ILLINOIS POLLUTION CONTROL BOARD
September 30, 2008
DALEE OIL COMPANY,
Petitioner,
v.
ILLINOIS ENVIRONMENTAL
PROTECTION AGENCY,
Respondent.
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PCB 09-17
(UST Appeal)
ORDER OF THE BOARD (by G.T. Girard):
On September 17, 2008, Dalee Oil Company (Dalee) timely filed a petition asking the
Board to review an August 11, 2008 determination of the Illinois Environmental Protection
Agency (Agency).
See
415 ILCS 5/40(a)(1) (2006); 35 Ill. Adm. Code 105.402. The Agency’s
determination concerns Dalee’s leaking underground storage tank (UST) site located at
Broadway and Olive Street in Highland, Madison County. For the reasons below, the Board
accepts Dalee’s petition for hearing.
Under the Environmental Protection Act (Act) (415 ILCS 5 (2006)), the Agency decides
whether to approve proposed cleanup plans and budgets for leaking UST sites, as well as
requests for cleanup cost reimbursement from the State’s UST Fund, which consists of UST fees
and motor fuel taxes. If the Agency disapproves or modifies a submittal, the UST owner or
operator may appeal the decision to the Board.
See
415 ILCS 5/40(a)(1), 57-57.17 (2006); 35 Ill.
Adm. Code 105.Subpart D. In this case, the Agency rejected Dalee’s Amended High Priority
Corrective Action Plan and associated budget regarding the Madison County site. Dalee appeals
on the grounds that the Agency’s rejection of the plan and budget was “erroneous, arbitrary,
capricious and contrary to law.” Petition at 2. Dalee’s petition meets the content requirements
of 35 Ill. Adm. Code 105.408.
The Board accepts the petition for hearing. Dalee has the burden of proof.
See
35 Ill.
Adm. Code 105.112(a). Hearings will be based exclusively on the record before the Agency at
the time the Agency issued its determination.
See
35 Ill. Adm. Code 105.412. Accordingly,
though the Board hearing affords Dalee the opportunity to challenge the Agency’s reasons for its
decision, information developed after the Agency’s decision typically is not admitted at hearing
or considered by the Board.
See
Alton Packaging Corp. v. PCB
, 162 Ill. App. 3d 731, 738, 516
N.E.2d 275, 280 (5th Dist. 1987); Community Landfill Co. & City of Morris v. IEPA, PCB 01-
170 (Dec. 6, 2001),
aff’d sub nom.
Community Landfill Co. & City of Morris v. PCB & IEPA
,
331 Ill. App. 3d 1056, 772 N.E.2d 231 (3rd Dist. 2002).
Hearings will be scheduled and completed in a timely manner, consistent with the
decision deadline (
see
415 ILCS 5/40(a)(2) (2006)), which only Dalee may extend by waiver
2
(
see
35 Ill. Adm. Code 101.308). If the Board fails to take final action by the decision deadline,
Dalee may deem its request granted.
See
415 ILCS 5/40(a)(2) (2006). Currently, the decision
deadline is January 15, 2009, which is the 120th day after the Board received the petition.
See
35 Ill. Adm. Code 105.114. The Board meeting immediately before the decision deadline is
scheduled for January 8, 2009.
Unless the Board or the hearing officer orders otherwise, the Agency must file the entire
record of its determination by October 17, 2008, which is the 30th day after the Board received
Dalee’s petition for review.
See
35 Ill. Adm. Code 101.300(a), 105.410(a). If the Agency
wishes to seek additional time to file the record, it must file a request for extension before the
date on which the record is due to be filed.
See
35 Ill. Adm. Code 105.116. The record must
comply with the content requirements of 35 Ill. Adm. Code 105.410(b).
IT IS SO ORDERED.
I, John T. Therriault, Assistant Clerk of the Illinois Pollution Control Board, certify that
the Board adopted the above order on September 30, 2008, by a vote of 4-0.
___________________________________
John T. Therriault, Assistant Clerk
Illinois Pollution Control Board