 17 At the time of closing a landfill, the owner or operator shall eliminate the post closure escape of uncontrolled leachate or of waste decomposition products to the groundwater or surface water to the extent necessary to protect human health and the environment. 9 VAC § 20-81-160(A); see also 9 VAC § 20-70-90(A). Postclosure care requirements include maintaining the leachate collection system, the groundwater monitoring system, and the gas monitoring system. 9 VAC § 2081-170(A)(1). 17 DEQ required the County to submit a corrective action plan for the treatment of the on-site and off-site contaminated groundwater. 18