OAR 340-097-0110: Solid Waste Permit and Disposal Fees

(1) Each person required to have a solid waste disposal permit, waste tire storage or waste tire carrier permit is subject to the following fees: (a) An application processing fee for new facilities and new waste tire carriers which must be submitted with the application for a new permit as specified in OAR 340-097-0120(2); and (b) A solid waste permit compliance fee as listed in OAR 340-097-0120(6). (2) Each disposal site receiving domestic solid waste for final disposal or destruction must pay the per-ton solid waste disposal fees on solid waste as specified in OAR 340-097-0120(7). Beginning April 1, 2019, and first payable beginning July 1, 2019, land disposal sites receiving construction and demolition wastes, land clearing debris, or tires for final disposal or destruction must also pay this fee. (3) Oregon solid waste disposed of out-of-state. A person who transports solid waste, generated in Oregon, for final disposal or destruction at a disposal site located outside of Oregon that receives domestic solid waste, or beginning April 1, 2019, a land disposal site that receives construction and demolition waste, land clearing debris, or waste tires for final disposal or destruction, must pay the per-ton solid waste disposal fees as specified in OAR 340-097-0120(7). (a) For purposes of OAR 340-097-0110 and 340-097-0120(7), a person is the transporter if the person transports or arranges for the transport of solid waste out of Oregon for final disposal or destruction at a disposal site that receives domestic solid waste, or beginning April 1, 2019, a land disposal site that receives construction and demolition waste, land clearing debris, or waste tires for final disposal or destruction, and is: (A) A solid waste collection service or any other person who hauls, under an agreement, solid waste out of Oregon; (B) A person who hauls his or her own industrial, commercial or institutional waste or other waste such as cleanup materials contaminated with hazardous substances; (C) An operator of a transfer station, when Oregon waste is delivered to a transfer station located in Oregon and from there is transported out of Oregon for final disposal or destruction; (D) A person who authorizes or retains the services of another person for disposal of cleanup materials contaminated with hazardous substances; or (E) A person who transports infectious waste. (b) Notification requirement: (A) Before transporting or arranging for transport of solid waste for final disposal or destruction out of Oregon to a disposal site that receives domestic solid waste, or beginning April 1, 2019, to a land disposal site that receives construction and demolition wastes, land clearing debris, or waste tires, the person identified in subsection (3)(a) must notify DEQ in writing on a form DEQ provides. (B) The notification must state whether the person will transport the waste on an on-going basis. (c) As used in this section, "person" does not include an individual transporting only the individual's own residential solid waste to a disposal site located out of the state. (4) Fees. The solid waste permit compliance fee must be paid for each year a disposal site, waste tire carrier or waste tire storage site requiring a solid waste permit is in operation or under permit. The fee period is prospective and is as follows: (a) New sites requiring a solid waste permit: (A) Any new disposal site must pay a solid waste permit compliance fee 30 days after the end of the calendar quarter in which solid waste is received at the facility, except as specified in paragraph (4)(a)(B), (C) and (D); (B) A new disposal site that receives less than 1,000 tons of solid waste per year, other than a transfer station, material recovery facility, commingled recycling processing facility, limited sort facility, or composting facility, must pay the entire permit compliance fee for the first year's operation if the facility is placed into operation on or before September 1. A new facility placed into operation after September 1 will not owe a permit compliance fee until the following January 31. An application for a new disposal site receiving less than 1,000 tons of solid waste a year must include the applicable permit compliance fee for the first year of operation; (C) A new industrial solid waste disposal site, sludge or land application disposal site or solid waste treatment facility receiving more than 1,000 but less than 20,000 tons of solid waste a year must pay a solid waste permit compliance fee on January 31 following the calendar year in which the facility is placed into operation; (D) A new transfer station, material recovery facility, commingled recycling processing facility, limited sort facility or composting facility must pay the entire permit compliance fee for the first fiscal year's operation, based on the state's fiscal year, if the facility is placed into operation on or before April 1. Any new facility placed into operation after April 1 will not owe a permit compliance fee until DEQ's annual billing for the next fiscal year. An application for a new transfer station, material recovery facility or composting facility must include the applicable permit compliance fee for the first year of operation. (b) New waste tire carriers and waste tire storage sites shall pay the entire permit compliance fee for the first fiscal year's operation, based on the state's fiscal year, if the facility is placed into operation on or before April 1. Any new facility or carrier placed into operation after April 1 will not owe a permit compliance fee until DEQ's annual billing for the next fiscal year. An application for a new waste carrier or waste tire storage site shall include the applicable permit compliance fee for the first year of operation. (c) Existing permitted sites. Any existing disposal site or waste tire storage site that is in operation and is permitted to receive or receives solid waste in a calendar year must pay the solid waste permit compliance fee for that year as specified in OAR 340-097-0120(6)(a), (b), and (c). A facility is deemed to be an "existing permitted site" from the time of permit issuance; (d) Existing permitted waste tire carriers. Any existing waste tire carrier that is permitted to collect and transport waste tires in a calendar year shall pay the waste tire carrier permit compliance fees for that year as specified in OAR 340-097-0120(6). A waste tire carrier is deemed to be an “existing waste tire carrier” from the time of permit issuance; (e) Closed sites. If a land disposal site stops receiving waste before April 1 of the fiscal year in which the site permanently ceases active operations, based on the state's fiscal year, the permittee must pay the solid waste permit compliance fee for the "year of closure" OAR 340-097-0120(6)(d)(A) specifies as well as the permit compliance fee the permittee pays quarterly based on the waste received in the previous calendar quarters. If a land disposal site has permanently ceased receiving waste and the site is closed, a solid waste permittee must pay the solid waste permit compliance fee for closed sites as specified in OAR 340-097-0120(6)(d); (f) DEQ may alter the due date for the solid waste permit compliance fee upon receipt of a justifiable request from a permittee. (5) Tonnage reporting. The permit compliance fee and per-ton solid waste disposal fees, if applicable, must be submitted together with a form DEQ approves. Information reported must include the amount and type of solid waste and any other information DEQ requires to substantiate the tonnage or to calculate the state material recovery rate. (6) Calculation of tonnage. Permittees and registrants are responsible for accurately calculating solid waste tonnage. For purposes of determining appropriate fees under OAR 340-097-0120(6) and (7), annual tonnage of solid waste received must be calculated as follows: (a) Municipal solid waste facilities. Annual tonnage of solid waste received at municipal solid waste facilities, including construction and demolition sites and municipal solid waste composting facilities, receiving 50,000 or more tons annually must be based on weight from certified scales. When certified scales are required, all solid waste received at the facility for disposal must be weighed at the facility's scales, except as DEQ otherwise approves in writing. If certified scales are required but are temporarily not functioning, all solid waste received at the facility must either use other certified scales in the area or estimate tonnage as specified in this section. If certified scales are not required, estimated annual tonnage for municipal solid waste, including that at municipal solid waste composting facilities, will be based upon 300 pounds per cubic yard of uncompacted waste received, and 700 pounds per cubic yard of compacted waste received. If yardage is not known, the solid waste facility may use one ton per resident in the service area of the disposal site, unless the permittee demonstrates a more accurate estimate. For other types of wastes received at municipal solid waste sites and where certified scales are not required or not available, the conversions and provisions in subsection (b) must be used; (b) Industrial facilities. Annual tonnage of solid waste received at industrial facilities receiving 50,000 or more tons annually must be based on weight from certified scales. When certified scales are required, all solid waste received at the facility must be weighed at the facility's scales, except as DEQ otherwise approves in writing. If certified scales are required but are temporarily not functioning, all solid waste received at the facility must either use other certified scales in the area or estimate tonnage as specified in this section. If certified scales are not required, industrial sites must use the following conversion factors to determine tonnage of solid waste disposed. Composting facilities must use the following conversion factors for those materials appropriate for composting: (A) Asbestos: 500 pounds per cubic yard; (B) Pulp and paper waste other than sludge: 1,000 pounds per cubic yard; (C) Construction, demolition and land clearing wastes: 1,100 pounds per cubic yard; (D) Wood waste: (i) Wood waste, mixed, including log sort waste (as defined in OAR 340-093-0030): 1,200 pounds per cubic yard; (ii) Wood waste including scrap lumber, pallets, wood from construction and demolition activities: 250 pounds per cubic yard; (iii) Wood chips, green: 473 pounds per cubic yard; (iv) Wood chips, dry: 243 pounds per cubic yard; (v) Sawdust, wet: 530 pounds per cubic yard; (vi) Sawdust, bone dry: 275 pounds per cubic yard. (E) Yard debris: (i) Grass clippings: 950 pounds per cubic yard; (ii) Leaves: 375 pounds per cubic yard; (iii) Compacted yard debris: 640 pounds per cubic yard; and (iv) Uncompacted yard debris: 250 pounds per cubic yard. (F) Manure, sludge, septage, grits, screenings and other wet wastes: 1,600 pounds per cubic yard; (G) Food waste: 700 pounds per cubic yard; (H) Ash and slag: 2,000 pounds per cubic yard; (I) Contaminated soils: 2,400 pounds per cubic yard; (J) Asphalt, mining and milling wastes, foundry sand, silica: 2,500 pounds per cubic yard; (K) For wastes other than the above, the permittee or registrant must determine the density of the wastes subject to DEQ’s written approval; (L) As an alternative to the above conversion factors, the permittee or registrant may determine the density of their own waste, subject to DEQ’s written approval. (7) DEQ may refund the application processing fee, in whole or in part, after taking into consideration any costs DEQ may have incurred in processing the application, when submitted with an application if either of the following conditions exists: (a) DEQ determines that no permit is required; (b) The applicant withdraws the application before DEQ has granted or denied preliminary approval or, if no preliminary approval has been granted or denied, DEQ has approved or denied the application. (8) Exemptions: (a) Persons treating petroleum contaminated soils are exempt from the application processing and renewal fees for a Letter Authorization if the following conditions are met: (A) The soil is being treated as part of a site cleanup authorized under ORS Chapters 465 or 466; and (B) DEQ and the applicant for the Letter Authorization have entered into a written agreement under which the applicant must pay for costs DEQ incurred for oversight of the cleanup and for processing of the Letter Authorization. (b) Persons to whom a Letter Authorization has been issued are not subject to the solid waste permit compliance fee. (9) All fees must be made payable to the Department of Environmental Quality. (10) Submittal schedule: (a) DEQ bills the solid waste permit compliance fee to the holder of the following permits: transfer station, material recovery facility, commingled recycling processing facility, limited sort facility, composting facility, waste tire storage site, waste tire carrier and closed solid waste disposal site. The fee period is the state's fiscal year, July 1 through June 30, and the fee is due annually by the date indicated on the invoice. Any "year of closure" pro-rated fee will be billed to the permittee of a closed site together with the site's first regular billing as a closed site; (b) For solid waste disposal site permit holders other than those in subsection (10)(a), DEQ does not bill the solid waste permit compliance fee to the permittee. The permittee must self-report these fees to DEQ, under sections (4) and (5). The fee period is either the calendar quarter or the calendar year, and the fees are due to DEQ as follows: (A) For any disposal site required to pay the per-ton fee on any solid waste as specified in OAR 340-097-0120(7) (e.g., landfills, municipal waste incinerators, municipal energy recovery facilities, conversion technology facilities, and solid waste treatment facilities that receive domestic solid waste for final disposal or destruction), plus construction and demolition and tire landfills: on the same schedule as specified in subsection (10)(c); (B) For industrial solid waste disposal sites, sludge or land application disposal sites and other disposal sites not required to pay the per-ton fee on solid waste as specified in OAR 340-097-0120(7), except construction and demolition and tire landfills: (i) For sites receiving over 20,000 tons of waste a year: quarterly, on the 30th day of the month following the end of the calendar quarter; or (ii) For sites receiving 20,000 tons of waste a year or less: annually, on the 31st day of January; (iii) For a site that has received less than 20,000 tons of waste in past years but exceeds that amount in a given year, DEQ will in general grant a one-year delay before the site is required to begin submitting permit fees on a quarterly basis. If the site appears likely to continue to exceed the 20,000 annual ton limit, then DEQ will require the site to report tonnage and submit applicable permit fees on a quarterly basis. (c) DEQ does not bill the per-ton solid waste disposal fees on solid waste and the Orphan Site Account fee. They must be paid on the following schedule: (A) Quarterly, on the 30th day of the month following the end of the calendar quarter; or (B) Annually, on the 31st day of January, for solid waste disposal site permit holders for sites receiving less than 1,000 tons of solid waste a year. (d) The fees on Oregon solid waste disposed of out-of-state must be paid to DEQ quarterly on the 30th day of the month following the end of the calendar quarter or on the schedule specified in OAR 340-097-0120(7)(d)(C). The fees must be submitted together with a form DEQ approves, which must include the amount of solid waste, type, county of origin of the solid waste, and state to which the solid waste is being transported for final disposal.