View all text of Subpart OOO [§ 62.16710 - § 62.16730]

§ 62.16730 - Definitions.

Terms used but not defined in this subpart have the meaning given them in the Clean Air Act and in subparts A and B of 40 CFR part 60 of this chapter.

Achieve final compliance means to connect and operate the collection and control system as specified in the final control plan. Within 180 days after the date the landfill is required to achieve final compliance, the initial performance test must be conducted.

Active collection system means a gas collection system that uses gas mover equipment.

Active landfill means a landfill in which solid waste is being placed or a landfill that is planned to accept waste in the future.

Administrator means:

(1) For municipal solid waste landfills covered by the federal plan, the Administrator of the EPA or his/her authorized representative (e.g., delegated authority);

(2) For municipal solid waste landfills covered by an approved state plan, the director of the state air pollution control agency or his/her authorized representative.

Award contract means the MSW landfill owner or operator enters into legally binding agreements or contractual obligations that cannot be canceled or modified without substantial financial loss to the MSW landfill owner or operator. The MSW landfill owner or operator may award a number of contracts to install the collection and control system. To meet this increment of progress, the MSW landfill owner or operator must award a contract or contracts to initiate on-site construction or installation of the collection and control system.

Closed landfill means a landfill in which solid waste is no longer being placed, and in which no additional solid wastes will be placed without first filing a notification of modification as prescribed under 40 CFR 60.7(a)(4) of this chapter. Once a notification of modification has been filed, and additional solid waste is placed in the landfill, the landfill is no longer closed.

Closed area means a separately lined area of an MSW landfill in which solid waste is no longer being placed. If additional solid waste is placed in that area of the landfill, that landfill area is no longer closed. The area must be separately lined to ensure that the landfill gas does not migrate between open and closed areas.

Closed landfill subcategory means a closed landfill that has submitted a closure report as specified in § 62.16724(f) on or before September 27, 2017.

Closure means that point in time when a landfill becomes a closed landfill.

Commercial solid waste means all types of solid waste generated by stores, offices, restaurants, warehouses, and other nonmanufacturing activities, excluding residential and industrial wastes.

Complete on-site construction means that all necessary collection system components and air pollution control devices identified in the final control plan are on site, in place, and ready for operation.

Controlled landfill means any landfill at which collection and control systems are required under this subpart as a result of the NMOC emission rate. The landfill is considered controlled at the time a collection and control system design plan is prepared in compliance with § 62.16714(e)(2). Controlled landfills also includes those landfills that meet the definition of legacy controlled landfills, as defined in this subpart.

Corrective action analysis means a description of all reasonable interim and long-term measures, if any, that are available, and an explanation of why the selected corrective action(s) is/are the best alternative(s), including, but not limited to, considerations of cost effectiveness, technical feasibility, safety, and secondary impacts.

Design capacity means the maximum amount of solid waste a landfill can accept, as indicated in terms of volume or mass in the most recent permit issued by the state, local, or tribal agency responsible for regulating the landfill, plus any in-place waste not accounted for in the most recent permit. If the owner or operator chooses to convert the design capacity from volume to mass or from mass to volume to demonstrate its design capacity is less than 2.5 million megagrams or 2.5 million cubic meters, the calculation must include a site-specific density, which must be recalculated annually.

Disposal facility means all contiguous land and structures, other appurtenances, and improvements on the land used for the disposal of solid waste.

Emission rate cutoff means the threshold annual emission rate to which a landfill compares its estimated emission rate to determine if control under the regulation is required.

Enclosed combustor means an enclosed firebox which maintains a relatively constant limited peak temperature generally using a limited supply of combustion air. An enclosed flare is considered an enclosed combustor.

EPA approved state plan means a state plan that EPA has approved based on the requirements in 40 CFR part 60, subpart B or Ba to implement and enforce 40 CFR part 60, subpart Cf. An approved state plan becomes effective on the date specified in the document published in the Federal Register announcing EPA's approval.

Flare means an open combustor without enclosure or shroud.

Final control plan (Collection and control system design plan) means a plan that describes the collection and control system that will capture the gas generated within an MSW landfill. The collection and control system design plan must be prepared by a professional engineer and must describe a collection and control system that meets the requirements of § 62.1614(b) and (c). The final control plan must contain engineering specifications and drawings of the collection and control system. The final control plan must include any alternatives to the operational standards, test methods, procedures, compliance measures, monitoring, recordkeeping, or reporting provisions of §§ 62.16716 through 62.16726 proposed by the owner or operator. The final control plan must either conform with the specifications for active collection systems in § 62.16728 or include a demonstration that shows that based on the size of the landfill and the amount of waste expected to be accepted, the system is sized properly to collect the gas, control emissions of NMOC to the required level and meet the operational standards for a landfill.

Gas mover equipment means the equipment (i.e., fan, blower, compressor) used to transport landfill gas through the header system.

Gust means the highest instantaneous wind speed that occurs over a 3-second running average.

Indian Country means all land within the limits of any Indian reservation under the jurisdiction of the United States government, notwithstanding the issuance of any patent, and including rights-of-way running through the reservation; all dependent Indian communities within the borders of the United States whether within the original or subsequently acquired territory thereof, and whether within or without the limits of a state; and all Indian allotments, the Indian titles to which have not been extinguished, including rights-of-way running through the same.

Initiate on-site construction means to begin any of the following: Installation of the collection and control system to be used to comply with the emission limits as outlined in the final control plan; physical preparation necessary for the installation of the collection and control system to be used to comply with the final emission limits as outlined in the final control plan; or, alteration of an existing collection and control system to be used to comply with the final emission limits as outlined in the final control plan.

Household waste means any solid waste (including garbage, trash, and sanitary waste in septic tanks) derived from households (including, but not limited to, single and multiple residences, hotels and motels, bunkhouses, ranger stations, crew quarters, campgrounds, picnic grounds, and day-use recreation areas). Household waste does not include fully segregated yard waste. Segregated yard waste means vegetative matter resulting exclusively from the cutting of grass, the pruning and/or removal of bushes, shrubs, and trees, the weeding of gardens, and other landscaping maintenance activities. Household waste does not include construction, renovation, or demolition wastes, even if originating from a household.

Industrial solid waste means solid waste generated by manufacturing or industrial processes that is not a hazardous waste regulated under Subtitle C of the RCRA, parts 264 and 265 of this chapter. Such waste may include, but is not limited to, waste resulting from the following manufacturing processes: Electric power generation; fertilizer/agricultural chemicals; food and related products/by-products; inorganic chemicals; iron and steel manufacturing; leather and leather products; nonferrous metals manufacturing/foundries; organic chemicals; plastics and resins manufacturing; pulp and paper industry; rubber and miscellaneous plastic products; stone, glass, clay, and concrete products; textile manufacturing; transportation equipment; and water treatment. This term does not include mining waste or oil and gas waste.

Interior well means any well or similar collection component located inside the perimeter of the landfill waste. A perimeter well located outside the landfilled waste is not an interior well.

Landfill means an area of land or an excavation in which wastes are placed for permanent disposal, and that is not a land application unit, surface impoundment, injection well, or waste pile as those terms are defined under § 257.2 of this title.

Lateral expansion means a horizontal expansion of the waste boundaries of an existing MSW landfill. A lateral expansion is not a modification unless it results in an increase in the design capacity of the landfill.

Leachate recirculation means the practice of taking the leachate collected from the landfill and reapplying it to the landfill by any of one of a variety of methods, including pre-wetting of the waste, direct discharge into the working face, spraying, infiltration ponds, vertical injection wells, horizontal gravity distribution systems, and pressure distribution systems.

Legacy controlled landfill means any MSW landfill subject to this subpart that submitted a collection and control system design plan prior to May 21, 2021 in compliance with § 60.752(b)(2)(i) of this chapter, the Federal plan at subpart GGG of this part, or a state/tribal plan implementing 40 CFR part 60, subpart Cc of this chapter, depending on which regulation was applicable to the landfill. This definition applies to those landfills that completed construction and began operations of the GCCS and those that are within the 30-month timeline for installation and start-up of a GCCS according to § 60.752(b)(2)(ii) of this chapter, the Federal plan at subpart GGG of this part, or a state/tribal plan implementing 40 CFR part 60, subpart Cc.

Modification means an increase in the permitted volume design capacity of the landfill by either lateral or vertical expansion based on its permitted design capacity as of July 17, 2014. Modification does not occur until the owner or operator commences construction on the lateral or vertical expansion.

Municipal solid waste landfill or MSW landfill means an entire disposal facility in a contiguous geographical space where household waste is placed in or on land. An MSW landfill may also receive other types of RCRA, Subtitle D wastes (§ 257.2 of this title) such as commercial solid waste, nonhazardous sludge, conditionally exempt small quantity generator waste, and industrial solid waste. Portions of an MSW landfill may be separated by access roads. An MSW landfill may be publicly or privately owned. An MSW landfill may be a new MSW landfill, an existing MSW landfill, or a lateral expansion.

Municipal solid waste landfill emissions or MSW landfill emissions means gas generated by the decomposition of organic waste deposited in an MSW landfill or derived from the evolution of organic compounds in the waste.

NMOC means nonmethane organic compounds, as measured according to the provisions of § 62.16718.

Negative declaration letter means a letter to EPA declaring that there are no existing MSW landfills in the state or that there are no existing MSW landfills in the state that must install collection and control systems according to the requirements of 40 CFR part 60, subpart Cf.

Nondegradable waste means any waste that does not decompose through chemical breakdown or microbiological activity. Examples are, but are not limited to, concrete, municipal waste combustor ash, and metals.

Passive collection system means a gas collection system that solely uses positive pressure within the landfill to move the gas rather than using gas mover equipment.

Protectorate means American Samoa, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, the District of Columbia, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands, and the Virgin Islands.

Root cause analysis means an assessment conducted through a process of investigation to determine the primary cause, and any other contributing causes, of positive pressure at a wellhead.

Sludge means the term sludge as defined in 40 CFR 258.2.

Solid waste means the term solid waste as defined in 40 CFR 258.2.

State means any of the 50 United States and the protectorates of the United States.

State plan means a plan submitted pursuant to section 111(d) of the Clean Air Act and subpart B of part 60 of this chapter that implements and enforces subpart Cf of 40 CFR part 60 of this chapter.

Sufficient density means any number, spacing, and combination of collection system components, including vertical wells, horizontal collectors, and surface collectors necessary to maintain emission and migration control as determined by measures of performance set forth in this part.

Sufficient extraction rate means a rate sufficient to maintain a negative pressure at all wellheads in the collection system without causing air infiltration, including any wellheads connected to the system as a result of expansion or excess surface emissions, for the life of the blower.

Treated landfill gas means landfill gas processed in a treatment system as defined in this subpart.

Treatment system means a system that filters, de-waters, and compresses landfill gas for sale or beneficial use.

Tribal plan means a plan submitted by a Tribal Authority pursuant to 40 CFR parts 9, 35, 49, 50, and 81 that implements and enforces 40 CFR part 60, subpart Cf.

Untreated landfill gas means any landfill gas that is not treated landfill gas.

Table 1 to Subpart OOO of Part 62—Generic Compliance Schedule and Increments of Progress

Increment Date if using tiers 1, 2, or 3 Date if using tier 4 Date if a legacy controlled landfill Increment 1—Submit cover page of final control plan1 year after initial NMOC emission rate report or the first annual emission rate report showing NMOC emissions ≥34 megagrams per year. 11 year after the first measured concentration of methane of 500 parts per million or greater from the surface of the landfill1 year after the first NMOC emission rate report or the first annual emission rate report showing NMOC emissions ≥50 megagrams per year submitted under a previous regulation. 2Increment 2—Award Contracts20 months after initial NMOC emission rate report or the first annual emission rate report showing NMOC emissions ≥34 megagrams per year. 120 months after the most recent NMOC emission rate report showing NMOC emissions ≥34 megagrams per year20 months after the most recent NMOC emission rate report showing NMOC emissions ≥50 megagrams per year submitted under a previous regulation. 2Increment 3—Begin on-site construction24 months after initial NMOC emission rate report or the first annual emission rate report showing NMOC emissions ≥34 megagrams per year. 124 months after the most recent NMOC emission rate report showing NMOC emissions ≥34 megagrams per year24 months after the most recent NMOC emission rate report showing NMOC emissions ≥50 megagrams per year submitted under a previous regulation. 2Increment 4—Complete on-site construction30 months after initial NMOC emission rate report or the first annual emission rate report showing NMOC emissions ≥34 megagrams per year. 130 months after the most recent NMOC emission rate report showing NMOC emissions ≥34 megagrams per year30 months after the first NMOC emission rate report or the first annual emission rate report showing NMOC emissions ≥50 megagrams submitted under a previous regulation. Increment 5—Final compliance30 months after initial NMOC emission rate report or the first annual emission rate report showing NMOC emissions ≥34 megagrams per year. 130 months after the most recent NMOC emission rate report showing NMOC emissions ≥34 megagrams per year30 months after the first NMOC emission rate report or the first annual emission rate report showing NMOC emissions ≥50 megagrams submitted under a previous regulation. 2

1 50 megagrams per year NMOC for the closed landfill subcategory.

2 Previous regulation refers to 40 CFR part 60, subpart WWW; 40 CFR part 62, subpart GGG; or a state plan implementing 40 CFR part 60, subpart Cc. Increments of progress that have already been completed under previous regulations do not have to be completed again under this subpart.

[86 FR 27770, May 21, 2021, as amended at 87 FR 8203, Feb. 14, 2022]