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vvEPA
Washington. DC 20460
OSWER Directive Initiation Reauest
Or'ginator information
Name of Contact Person
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Man Code
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interim Directive ftlumoer

Telephone Numoer
382-2221
l-;r Review
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Date

Title
          Interpretation of  40 CFR 270.70(b)/Termination of  Interim  Status
Summary ot Directive
          The  purpose of 270.70(b) is to  give  an  opportunity to the
          applicants to  amend their  deficient  Part A.   The  regulation
          does not  apply to  violations of Part 265 interim  status
          standards.
          The  memo also summarizes  the ways  interim  status  can be
          terminated.
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           UNITED STATES ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
                      WASHINGTON. D.C. 20460
                                                       OFFICE OF
                                              SOLID WASTE AND EMERGENCY RESPONSE
MEMORANDUM

SUBJECT:  Interpretation of  40 CFR  270.70(b)

•FROM:     Peter  F.  Guerrero
          Chief,  Permits Branc

TO:       Michael  J.  Sanderson
          Chief,  RCRA Branch
     This memorandum  is  in  response  to your  requests  of  July  11
and October  9,  1985,  and discussions with  Chet  McLaughiin  of
your staff concerning our interpretation of  40  CFR  270.70(b).
Pi ease  accept  our  apologies for  the  delay  in answering your
original request made on July  11.

     Section 270.70(b),  as  amended on April  24,  1984  (49 Federal
Register 17718), requires EPA  to issue a notice of  deficiency to
an owner/operator  of  an  existing hazardous waste facility  who
submits a deficient Part A  application.  The notice must give
the owner/operator thirty days to explain  or amend  the appli-
cation  before  being subject to EPA enforcement  action.   After
such notification  and opportunity for response,  EPA may  determine
that the facility  qualifies or fails to qualify for interim
status.  As  stated in the preamble of the  April  24, 1984 Federal
Register, EPA  believes it is reasonable to give permit applicants
an opportunity to  cure deficient Part A applications  before
interim status is  denied or before enforcement  action is taken
for operating  without a  permit.

     Your memorandum  discussed the application  of 270.70(b) to
those protective filers  whose  "interim status has been admini-
stratively terminated".   Specifically, you were concerned  that if
an additional  waste stream  were  discovered at such  a  facility,
the owner/operator would have  an additional  thirty  days  to correct
any violations related to that wastestream before EPA could take
an enforcement action.

     As stated above,  the purpose of §270.70(b)  is  to give an
opportunity  to the applicants  to amend their deficient Part A.
The regulation does not  apply  to violations  of  Part 265  interim
status  standards.  Therefore,  if a protective filer was  later

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determined to be handling a hazardous waste stream not listed
on its Part A application, that facility would be subject to
immediate enforcement action for any violation of Part 265
standards.

     Further, as stated in the September 25, 1985 50 Federal
Register 38946 and the June 14, 1983 memorandum from Bruce
Weddle entitled, "Application Withdrawls and Termination of
Interim Status as Conducted in AMAS and Toward Call-in Commit-
ments", EPA does not consider protective filers to have
achieved interim status.  Therefore, since such a facility
'never had interim status, there can be no "termination" of
interim status at these facilities.  Moreover, if such a
facility were to be in interim status, there are only a few
ways by which that status can be terminated: (i) final dis-
position of a permit is made (§270.73); (2) a facility fails
to submit a Part B application (§270.73); (3) a facility
fails to qualify for interim status, as described above
(§270.70(b)); (4) a 3008(h) order is issued revoking authon-
ization to operate under section 3005(e); or (5) a land
disposal facility fails to certify compliance with ground-water
and financial responsibility requirements by November 8,
1985 (HSWA §213).

     If you have any further questions reguarding this issue,
please contact George Faison at FTS 382-2221 or Sarah Culver
at FTS 382-4754.
cc:  Bruce Weddie
     Clem Rastatter
     David Fagan
     Tony Baney
     RCRA Branch Chiefs, Regions I-X

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