§ 282.81 New Mexico State-Administered Program.

(a) History of the approval of New Mexico's Program. The State of New Mexico is approved to administer and enforce an underground storage tank program in lieu of the Federal program under Subtitle I of the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act of 1976 (RCRA), as amended, 42 U.S.C. 6991, et seq. The State's program, as administered by the New Mexico Environment Department, was approved by EPA pursuant to 42 U.S.C. 6991c and Part 281 of this Chapter. EPA published the notice of final determination approving the New Mexico underground storage tank base program effective on November 16, 1990. A subsequent program revision application was approved effective on October 27, 2020.

(b) Enforcement authority. New Mexico has primary responsibility for administering and enforcing its federally approved underground storage tank program. However, EPA retains the authority to exercise its corrective action, inspection and enforcement authorities under Subtitle I of RCRA sections 9003(h), 9005 and 9006, 42 U.S.C. 6991b(h), 6991d and 6991e, as well as under any other applicable statutory and regulatory provisions.

(c) Retaining Program Approval. To retain program approval, New Mexico must revise its approved program to adopt new changes to the Federal subtitle I program which make it more stringent, in accordance with RCRA section 9004, 42 U.S.C. 6991c, and 40 CFR part 281, subpart E. If New Mexico obtains approval for the revised requirements pursuant to RCRA section 9004, 42 U.S.C. 6991c, the newly approved statutory and regulatory provisions will be added to this subpart and notice of any change will be published in the Federal Register.