ILLINOIS POLLUTION CONTROL BOARD
June 3, 2004
GRASS MAN LAWN CARE
(Property Identification Number 07-13-
400-004-006),
Petitioner,
v.
ILLINOIS ENVIRONMENTAL
PROTECTION AGENCY,
Respondent.
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PCB 04-212
(Tax Certification - Water)
ORDER OF THE BOARD (by J.P. Novak):
On May 26, 2004, the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency (Agency) recommended
that the Board certify certain facilities of Grass Man Lawn Care at its agrichemical storage and
management site as “pollution control facilities” for preferential tax treatment under the Property
Tax Code (35 ILCS 200/11-5
et seq.
(2002)). The Agency filed the recommendation under Part
125 of the Board’s procedural rules (35 Ill. Adm. Code 125). In this order, the Board describes
the legal framework for tax certifications, discusses the Agency’s recommendation, and certifies
that Grass Man Lawn Care’s facilities are pollution control facilities.
LEGAL FRAMEWORK
Under the Property Tax Code, “[i]t is the policy of this State that pollution control
facilities should be valued, at 33⅓% of the fair cash value of their economic productivity to their
owners.” 35 ILCS 200/11-5 (2002);
see also
35 Ill. Adm. Code 125.200(a)(2). “For tax
purposes, pollution control facilities shall be certified as such by the Pollution Control Board and
shall be assessed by the Department [of Revenue].” 35 ILCS 200/11-20 (2002);
see also
35 Ill.
Adm. Code 125.200(a).
Under Section 125.202 of the Board’s procedural rules, a person may submit an
application for tax certification to the Agency. 35 Ill. Adm. Code 125.202. If the Agency
receives a tax certification application, the Agency must file with the Board a recommendation
on the application, unless the applicant withdraws the application. 35 Ill. Adm. Code 125.204(a).
Among other things, the Agency’s filing must recommend that the Board issue or deny tax
certification. 35 Ill. Adm. Code 125.204(a)(4). If the Board finds “that the claimed facility or
relevant portion thereof is a pollution control facility . . . , the Pollution Control Board . . . shall
enter a finding and issue a certificate to that effect.” 35 ILCS 200/11-25 (2002);
see also
35 Ill.
Adm. Code 125.216(a).
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AGENCY RECOMMENDATION
The Agency states that it received a tax certification application from Grass Man Lawn
Care for its agrichemical storage and management site on December 23, 2003. Agency
Recommendation (Agency Rec.) at 1. On May 26, 2004, the Agency filed a recommendation on
the application with the Board. The Agency’s recommendation identifies the facilities at issue:
Agrichemical containment structures consisting of one liquid agrichemical operational
area containment structure, one bulk liquid agrichemical secondary containment
structure, the portion of the building over one liquid agrichemical operational area
containment structure and one bulk liquid agrichemical secondary containment structure,
and associated collection and recovery systems as approved under Agency-endorsed
Agrichemical Facility Permit No. 96064327 (Log No. 01056587). Agency Rec. at 1-2.
The Agency’s recommendation also identifies the location of the facilities: Section 13, T2S,
R10W of the Third Principal Meridian, in Monroe County.
Id.
at 1.
The Agency recommends that the Board certify that the identified facilities are pollution
control facilities as defined in Section 11-10 of the Property Tax Code (35 ILCS 200/11-10
(2002)) because the primary purpose of the facilities is eliminating, preventing, or reducing
water pollution. Agency Rec. at 2.
TAX CERTIFICATE
The Board finds and certifies that Grass Man Lawn Care’s facilities identified in this
order are pollution control facilities under the Property Tax Code (35 ILCS 200/11-10 (2002)).
Under Section 11-25 of the Property Tax Code, the effective date of this certificate is “the date of
application for the certificate or the date of the construction of the facility, which ever is later.”
35 ILCS 200/11-25 (2002);
see also
35 Ill. Adm. Code 125.216(a). Section 125.216(d) of the
Board’s procedural rules states that the Clerk “will provide the applicant and the Agency with a
copy of the Board’s order setting forth
the Board’s findings and certificate, if any
.” 35 Ill. Adm.
Code 125.216(d) (quoting in italics 35 ILCS 200/11-30 (2002)). The Clerk therefore will
provide Grass Man Lawn Care and the Agency with a copy of this order.
IT IS SO ORDERED.
Section 41(a) of the Environmental Protection Act provides that final Board orders may
be appealed directly to the Illinois Appellate Court within 35 days after the Board serves the
order. 415 ILCS 5/41(a) (2002);
see also
35 Ill. Adm. Code 101.300(d)(2), 101.906, 102.706.
Illinois Supreme Court Rule 335 establishes filing requirements that apply when the Illinois
Appellate Court, by statute, directly reviews administrative orders. 172 Ill. 2d R. 335. The
Board’s procedural rules provide that motions for the Board to reconsider or modify its final
orders may be filed with the Board within 35 days after the order is received. 35 Ill. Adm. Code
101.520;
see also
35 Ill. Adm. Code 101.902, 102.700, 102.702.
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I Dorothy M. Gunn, Clerk of the Illinois Pollution Control Board, certify that the Board
adopted the above order on June 3, 2004, by a vote of 5-0.
Dorothy M. Gunn, Clerk
Illinois Pollution Control Board
