§ 142.43 - Disposition of a variance request.

§ 142.43 Disposition of a variance request.

(a) If the Administrator decides to deny the application for a variance, he shall notify the applicant of his intention to issue a denial. Such notice shall include a statement of reasons for the proposed denial, and shall offer the applicant an opportunity to present, within 30 days of receipt of the notice, additional information or argument to the Administrator. The Administrator shall make a final determination on the request within 30 days after receiving any such additional information or argument. If no additional information or argument is submitted by the applicant the application shall be denied.

(b) If the Administrator proposes to grant a variance request submitted pursuant to § 142.41, he shall notify the applicant of his decision in writing. Such notice shall identify the variance, the facility covered, and shall specify the period of time for which the variance will be effective.

(1) For the type of variance specified in § 142.40(a) such notice shall provide that the variance will be terminated when the system comes into compliance with the applicable regulation, and may be terminated upon a finding by the Administrator that the system has failed to comply with any requirements of a final schedule issued pursuant to § 142.44.

(2) For the type of variance specified in § 142.40(b) such notice shall provide that the variance may be terminated at any time upon a finding that the nature of the raw water source is such that the specified treatment technique for which the variance was granted is necessary to protect the health of persons or upon a finding that the public water system has failed to comply with monitoring and other requirements prescribed by the Administrator as a condition to the granting of the variance.

(c) For a variance specified in § 142.40(a)(1) the Administrator shall propose a schedule for:

(1) Compliance (including increments of progress) by the public water system with each contaminant level requirement covered by the variance; and,

(2) Implementation by the public water system of such additional control measures as the Administrator may require for each contaminant covered by the variance.

(d) The proposed schedule for compliance shall specify dates by which steps towards compliance are to be taken, including at the minimum, where applicable:

(1) Date by which arrangement for an alternative raw water source or improvement of existing raw water source will be completed.

(2) Date of initiation of the connection for the alternative raw water source or improvement of the existing raw water source.

(3) Date by which final compliance is to be achieved.

(e) The proposed schedule may, if the public water system has no access to an alternative raw water source, and can effect or anticipate no adequate improvement of the existing raw water source, specify an indefinite time period for compliance until a new and effective treatment technology is developed at which time a new compliance schedule shall be prescribed by the Administrator.

(f) The proposed schedule for implementation of additional interim control measures during the period of variance shall specify interim treatment techniques, methods and equipment, and dates by which steps toward meeting the additional interim control measures are to be met.

(g) The schedule shall be prescribed by the Administrator at the time of granting of the variance, subsequent to provision of opportunity for hearing pursuant to § 142.44.

[41 FR 2918, Jan. 20, 1976, as amended at 52 FR 20675, June 2, 1987]