40 CFR 123.24 – Memorandum of Agreement with the Regional Administrator
(a) Any State that seeks to administer a program under this part shall submit a Memorandum of Agreement. The Memorandum of Agreement shall be executed by the State Director and the Regional Administrator and shall become effective when approved by the Administrator. In addition to meeting the requirements of paragraph (b) of this section, the Memorandum of Agreement may include other terms, conditions, or agreements consistent with this part and relevant to the administration and enforcement of the State’s regulatory program. The Administrator shall not approve any Memorandum of Agreement which contains provisions which restrict EPA’s statutory oversight responsibility.
(b) The Memorandum of Agreement shall include the following:
(1)(i) Provisions for the prompt transfer from EPA to the State of pending permit applications and any other information relevant to program operation not already in the possession of the State Director (e.g., support files for permit issuance, compliance reports, etc.). If existing permits are transferred from EPA to the State for administration, the Memorandum of Agreement shall contain provisions specifying a procedure for transferring the administration of these permits. If a State lacks the authority to directly administer permits issued by the Federal government, a procedure may be established to transfer responsibility for these permits.
For example, EPA and the State and the permittee could agree that the State would issue a permit(s) identical to the outstanding Federal permit which would simultaneously be terminated.
(ii) Where a State has been authorized by EPA to issue permits in accordance with § 123.23(b) on the Federal Indian reservation of the Indian Tribe seeking program approval, provisions describing how the transfer of pending permit applications, permits, and any other information relevant to the program operation not already in the possession of the Indian Tribe (support files for permit issuance, compliance reports, etc.) will be accomplished.
(2) Provisions specifying classes and categories of permit applications, draft permits, and proposed permits that the State will send to the Regional Administrator for review, comment and, where applicable, objection.
(3) Provisions specifying the frequency and content of reports, documents and other information which the State is required to submit to EPA. The State shall allow EPA to routinely review State records, reports, and files relevant to the administration and enforcement of the approved program. State reports may be combined with grant reports where appropriate. These procedures must also implement the requirements of 40 CFR 123.41(a) and 123.43 and 40 CFR part 127 (including the required data elements in appendix A to part 127).
(4) Provisions on the State’s compliance monitoring and enforcement program, including:
(i) Provisions for coordination of compliance monitoring activities by the State and by EPA. These may specify the basis on which the Regional Administrator will select facilities or activities within the State for EPA inspection. The Regional Administrator will normally notify the State at least 7 days before any such inspection; and
(ii) Procedures to assure coordination of enforcement activities.
(5) When appropriate, provisions for joint processing of permits by the State and EPA for facilities or activities which require permits from both EPA and the State under different programs. (See § 124.4.)
To promote efficiency and to avoid duplication and inconsistency, States are encouraged to enter into joint processing agreements with EPA for permit issuance. Likewise, States are encouraged (but not required) to consider steps to coordinate or consolidate their own permit programs and activities.
(6) Provisions for modification of the Memorandum of Agreement in accordance with this part.
(c) The Memorandum of Agreement, the annual program grant and the State/EPA Agreement should be consistent. If the State/EPA Agreement indicates that a change is needed in the Memorandum of Agreement, the Memorandum of Agreement may be amended through the procedures set forth in this part. The State/EPA Agreement may not override the Memorandum of Agreement.
Detailed program priorities and specific arrangements for EPA support of the State program will change and are therefore more appropriately negotiated in the context of annual agreements rather than in the MOA. However, it may still be appropriate to specify in the MOA the basis for such detailed agreements, e.g., a provision in the MOA specifying that EPA will select facilities in the State for inspection annually as part of the State/EPA agreement.
(d) The Memorandum of Agreement shall also specify the extent to which EPA will waive its right to review, object to, or comment upon State-issued permits under section 402(d)(3), (e) or (f) of CWA. While the Regional Administrator and the State may agree to waive EPA review of certain “classes or categories” of permits, no waiver of review may be granted for the following classes or categories:
(1) Discharges into the territorial sea;
(2) Discharges which may affect the waters of a State other than the one in which the discharge originates;
(3) Discharges proposed to be regulated by general permits (see § 122.28);
(4) Discharges from publicly owned treatment works with a daily average discharge exceeding 1 million gallons per day;
(5) Discharges of uncontaminated cooling water with a daily average discharge exceeding 500 million gallons per day;
(6) Discharges from any major discharger or from any discharger within any of the 21 industrial categories listed in appendix A to part 122;
(7) Discharges from other sources with a daily average discharge exceeding 0.5 (one-half) million gallons per day, except that EPA review of permits for discharges of non-process wastewater may be waived regardless of flow.
(e) Whenever a waiver is granted under paragraph (d) of this section, the Memorandum of Agreement shall contain:
(1) A statement that the Regional Administrator retains the right to terminate the waiver as to future permit actions, in whole or in part, at any time by sending the State Director written notice of termination; and
(2) A statement that the State shall supply EPA with copies of final permits.