North Dakota: Approval of State Coal Combustion Residuals Permit Program

<RULE> ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY <CFR>40 CFR Part 257</CFR> <DEPDOC>[EPA-HQ-OLEM-2021-0051; FRL-12769-02-OLEM]</DEPDOC> <SUBJECT>North Dakota: Approval of State Coal Combustion Residuals Permit Program</SUBJECT> <HD SOURCE="HED">AGENCY:</HD> Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). <HD SOURCE="HED">ACTION:</HD> Availability of final decision. <SUM> <HD SOURCE="HED">SUMMARY:</HD> The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA or the Agency) is approving the North Dakota Coal Combustion Residuals (CCR) partial permit program under the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA). After reviewing the CCR permit program application submitted by the North Dakota Department of Environmental Quality (NDDEQ), EPA has determined that North Dakota's partial CCR permit program meets the standard for approval under RCRA. North Dakota's CCR permit program will operate in lieu of the Federal CCR program with the exception of the specific provisions noted below. </SUM> <EFFDATE> <HD SOURCE="HED">DATES:</HD> This action is effective on December 17, 2025. </EFFDATE> <HD SOURCE="HED">ADDRESSES:</HD> EPA has established a docket for this action under Docket ID No. EPA-HQ-OLEM-2021-0051. All documents in the docket are listed on the <E T="03">https://www.regulations.gov</E> website. Although listed in the index, some information is not publicly available, <E T="03">e.g.,</E> Confidential Business Information or other information whose disclosure is restricted by statute. Certain other material, such as copyrighted material, is not placed on the internet and will be publicly available only in hard copy form. <FURINF> <HD SOURCE="HED">FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:</HD> Michelle Lloyd, Office of Resource Conservation and Recovery, Materials Recovery and Waste Management Division, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 1200 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, MC: 5304T, Washington, DC 20460; telephone number: (202) 566-0560; email address: <E T="03">lloyd.michelle@epa.gov.</E> For more information on this notification please visit <E T="03">https://www.epa.gov/coal-combustion-residuals.</E> </FURINF> <SUPLINF> <HD SOURCE="HED">SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:</HD> <HD SOURCE="HD1">Table of Contents</HD> <EXTRACT> <FP SOURCE="FP-2">I. General Information</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">A. Summary of Final Action</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">B. Background</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">C. Statutory Authority</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-2">II. The North Dakota Application</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-2">III. EPA Analysis of the North Dakota Application—Basis for Approval</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">A. Adequacy of the North Dakota Permit Program</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">1. Guidelines for Permitting</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">2. Guidelines for Public Participation</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">3. Guidelines for Compliance Monitoring Authority</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">4. Guidelines for Enforcement Authority</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">5. Intervention in Civil Enforcement Proceedings</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">B. Adequacy of Technical Criteria</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">1. North Dakota CCR Units and Resources</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">2. North Dakota CCR Regulations</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">C. North Dakota's Permits Issued Under the State CCR Regulations</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">1. North Dakota's Previously-Issued Permits Under the Unapproved State CCR Regulations Are Not Part of the Permit Program Evidence Under Review</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">2. Status of North Dakota's Previously-Issued Permits Issued Under the Unapproved State CCR Regulations</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">D. Public Comment Period</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">E. EPA Responses to Major Comments on the Proposed Determination</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">1. Partial Program and North Dakota Adoption of the Federal Regulations</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">2. Public Participation</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">3. North Dakota CCR Permits</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-2">IV. Approval of the North Dakota CCR Permit Program</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-2">V. Final Action</FP> </EXTRACT> <HD SOURCE="HD1">List of Acronyms </HD> <EXTRACT> <FP SOURCE="FP-1">CBI Confidential Business Information</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-1">CCR coal combustion residuals</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-1">CFR Code of Federal Regulations</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-1">EPA Environmental Protection Agency</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-1">MSWLF municipal solid waste landfill</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-1">NDAC North Dakota Administrative Code</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-1">NDCC North Dakota Century Code</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-1">NDDEQ North Dakota Department of Environmental Quality</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-1">MCL maximum contaminant level</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-1">OLEM Office of Land and Emergency Management</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-1">RCRA Resource Conservation and Recovery Act</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-1">STAG State and Tribal Assistance Grant</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-1">USWAG Utility Solid Waste Activities Group</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-1">WIIN Water Infrastructure Improvements for the Nation</FP> </EXTRACT> <HD SOURCE="HD1">I. General Information</HD> <HD SOURCE="HD2">A. Summary of Final Action</HD> EPA is taking final action to approve of North Dakota's partial CCR permit program because the Agency finds that the State's program requires each CCR unit in the State to achieve compliance with the minimum requirements in the Federal CCR regulations or with alternative requirements that EPA has determined to be at least as protective as the requirements of the Federal CCR regulations in 40 CFR part 257, subpart D, for the reasons set forth in the Proposed Approval (90 FR 20985, May 16, 2025), addendum to the proposed approval (90 FR 38619, August 11, 2025), and this final action. See, 42 U.S.C. 6945(d)(1)(B). <HD SOURCE="HD2">B. Background</HD> CCR are generated from the combustion of coal, including solid fuels classified as anthracite, bituminous coal, subbituminous coal, and lignite, for the purpose of generating steam to power a generator to produce electricity or electricity and other thermal energy by electric utilities and independent power producers. CCR, commonly known as coal ash, include fly ash, bottom ash, boiler slag, and flue gas desulfurization materials. CCR can be sent offsite for disposal or beneficial use or disposed of in on-site landfills or surface impoundments. On April 17, 2015, EPA published a final rule creating 40 CFR part 257, subpart D, which established a comprehensive set of minimum Federal requirements for the disposal of CCR in landfills and surface impoundments (80 FR 21302) (2015 CCR Rule). The rule created a self-implementing program that regulates the location, design, operating criteria, and groundwater monitoring and corrective action for CCR units, as well as the closure and post-closure care of CCR units. It also requires recordkeeping and notifications for CCR units. EPA has since amended 40 CFR part 257, subpart D on August 5, 2016 (81 FR 51802), July 30, 2018 (83 FR 36435), August 28, 2020 (85 FR 53516), November 12, 2020 (85 FR 72506), May 8, 2024 (89 FR 38950), and November 8, 2024 (89 FR 88650). More information on these rules is provided in the Technical Support Document in the docket for this document. <HD SOURCE="HD2">C. Statutory Authority</HD> EPA is issuing this action pursuant to RCRA sections 4005(d) and 7004(b)(1). See 42 U.S.C. 6945(d) and 6974(b)(1). As amended by section 2301 of the 2016 Water Infrastructure Improvements for the Nation (WIIN) Act, RCRA section 4005(d) instructs the EPA to establish a Federal permit program similar to those under RCRA subtitle C and other environmental statutes and authorizes States to develop their own CCR permitting programs that go into effect in lieu of the Federal permit program in the State, upon approval by EPA. See 42 U.S.C. 6945(d). Under RCRA section 4005(d)(1)(A), 42 U.S.C. 6945(d)(1)(A), States seeking approval of a State CCR program must submit to the Administrator “in such form as the Administrator may establish, evidence of a permit program or other system of prior approval and conditions under State law for regulation by the State of coal combustion residuals units that are located in the State.” The statute provides that EPA shall approve a State CCR permit program if the Administrator determines that the State program will require each CCR unit located in the State to achieve compliance with either: (1) The Federal CCR requirements at 40 CFR part 257, subpart D; or (2) Other State criteria that the Administrator, after consultation with the State, determines to be “at least as protective as” the Federal requirements. 42 U.S.C. 6945(d)(1)(B). The Administrator must make a final determination, after providing for public notice and an opportunity for public comment, within 180 days of receiving a State's complete submittal of the information specified in RCRA section 4005(d)(1)(A). 42 U.S.C. 6945(d)(1)(B). EPA may approve a State CCR permit program in whole or in part. Id. Once approved, the State permit program operates in lieu of the Federal requirements. 42 U.S.C. 6945(d)(1)(A). In a State with a partial program, only the State requirements that have been approved by EPA operate in lieu of the Federal requirements, and facilities remain responsible for compliance with all remaining Federal requirements in 40 CFR part 257. As noted above, the Federal CCR regulations are self-implementing, meaning that CCR landfills and surface impoundments must comply with the terms of the regulations prior to obtaining a Federal permit or permit issued by an approved State. Noncompliance with the Federal CCR regulations can be the subject of an enforcement action brought directly against the facility. Once a final CCR permit is issued by an approved State or pursuant to a Federal CCR permit program, however, the terms of the permit apply in lieu of the terms of the Federal CCR regulations and/or requirements in an approved State program, and RCRA section 4005(d)(3) provides a permit shield ━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━ Preview showing 10k of 99k characters. Full document text is stored and available for version comparison. ━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━