ILLINOIS POLLUTION CONTROL BOARD
May 23,
1991
IN THE MATTER OF:
)
PETITION OF KEYSTONE STEEL
AND
)
AS 91-1
WIRE
COMPANY FOR HAZARDOUS
)
(Adjusted Standard)
WASTE DELISTING
)
)
ORDER OF THE BOARD
(by J. Anderson):
This matter comes before the Board on the May 2,
1991
“motion for 150—day extension to file a recommendation” filed by
the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency
(Agency).
In
support of its motion the Agency states that until the new
delisting regulations of R90—l7 were finalized and effective,
“a
comprehensive review of the adjusted
standard
petition could
not be initiated due to the lack of detailed standards for review
and limited resources” at the Agency.
Also, the Agency states
that the USEPA’s Delisting Section’s initial technical review of
a delisting petition takes
“2-5 weeks to perform at approximately
200 man hours on the average.”
In addition, USEPA contracts with
private consultants to perform that initial technical review.
Finally, the Agency notes that there is no statutory time frame
for decision in adjusted standard petitions and that no
environmental harm will result in granting the extension because
Keystone Steel and Wire Company (Keystone)
is in compliance with
all applicable laws.
Keystone filed its “response to motion for extension”
on May
9,
1991.
Keystone’s response notes that the Agency has had the
delisting petition since January 22,
1991 and that the Board has
already granted the Agency one continuance of these proceedings.
Since this matter was originally filed with USEPA in August of
1990, and because significant daily costs are accruing while the
matter is pending,
Keystone has requested,
in this and prior
pleadings,
that this matter proceed expeditiously.
In light of
these
facts, Keystone is concerned with the Agency’s lack of
progress and the length of the requested extension.
Keystone
has asked the Board to establish a reasonable schedule for
submission of the Agency’s recommendation.
This matter has been closely tied with the proceeding in
R90-17 which adopted adjusted standard procedural rules
specifically tailored to handle delisting petitions for hazardous
wastes.
R90-17 was initiated after USEPA delegated the authority
to delist hazardous waste to Illinois on March
1,
1990.
When
Keystone filed its adjusted standard delisting petition with the
Board, R90-17 was still pending.
As a result, the Agency and
Keystone requested,
respectively, that the time for filing a
reconu~endationand for filing proof of publication be extended
122—30 1
2
until after the adoption of R90-l7.
The Board granted the
motions after calculating that the rules would be effective about
April
15,
1991.
R90—17 was filed and effective as of May 9,
1991.
As mentioned, R90-17 adopted the general adjusted standard
procedures for the delisting of hazardous waste.
Pursuant to
Section 106.714, within 30 days after an adjusted standard
petition has been filed with the Board, the Agency must file
a
response recommending either grant or denial of the petition.
During the public comment period for R90-l7, the Agency filed
comments which did not mention any problems with this time frame.
Neither did any of the other public comments received by the
Board.
As a result, the regulations, as adopted, require an
Agency response within 30 days of the filing of an adjusted
standard delisting petition.
The Board understands that the Agency has more limited
resources than USEPA and that the detailed administration of
the
delisting authority may not yet be known.
Even so, technically,
when Keystone filed its adjusted standard petition,
the Agency
knew of the proposed “detailed standards for review”
in R90—17
and applicable to delisting petitions.
As such, the Agency has
already had 120 days for preliminary review and assessment of the
administrative and resource requirements of adjusted standard
delisting petitions.
In light of these facts and Keystone’s
continued request for an expeditious proceeding, the Board denies
the Agency’s request for 150-day extension to file its
recommendation.
But,
in recognition of the problems being
confronted by the Agency for the first time,
the Board hereby
grants the Agency 60 days from the date of this Order to file its
recommendation pursuant to Section 106.714.
IT IS SO ORDERED.
I, Dorothy N. Gunn,
Clerk of the Illinois Pollution Control
Board, hereby certify that the above Order was adopted on the
__________
day of
________________,
1991, by a vote of
--
a
.
~
Dorothy N. G~fnn, Cldrk
Illinois Po~1utionControl Board
122—302