[Code of Federal Regulations]
[Title 40, Volume 19]
[Revised as of July 1, 2003]
From the U.S. Government Printing Office via GPO Access
[CITE: 40CFR123.24]

[Page 246-248]
 
                   TITLE 40--PROTECTION OF ENVIRONMENT
 
         CHAPTER I--ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (CONTINUED)
 
PART 123--STATE PROGRAM REQUIREMENTS--Table of Contents
 
                  Subpart B--State Program Submissions
 
Sec. 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.
    Note: 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 Sec. 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.

[[Page 247]]

    (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 shall implement the requirements of 
Sec. 123.43.
    (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 Sec. 124.4.)
    Note: 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.
    Note: 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 
Sec. 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

[[Page 248]]

    (2) A statement that the State shall supply EPA with copies of final 
permits.

[48 FR 14178, Apr. 1, 1983; 50 FR 6941, Feb. 19, 1985, as amended at 54 
FR 18784, May 2, 1989; 58 FR 67981, Dec. 22, 1993; 63 FR 45122, Aug. 24, 
1998]