§ 282.102 Puerto Rico State-Administered Program.

(a) The Commonwealth of Puerto Rico 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 Commonwealth's program, as administered by the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico Environmental Quality Board, is approved by EPA pursuant to 42 U.S.C. 6991c and Part 281 of this chapter. EPA is publishing the notice of final determination on the approved Commonwealth of Puerto Rico underground storage tank program concurrently with this notice and it will be effective on March 31, 1998.

(b) The Commonwealth of Puerto Rico has primary responsibility for enforcing its underground storage tank program. However, EPA retains the authority to exercise its corrective action, inspection and enforcement authorities under sections 9003(h)(1), 9005 and 9006 of subtitle I of RCRA, 42 U.S.C. 6991b(h)(1), 6991d and 6991e, as well as its authority under other statutory and regulatory provisions.

(c) To retain program approval, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico must revise its approved program to adopt new changes to the federal subtitle I program which make it more stringent, in accordance with section 9004 of RCRA, 42 U.S.C. 6991c, and 40 CFR part 281, subpart E. If the Commonwealth obtains approval for the revised requirements pursuant to section 9004 of RCRA, 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.