Current through Register Vol. 48, No. 38, September 20, 2024
a) An owner or
operator may satisfy the requirements of this Subpart by obtaining an
irrevocable standby letter of credit that conforms to the requirements of this
Section and submitting the letter of credit to the Agency.
b) The issuing institution must be an entity
that has the authority to issue letters of credit and whose letter-of-credit
operations are regulated and examined by a federal or state agency.
c) Forms:
1)
The letter of credit must be on standardized forms prescribed by the
Agency.
2) The letter of credit
must be accompanied by a letter from the owner or operator, referring to the
letter of credit by number, issuing institution and date, and providing, at a
minimum, the following information: the Agency designated site number, the name
and address of the site, and the amount of funds assured for removal from the
site by the letter of credit.
d) An owner or operator who uses a letter of
credit to satisfy the requirements of this Subpart must also establish a
standby trust fund. Any amounts drawn by the Agency pursuant to the letter of
credit must be deposited in the standby trust fund. The standby trust fund must
meet the requirements of a trust fund specified in Section
848.410, except that:
1) the owner or operator must submit an
originally signed duplicate of the trust agreement to the Agency with the
letter of credit; and
2) unless the
standby trust is funded pursuant to the requirements of this Section, none of
the following are required:
A) payments into
the trust fund as specified in Section 848.410;
B) updating the trust agreement schedule in
Section
848.410(c)
to show the current approved removal cost estimates;
C) annual valuations as required by the trust
agreement; or
D) notices of
nonpayment as required by the trust agreement.
e) Conditions on which the Agency may draw on
the letter of credit:
1) The Agency may draw
on the letter of credit if the owner or operator fails to perform removal in
accordance with the removal plan.
2) The Agency may draw on the letter of
credit when the owner or operator does any one or more of the following:
A) abandons the site;
B) is adjudicated bankrupt;
C) within 30 days after the date on which the
known final volume of used or waste tires is received, either fails to complete
removal or fails to submit a removal plan that is approved by the Agency in
accordance with Section
848.506;
D) fails to initiate removal when ordered to
do so by the Board pursuant to Title VIII of the Act, or when ordered to do so
by a court of competent jurisdiction;
E) notifies the Agency that it has initiated
removal, or initiates removal, but fails to provide removal in accordance with
the removal plan; or
F) within 90
days after receipt by both the owner or operator and the Agency of a notice
from the issuing institution that the letter of credit will not be extended for
another term, fails to provide additional or substitute financial assurance
under this Subpart.
f) Amount:
1) The letter of credit must be issued in an
amount at least equal to the current approved removal cost estimate, except as
provided in Section
848.407.
2) If the current removal cost estimate
decreases, the penal sum may be reduced to the amount of the current approved
removal cost estimate following written approval by the Agency.
3) If the current removal cost estimate
increases to an amount greater than the credit and if that increase is not due
to an increase in the maximum accumulation of used or waste tires at the site,
the owner or operator must, within 60 days after the increase in the removal
cost estimate, either:
A) cause the amount of
the credit to be increased to an amount at least equal to the current removal
cost estimate and submit evidence of the increase to the Agency; or
B) obtain alternate financial assurance in
accordance with this Subpart to cover the increase in the removal cost estimate
and submit evidence of the alternate financial assurance to the
Agency.
4) If the
current removal cost estimate increases to an amount greater than the credit
and if that increase is due to an increase in the maximum accumulation of used
or waste tires at the site, the owner or operator must, within 60 days after
the increase in the removal cost estimate:
A)
remove the excess tires to meet the current approved removal cost
estimate;
B) cause the amount of
the credit to be increased to an amount at least equal to the current removal
cost estimate and submit evidence of the increase to the Agency; or
C) obtain other financial assurance, as
specified in this Subpart, to cover the increase in the removal cost estimate
and submit evidence of the alternative financial assurance to the
Agency.
g)
Term:
1) The letter of credit must be
irrevocable and issued for a period of at least one year.
2) The letter of credit must provide that, on
its current expiration date and on each successive expiration date, the letter
of credit will be automatically extended for a period of at least one year,
unless, at least 120 days before the current expiration date, the issuing
institution notifies both the owner and operator and the Agency, by certified
mail, of a decision not to extend the letter of credit for another term. Under
the terms of the letter of credit, the 120 days will begin on the date when
both the owner or operator and the Agency have received the notice, as
evidenced by the return receipts.
3) The Agency must return the letter of
credit to the issuing institution for termination as soon as practicable after
any of the following occur:
A) an owner or
operator substitutes alternate financial assurance that meets the requirements
of this Subpart such that the total financial assurance for the site is equal
to or greater than the current approved removal cost estimate, without counting
the amounts to be released; or
B)
the Agency releases the owner or operator from the requirements of this Subpart
following completion of removal.