ILLINOIS POLLUTION CONTROL BOARD
    July 10, 1997
    ENSIGN-BICKFORD COMPANY,
    Petitioner,
    v.
    ILLINOIS ENVIRONMENTAL
    PROTECTION AGENCY,
    Respondent.
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    PCB 98-8
    (Provisional Variance - RCRA)
    ORDER OF THE BOARD (by C.A. Manning):
    On July 2, 1997, Ensign-Bickford Company (petitioner) filed a request with the Illinois
    Environmental Protection Agency (Agency) recommending that it be granted a provisional
    variance to allow its facility in Union County to continue accumulating hazardous waste for a
    period in excess of 90 days. Such request for a provisional variance and the notification of
    recommendation were filed with the Board by the Agency on July 8, 1997. Pursuant to
    Section 35(b) of the Environmental Protection Act (Act) (415 ILCS 5/35(b) (1996)), the Board
    must issue the variance within two (2) days of this filing.
    Specifically, the Agency recommends that we grant a 30-day provisional variance from
    the 90-day limitation on the accumulation of hazardous wastes, as set forth in 35 Ill. Adm.
    Code 722.134(b), for the period from July 3, 1997 to August 2, 1997.
    Upon receipt of the request from the petitioner, the Agency issued its recommendation,
    notifying the Board that due to unforeseen, temporary, and uncontrollable circumstances,
    failure to grant the requested 30-day provisional variance would impose an arbitrary or
    unreasonable hardship on the petitioner.
    Provisional variances are by their very nature temporary. The responsibilities of the
    Agency and the Board in these short-term provisional variances are different from the
    responsibilities in standard variances. See 415 ILCS 5/35(b) & 36(c) (1996). In provisional
    variances it is the responsibility of the Agency to make the technical determinations and
    finding of arbitrary or unreasonable hardship. The Board's responsibility is to adopt a formal
    order, to assure the formal maintenance of the record, to assure the enforceability of the
    variance, and to provide notification of the action by a press release.
    Having received the Agency recommendation notifying the Board that a denial of the
    requested relief would impose an arbitrary or unreasonable hardship, the Board hereby grants
    the petitioner a provisional variance for the period from July 3, 1997 to August 2, 1997.
    2
    IT IS SO ORDERED.
    Section 41 of the Environmental Protection Act (415 ILCS 5/41 (1996)) provides for
    the appeal of final Board orders to the Illinois Appellate Court within 35 days of service of this
    order. Illinois Supreme Court Rule 335 establishes such filing requirements. See 145 Ill. 2d
    R. 335; see also 35 Ill. Adm. Code 101.246, Motions for Reconsideration.
    I, Dorothy M. Gunn, Clerk of the Illinois Pollution Control Board, hereby certify that
    the above order was adopted on the 10th day of July 1997, by a vote of 6-0.
    Dorothy M. Gunn, Clerk

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