[Code of Federal Regulations] [Title 40, Volume 20] [Revised as of July 1, 2004] From the U.S. Government Printing Office via GPO Access [CITE: 40CFR124.5] [Page 273-275] TITLE 40--PROTECTION OF ENVIRONMENT CHAPTER I--ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (CONTINUED) PART 124_PROCEDURES FOR DECISIONMAKING--Table of Contents Subpart A_General Program Requirements Sec. 124.5 Modification, revocation and reissuance, or termination of permits. (a) (Applicable to State programs, see Sec. Sec. 123.25 (NPDES), 145.11 (UIC), 233.26 (404), and 271.14 (RCRA)). Permits (other than PSD permits) may be modified, revoked and reissued, or terminated either at the request of any interested person (including the permittee) or upon the Director's initiative. However, permits may only be modified, revoked and reissued, or terminated for the reasons specified in Sec. 122.62 or Sec. 122.64 (NPDES), 144.39 or 144.40 (UIC), 233.14 or 233.15 (404), and 270.41 or 270.43 (RCRA). All requests shall be in writing and shall contain facts or reasons supporting the request. (b) If the Director decides the request is not justified, he or she shall send the requester a brief written response giving a reason for the decision. Denials of requests for modification, revocation and reissuance, or termination are not subject to public notice, comment, or hearings. Denials by the Regional Administrator may be informally appealed to the Environmental Appeals Board by a letter briefly setting forth the relevant facts. The Environmental Appeals Board may direct the Regional Administrator to begin modification, revocation and reissuance, or termination proceedings under paragraph (c) of this section. The appeal shall be considered denied if the Environmental [[Page 274]] Appeals Board takes no action on the letter within 60 days after receiving it. This informal appeal is, under 5 U.S.C. 704, a prerequisite to seeking judicial review of EPA action in denying a request for modification, revocation and reissuance, or termination. (c) (Applicable to State programs, see Sec. Sec. 123.25 (NPDES), 145.11 (UIC), 233.26 (404), and 271.14 (RCRA)). (1) If the Director tentatively decides to modify or revoke and reissue a permit under Sec. Sec. 122.62 (NPDES), 144.39 (UIC), 233.14 (404), or 270.41 or 270.42(c) (RCRA), he or she shall prepare a draft permit under Sec. 124.6 incorporating the proposed changes. The Director may request additional information and, in the case of a modified permit, may require the submission of an updated application. In the case of revoked and reissued permits, the Director shall require the submission of a new application. (2) In a permit modification under this section, only those conditions to be modified shall be reopened when a new draft permit is prepared. All other aspects of the existing permit shall remain in effect for the duration of the unmodified permit. When a permit is revoked and reissued under this section, the entire permit is reopened just as if the permit had expired and was being reissued. During any revocation and reissuance proceeding the permittee shall comply with all conditions of the existing permit until a new final permit is reissued. (3) ``Minor modifications'' as defined in Sec. Sec. 122.63 (NPDES), 144.41 (UIC), and 233.16 (404), and ``Classes 1 and 2 modifications'' as defined in Sec. 270.42 (a) and (b) (RCRA) are not subject to the requirements of this section. (d) (Applicable to State programs, see Sec. Sec. 123.25 (NPDES) of this chapter, 145.11 (UIC) of this chapter, and 271.14 (RCRA) of this chapter). (1) If the Director tentatively decides to terminate: A permit under Sec. 144.40 (UIC) of this chapter, a permit under Sec. Sec. 122.64(a) (NPDES) of this chapter or 270.43 (RCRA) of this chapter (for EPA-issued NPDES permits, only at the request of the permittee), or a permit under Sec. 122.64(b) (NPDES) of this chapter where the permittee objects, he or she shall issue a notice of intent to terminate. A notice of intent to terminate is a type of draft permit which follows the same procedures as any draft permit prepared under Sec. 124.6 of this chapter. (2) For EPA-issued NPDES or RCRA permits, if the Director tentatively decides to terminate a permit under Sec. 122.64(a) (NPDES) of this chapter, other than at the request of the permittee, or decides to conduct a hearing under section 3008 of RCRA in connection with the termination of a RCRA permit, he or she shall prepare a complaint under 40 CFR 22.13 and 22.44 of this chapter. Such termination of NPDES and RCRA permits shall be subject to the procedures of part 22 of this chapter. (3) In the case of EPA-issued permits, a notice of intent to terminate or a complaint shall not be issued if the Regional Administrator and the permittee agree to termination in the course of transferring permit responsibility to an approved State under Sec. Sec. 123.24(b)(1) (NPDES) of this chapter, 145.25(b)(1) (UIC) of this chapter, 271.8(b)(6) (RCRA) of this chapter, or 501.14(b)(1) (sludge) of this chapter. In addition, termination of an NPDES permit for cause pursuant to Sec. 122.64 of this chapter may be accomplished by providing written notice to the permittee, unless the permittee objects. (e) When EPA is the permitting authority, all draft permits (including notices of intent to terminate) prepared under this section shall be based on the administrative record as defined in Sec. 124.9. (f) (Applicable to State programs, see Sec. 233.26 (404)). Any request by the permittee for modification to an existing 404 permit (other than a request for a minor modification as defined in Sec. 233.16 (404)) shall be treated as a permit application and shall be processed in accordance with all requirements of Sec. 124.3. (g)(1) (Reserved for PSD Modification Provisions). (2) PSD permits may be terminated only by rescission under Sec. 52.21(w) or by automatic expiration under Sec. 52.21(r). Applications for rescission shall be [[Page 275]] precessed under Sec. 52.21(w) and are not subject to this part. [48 FR 14264, Apr. 1, 1983, as amended at 53 FR 37934, Sept. 28, 1988; 54 FR 18785, May 2, 1989; 57 FR 60129, Dec. 18, 1992; 65 FR 30910, May 15, 2000]