§ 6628. Plan, plan summary, and performance report review

(a) Except as provided for in this section, a toxics use reduction and hazardous waste reduction plan developed under this subchapter shall be retained at the facility and is not a public record under 1 V.S.A. § 317. If a person developing a toxics use reduction and hazardous waste reduction plan under this chapter chooses to send all or a portion of the plan to the Secretary for review, it is exempt from public inspection and copying under the Public Records Act and shall be kept confidential. A plan summary submitted pursuant to section 6629 of this title shall be submitted to the Secretary and shall be a public record.

(b) For the purposes of this subchapter, a Class A generator, Class B generator, or large user shall permit any designated employee of the Department to inspect the toxics use reduction and hazardous waste reduction plan.

(c) The Department may review a plan, plan summary, or annual performance report to determine whether the plan, plan summary, or performance report is adequate according to the provisions of sections 6629 and 6630 of this title. If a Class A generator, Class B generator, or large user fails to complete an adequate plan, plan summary, or annual performance report, the Department, upon review of the plan, plan summary, or performance report shall notify the generator or user of the inadequacy, identifying the specific deficiencies. The Department shall specify a reasonable time frame of not less than 90 days nor more than 180 days within which the generator or user shall modify a plan, plan summary, or performance report to address the specified deficiencies, and the Department shall make technical assistance available to aid the generator or user in modifying its plan, plan summary, or performance report.

(d) If the Department determines that a modified plan, plan summary, or performance report is inadequate, the Department may either require further modification or issue an administrative order pursuant to subsection (e) of this section.

(e) If after having received a list of specified deficiencies from the Department, a Class A generator, Class B generator, or large user fails to develop an adequate plan, plan summary, or performance report within a time frame specified pursuant to subsection (c) or (d) of this section, the Department may order that generator or user to submit an adequate plan, plan summary, or performance report within a reasonable time frame of not less than 90 days. If the generator or user fails to develop an adequate plan, plan summary, or performance report within the time frame specified, a meeting shall be held between the generator or user, the Department, and the Secretary in a final attempt to resolve outstanding concerns and issues. If no compromise can be reached to modify the plan, plan summary, or performance report, the generator or large user shall submit to the Secretary any inadequate plan, and the Department shall conduct a public hearing on the plan, plan summary, or performance report. Except as provided under 1 V.S.A. § 317, in any hearing under this section, the relevant plan, plan summary, or performance report shall be considered a public record as defined in 1 V.S.A. § 317.

(f) On or after October 1, 1992, and every two years thereafter, the Secretary shall select, by the SIC Code, at least two categories of generators with potential for toxics use reduction and hazardous waste reduction and shall:

(1) examine the plans of selected generators and large users in the category, unless the Secretary determines that Agency resources are inadequate to complete plan reviews for all generators and users in the category, in which case the Secretary need only complete those that resources will accommodate;

(2) determine whether the selected generators and large users that are reviewed comply with section 6629 of this title;

(3) identify successful toxics use reduction and hazardous waste reduction approaches, including risk reduction, employed by generators and large users in the category and disseminate information concerning those approaches to generators and large users within the category.

(g) On or after October 1, 1992 for Class A generators, on or after July 1, 1993 for Class B generators, and on or after July 1, 1996 for large users, the Secretary may inspect the plan, plan summary, or performance report. For generators that are both Class A or Class B generators and large users the toxics use reduction portion of the plan required for chemicals included in the planning process solely by the large user definition is not due until July 1, 1996.

(h) In reviewing the adequacy of any plan, plan summary, or performance report, the Department shall base its determination solely on whether the plan, plan summary, or performance report is complete and prepared in accordance with section 6629 or 6630 of this title. The Department shall consider information provided under subsection 6629(b) in its review.

(i) The Department shall maintain a log of each plan, plan summary, or performance report it reviews, a list of all plans, plan summaries, or performance reports that have been found inadequate under subsection (e) of this section and descriptions of corrective actions taken. This information shall be available to the public at the Department’s office.

(j) Fees shall be submitted annually on March 31. Fees shall be submitted to the Secretary and deposited into the hazardous waste management account of the Waste Management Assistance Fund established under section 6618 of this title. Fees shall be computed according to the following:

(1) $400.00 per toxic chemical identified pursuant to subdivision 6629(c)(4) of this title.

(2) $400.00 per hazardous waste stream identified pursuant to subdivision 6629(c)(3) of this title.

(3) Up to a maximum amount of:

(A) $2,000.00 per plan for Class A generators.

(B) $400.00 per plan for Class B generators.

(C) $2,000.00 per plan for large users.

(D) $4,000.00 per plan for Class A generators that are large users.

(E) $1,200.00 per plan for Class B generators that are large users. (Added 1989, No. 282 (Adj. Sess.), § 17, eff. June 22, 1990; amended 1991, No. 100, § 6; 1995, No. 42, §§ 1, 3; 1997, No. 155 (Adj. Sess.), § 38; 2003, No. 163 (Adj. Sess.), § 23; 2011, No. 161 (Adj. Sess.), § 5; 2015, No. 29, § 18; 2015, No. 57, § 22.)