ILLINOIS POLLUTION CONTROL BOARD
February 29,
1984
IN THE MATTER OF:
)
PERMIT AND INSPECTION FEES
)
R84—1
DISSENTING OPINION
(by J.
D.
Dumelle):
The Emergency Rule enacted by the Board majority today
is of doubtful
legality, serves no purpose,
is much
too complex,
does not follow the statute, and will,
if finally enacted
in
P.84-7,
generate
a great many needless appeals.
Emergency
rules
may only be enacted if the
“public interest,
v~relfareor safety is threatened.”
Since the fees to be paid
are
not to become effective until July
1,
1984 and since a permanent
rule
is expected by June 15,
1984 there is no reason now
for an
Emergency Rule.
The argument that the Legislatur&s setting of March
1,
1984
for the Board~saction on this matter somehow negates the plain
language quoted above is wrong.
There is,
in
fact, no “emergency”
as one usually defines the word.
Today~sOrder thus serves
no purpose.
It
cannot “guide the
Legislature”
in its
appropriation process because
it is a
temporary rule
that expires
on July 28
(150 days from today).
The Board,
I am certain, is not prejudging
R84~-7, What then is
the purpose
of today~s
enactment?
The adopted rule is much too complex.
It
has levels of
surveillance determined by a subjective point
system.
It has
four different
fee schedules.
I would have
much preferred
a single
lump
sum fee for each of the
three categories
as much
more understandable and easier to administer.
And to propose
to
add inflation factors into the future will
only make it
even
more complex.
Will the Board also
adjust these
fees as
the cost
of
“moonsuits”
varies?
That portion of the rule that
provides for billing of actual
inspections performed
is a precedent for all future
inspection
fee rules.
If,
in the future,
the Board sets fees for air
and water and water supply inspections then those too will have
to be
on a billing basis
for actual
inspections performed.
The administrative burden to
the IEPA will
be a major one to
record and bill and collect.
56-277
The statute requires that the fees return the Stat&s
cost.
The Division of Land Pollution Control is now 75
funded
by
Federal
funds,
I would have used the
IEPA
costs
given and
reduced them by 75
to allow
for this,
To assert that
this
hazardous waste inspection program is a new one
(in fact,
it is
ongoing) and to be 100
State—funded is an exercise in
“voodoo
bookkeeping”.
Any other program within the Division could
equally well have been excluded from Federal funding.
If this rule becomes final
in its present form in
R84—7 it
will generate a great many needless appeals.
Was the
inspection
in fact performed?
Was the inspection of too
short
duration?
Why do not two private wells near a
landfill count as
much
in the ranking system as a single private well
and a public
water supply?
Why should neutralization
(a chemical
treatment
process)
and landfilling on the same site require
an increased
number of inspections?
The rule, as enacted, would impose fees in the
highest
categories as follows:
off—site disposal, $153,400;
on—site
disposal,
$138,200; underground injection,
$141,800,
To me the greatest need is to thoroughly check off—site
disposal sites, Manifests and cargoes and barrels
should be
checked intensively.
A daily inspection is needed.
Using
appropriate costs to the State
(the 25
factor)
I would
have set
an annual
fee of about $20,000,
On-site disposal involves generally the same
wastes year—in
and year—out unless a product line changes,
A weekly inspection
should be sufficient and a
fee of about $8,000 is
recommended,
Lastly, underground injection needs little
inspection and
a
monthly frequency seems adequate,
A fee of about $6,000
is
recommended.
For these reasons,
I dissent,
f~
I,
Christan L,
Moffett, Clerk of the Illinois
Pollution
Control Board,
hereby certify that the above Dissenting
Opinion
was filed on the ~~j~~day
of
~
1984.
Illinois Pollution
Control Board
56-278