Utah Admin. Code R315-261-147 - Financial Requirements for Management of Excluded Hazardous Secondary Materials - Liability Requirements

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(a) Coverage for sudden accidental occurrences. An owner or operator of a hazardous secondary material reclamation facility or an intermediate facility subject to financial assurance requirements under Subsection R315-261-4(a)(24)(vi)(F), or a group of these facilities, shall demonstrate financial responsibility for bodily injury and property damage to third parties caused by sudden accidental occurrences arising from operations of the facility or group of facilities. The owner or operator shall have and maintain liability coverage for sudden accidental occurrences in the amount of at least $1 million per occurrence with an annual aggregate of at least $2 million, exclusive of legal defense costs. This liability coverage may be demonstrated as specified in Subsection R315-261-147(a)(1), R315-261-147(a)(2), R315-261-146(a)(3), R315-261-147(a)(4), R315-261-147(a)(5), or R315-261-147(a)(6):

(1) An owner or operator may demonstrate the required liability coverage by having liability insurance as specified in Subsection R315-261-147(a).

(i) Each insurance policy shall be amended by attachment of the Hazardous Secondary Material Facility Liability Endorsement, or evidenced by a Certificate of Liability Insurance. The wording of the endorsement shall be identical to the wording specified in Subsection R315-261-151(h). The wording of the certificate of insurance shall be identical to the wording specified in Subsection R315-261-151(i). The owner or operator shall submit a signed duplicate original of the endorsement or the certificate of insurance to the director. If requested by a director, the owner or operator shall provide a signed duplicate original of the insurance policy.

(ii) Each insurance policy shall be issued by an insurer that, at a minimum, is licensed to transact the business of insurance, or eligible to provide insurance as an excess or surplus lines insurer in Utah.

(2) An owner or operator may meet the requirements of Section R315-261-147 by passing a financial test or using the guarantee for liability coverage as specified in Subsections R315-261-147(f) and R315-216-147(g).

(3) An owner or operator may meet the requirements of Section R315-261-147 by getting a letter of credit for liability coverage as specified in Subsection R315-261-147(h).

(4) An owner or operator may meet the requirements of Section R315-261-147 by getting a surety bond for liability coverage as specified in Subsection R315-261-147(i).

(5) An owner or operator may meet the requirements of Section R315-261-147 by getting a trust fund for liability coverage as specified in Subsection R315-261-147(j).

(6) An owner or operator may demonstrate the required liability coverage through the use of combinations of insurance, financial test, guarantee, letter of credit, surety bond, and trust fund, except that the owner or operator may not combine a financial test covering part of the liability coverage requirement with a guarantee unless the financial statement of the owner or operator is not consolidated with the financial statement of the guarantor. The amounts of coverage demonstrated shall total at least the minimum amounts required by Section R315-261-147. If the owner or operator demonstrates the required coverage through the use of a combination of financial assurances under Subsection R315-261-147(a)(6), the owner or operator shall specify at least one assurance as primary coverage and shall specify other assurance as excess coverage.

(7) An owner or operator shall notify the director in writing within 30 days if:

(i) a claim results in a reduction in the amount of financial assurance for liability coverage provided by a financial instrument authorized in Subsections R315-261-147(a)(1) through R315-261-147(a)(6); or

(ii) a Certification of Valid Claim for bodily injury or property damages caused by a sudden or nonsudden accidental occurrence arising from the operation of a hazardous secondary material reclamation facility or intermediate facility is entered between the owner or operator and third-party claimant for liability coverage under Subsections R315-261-147(a)(1) through R315-261-147(a)(6); or

(iii) a final court order establishing a judgment for bodily injury or property damage caused by a sudden or nonsudden accidental occurrence arising from the operation of a hazardous secondary material reclamation facility or intermediate facility is issued against the owner or operator or an instrument that is providing financial assurance for liability coverage under Subsections R315-261-147(a)(1) through R315-261-147(a)(6).

(b) Coverage for nonsudden accidental occurrences. An owner or operator of a hazardous secondary material reclamation facility or intermediate facility with land-based units, as defined in Section R315-260-10, which are used to manage hazardous secondary materials excluded under Subsection R315-261-4(a)(24) or a group of these facilities, shall demonstrate financial responsibility for bodily injury and property damage to third parties caused by nonsudden accidental occurrences arising from operations of the facility or group of facilities. The owner or operator shall have and maintain liability coverage for nonsudden accidental occurrences in the amount of at least $3 million per occurrence with an annual aggregate of at least $6 million, exclusive of legal defense costs. An owner or operator who shall meet the requirements of Section R315-261-147 may combine the required per-occurrence coverage levels for sudden and nonsudden accidental occurrences into a single per-occurrence level, and combine the required annual aggregate coverage levels for sudden and nonsudden accidental occurrences into a single annual aggregate level. Owners or operators who combine coverage levels for sudden and nonsudden accidental occurrences shall maintain liability coverage in the amount of at least $4 million per occurrence and $8 million annual aggregate. This liability coverage may be demonstrated as specified in Subsection R315-261-147(b)(1), R315-261-147(b)(2), R315-261-147(b)(3), R315-261-147(b)(4), R315-261-147(b)(5), or R315-261-147(b)(6):

(1) An owner or operator may demonstrate the required liability coverage by having liability insurance as specified in Section R315-261-147.

(i) Each insurance policy shall be amended by attachment of the Hazardous Secondary Material Facility Liability Endorsement or evidenced by a Certificate of Liability Insurance. The wording of the endorsement shall be identical to the wording specified in Subsection R315-261-151(h). The wording of the certificate of insurance shall be identical to the wording specified in Subsection R315-261-151(i). The owner or operator shall submit a signed duplicate original of the endorsement or the certificate of insurance to the director.

(3) An owner or operator may meet the requirements of Section R315-261-147 by getting a letter of credit for liability coverage as specified in Subsection R315-261-147(h).

(4) An owner or operator may meet the requirements of Section R315-261-147 by getting a surety bond for liability coverage as specified in Subsection R315-261-147(i).

(5) An owner or operator may meet the requirements of Section R315-261-147 by getting a trust fund for liability coverage as specified in Subsection R315-261-147(j).

(6) An owner or operator may demonstrate the required liability coverage through the use of combinations of insurance, financial test, guarantee, letter of credit, surety bond, and trust fund, except that the owner or operator may not combine a financial test covering part of the liability coverage requirement with a guarantee unless the financial statement of the owner or operator is not consolidated with the financial statement of the guarantor. The amounts of coverage demonstrated shall total at least the minimum amounts required by Section R315-261-147. If the owner or operator demonstrates the required coverage through the use of a combination of financial assurances under Subsection R315-261-147(b), the owner or operator shall specify at least one assurance as primary coverage and shall specify other assurance as excess coverage.

(7) An owner or operator shall notify the director in writing within 30 days if:

(i) a claim results in a reduction in the amount of financial assurance for liability coverage provided by a financial instrument authorized in Subsections R315-261-147(b)(1) through R315-261-147(b)(6); or

(ii) a Certification of Valid Claim for bodily injury or property damages caused by a sudden or non-sudden accidental occurrence arising from the operation of a hazardous secondary material treatment or storage facility or treatment and storage facility is entered between the owner or operator and third-party claimant for liability coverage under Subsections R315-261-147(b)(1) through R315-261-147(b)(6); or

(iii) a final court order establishing a judgment for bodily injury or property damage caused by a sudden or non-sudden accidental occurrence arising from the operation of a hazardous secondary material treatment or storage facility or treatment and storage facility is issued against the owner or operator or an instrument that is providing financial assurance for liability coverage under Subsections R315-261-147(b)(1) through R315-261-147(b)(6).

(c) Request for alternative. If an owner or operator can demonstrate to the satisfaction of the director that the levels of financial responsibility required by Subsection R315-261-147(a) or R315-261-147(b) are not consistent with the degree and duration of risk associated with treatment or storage, or both, at the facility or group of facilities, the owner or operator may get an alternative financial liability requirement from the director. The request for an alternative financial liability requirement shall be submitted in writing to the director. If granted, the alternative financial liability requirement shall take the form of an adjusted level of required liability coverage, the level to be based on the director's assessment of the degree and duration of risk associated with the ownership or operation of the facility or group of facilities. The director may require an owner or operator who requests an alternative financial liability requirement to provide the technical and engineering information that is considered necessary by the director to determine a level of financial responsibility other than that required by Subsection R315-261-147(a) or R315-261-147(b).

(d) Adjustments by the director. If the director determines that the levels of financial responsibility required by Subsection R315-261-147(a) or R315-261-147(b) are not consistent with the degree and duration of risk associated with treatment or storage, or both, at the facility or group of facilities, the director may adjust the level of financial responsibility required under Subsection R315-261-147(a) or R315-261-147(b) as may be necessary to protect human health and the environment. This adjusted level shall be based on the director's assessment of the degree and duration of risk associated with the ownership or operation of the facility or group of facilities. In addition, if the director determines that there is a significant risk to human health and the environment from nonsudden accidental occurrences resulting from the operations of a facility that is not a surface impoundment, pile, or land treatment facility, the director may require that an owner or operator of the facility comply with Subsection R315-261-147(b). An owner or operator shall furnish to the director, within a reasonable time, any information that the director requests to determine whether cause exists for adjustments of level or type of coverage.

(e) Period of coverage. Within 60 days after receiving certifications from the owner or operator and a qualified Professional Engineer that the hazardous secondary materials have been removed from the facility or a unit at the facility and the facility or a unit has been decontaminated in accordance with the approved plan per Subsection R315-261-143(h), the director shall notify the owner or operator in writing that the owner or operator is no longer required under Subsection R315-261-4(a)(24)(vi)(F) to maintain liability coverage for that facility or a unit at the facility, unless the director has reason to believe that that the hazardous secondary materials have not been removed from the facility or unit at a facility or that the facility or unit has not been decontaminated in accordance with the approved plan.

(f) Financial test for liability coverage.

(1) An owner or operator may satisfy the requirements of Section R315-261-147 by demonstrating that the owner or operator passes a financial test as specified in this paragraph. To pass this test the owner or operator shall meet the criteria of Subsection R315-261-147(f)(1)(i) or R315-261-147(f)(1)(ii):

(i) The owner or operator shall have:

(A) net working capital and tangible net worth each at least six times the amount of liability coverage to be demonstrated by this test; and

(B) tangible net worth of at least $10 million; and

(I) at least 90% of the owner or operator's total assets; or

(II) at least six times the amount of liability coverage to be demonstrated by this test.

(ii) The owner or operator shall have:

(A) a current rating for the owner or operator's most recent bond issuance of AAA, AA, A, or BBB as issued by Standard and Poor's, or Aaa, Aa, A, or Baa as issued by Moody's; and

(B) tangible net worth of at least $10 million; and

(D) assets in the United States amounting to either:

(I) at least 90% of the owner or operator's total assets; or

(II) at least six times the amount of liability coverage to be demonstrated by this test.

(2) The phrase "amount of liability coverage" as used in Subsection R315-261-147(f)(1) refers to the annual aggregate amounts that coverage is required for under Subsections R315-261-147(a) and R315-261-147(b) and the annual aggregate amounts that coverage is required for under Subsections R315-264-147(a) and R315-264-147(b) and R315-265-147(a) and R315-265-147(b).

(3) To demonstrate that the owner or operator meets this test, the owner or operator shall submit the three items listed in Subsections R315-261-147(f)(3)(i) through R315-261-147(f)(3)(iii) to the director:

(i) A letter signed by the owner's or operator's chief financial officer and worded as specified in Subsection R315-261-151(f). If an owner or operator is using the financial test to demonstrate both assurance as specified by Subsection R315-261-143(e), and liability coverage, the owner or operator shall submit the letter specified in Subsection R315-261-151(f) to cover both forms of financial responsibility, a separate letter as specified in Subsection R315-261-151(e) is not required.

(ii) A copy of the independent certified public accountant's report on examination of the owner's or operator's financial statements for the latest completed fiscal year.

(iii) If the chief financial officer's letter providing evidence of financial assurance includes financial data showing that the owner or operator satisfies Subsection R315-261-147(f)(1)(i) that are different from the data in the audited financial statements referred to in Subsection R315-261-147(f)(3)(ii) or any other audited financial statement or data filed with the SEC, then a special report from the owner's or operator's independent certified public accountant to the owner or operator is required. The special report shall be based upon an agreed upon procedures engagement in accordance with professional auditing standards and shall describe the procedures performed in comparing the data in the chief financial officer's letter derived from the independently audited, year-end financial statements for the latest fiscal year with the amounts in the financial statements, the findings of the comparison, and the reasons for any difference.

(4) The owner or operator may get a one-time extension of the time allowed for submission of the documents specified in Subsection R315-261-147(f)(3) if the fiscal year of the owner or operator ends during the 90 days before the effective date of Rule R315-261 and if the year-end financial statements for that fiscal year shall be audited by an independent certified public accountant. The extension shall end no later than 90 days after the end of the owner's or operator's fiscal year. To get the extension, the owner's or operator's chief financial officer shall send, by the effective date of Rule R315-261, a letter to the director. This letter from the chief financial officer shall:

(i) request the extension;

(ii) certify that the chief financial officer has grounds to believe that the owner or operator meets the criteria of the financial test;

(iii) specify for each facility to be covered by the test the EPA Identification Number, name, address, the amount of liability coverage and, if applicable, current closure and post-closure cost estimates to be covered by the test;

(iv) specify the date ending the owner's or operator's last complete fiscal year before the effective date of Rule R315-261;

(v) specify the date, no later than 90 days after the end of the fiscal year, when the chief financial officer will submit the documents specified in Subsection R315-261-147(f)(3); and

(vi) certify that the year-end financial statements of the owner or operator for the fiscal year will be audited by an independent certified public accountant.

(5) After the initial submission of items specified in Subsection R315-261-147(f)(3), the owner or operator shall send updated information to the director within 90 days after the close of each succeeding fiscal year. This information shall consist of the three items specified in Subsection R315-261-147(f)(3).

(6) If the owner or operator no longer meets the requirements of Subsection R315-261-147(f)(1), the owner or operator shall get insurance, a letter of credit, a surety bond, a trust fund, or a guarantee for the entire amount of required liability coverage as specified in Section R315-261-147. Evidence of liability coverage shall be submitted to the director within 90 days after the end of the fiscal year that the year-end financial data show that the owner or operator no longer meets the test requirements.

(7) The director may disallow use of this test on the basis of qualifications in the opinion expressed by the independent certified public accountant in their report on examination of the owner's or operator's financial statements, see Subsection R315-261-147(f)(3)(ii). An adverse opinion or a disclaimer of opinion shall be cause for disallowance. The director shall evaluate other qualifications on an individual basis. The owner or operator shall provide evidence of insurance for the entire amount of required liability coverage as specified in Section R315-261-147 within 30 days after notification of disallowance.

(g) Guarantee for liability coverage.

(1) Subject to Subsection R315-261-147(g)(2), an owner or operator may meet the requirements of Section R315-261-147 by getting a written guarantee, referred to as guarantee in Subsection R315-261-147(g). The guarantor shall be the direct or higher-tier parent corporation of the owner or operator, a firm whose parent corporation is also the parent corporation of the owner or operator, or a firm with a substantial business relationship with the owner or operator. The guarantor shall meet the requirements for owners or operators in Subsections R315-261-147(f)(1) through R315-261-147(f)(6). The wording of the guarantee shall be identical to the wording specified in Subsection R315-261-151(g)(2). A certified copy of the guarantee shall accompany the items sent to the director as specified in Subsection R315-261-147(f)(3). One of these items shall be the letter from the guarantor's chief financial officer. If the guarantor's parent corporation is also the parent corporation of the owner or operator, this letter shall describe the value received in consideration of the guarantee. If the guarantor is a firm with a substantial business relationship with the owner or operator, this letter shall describe this substantial business relationship and the value received in consideration of the guarantee.

(i) If the owner or operator fails to satisfy a judgment based on a determination of liability for bodily injury or property damage to third parties caused by sudden or nonsudden accidental occurrences, or both as the case may be, arising from the operation of facilities covered by this corporate guarantee, or fails to pay an amount agreed to in settlement of claims arising from or alleged to arise from the injury or damage, the guarantor shall do so up to the limits of coverage.

(2)

(i) In the case of corporations incorporated outside the United States, a guarantee may be used to satisfy the requirements of Section R315-261-147 only if the non-U.S. corporation has identified a registered agent for service of process in Utah.

(h) Letter of credit for liability coverage.

(1) An owner or operator may satisfy the requirements of Section R315-261-147 by getting an irrevocable standby letter of credit that conforms to the requirements of Subsection R315-261-147(h) and submits a copy of the letter of credit to the director.

(2) The financial institution issuing the letter of credit shall be an entity that has the authority to issue letters of credit and whose letter of credit operations are regulated and examined by a federal or Utah agency.

(3) The wording of the letter of credit shall be identical to the wording specified in Subsection R315-261-151(j).

(4) An owner or operator who uses a letter of credit to satisfy the requirements of Section R315-261-147 may also establish a standby trust fund. Under the terms of such a letter of credit, the amounts paid pursuant to a draft by the trustee of the standby trust shall be deposited by the issuing institution into the standby trust in accordance with instructions from the trustee. The trustee of the standby trust fund shall be an entity that has the authority to act as a trustee and whose trust operations are regulated and examined by a federal or Utah agency.

(5) The wording of the standby trust fund shall be identical to the wording specified in Subsection R315-261-151(m).

(i) Surety bond for liability coverage.

(1) An owner or operator may satisfy the requirements of Section R315-261-147 by getting a surety bond that conforms to the requirements of Subsection R315-261-147(i) and submitting a copy of the bond to the director.

(2) The surety company issuing the bond shall be among those listed as acceptable sureties on federal bonds in the most recent Circular 570 of the U.S. Department of the Treasury.

(3) The wording of the surety bond shall be identical to the wording specified in Subsection R315-261-151(k).

(j) Trust fund for liability coverage.

(1) An owner or operator may satisfy the requirements of Section R315-261-147 by establishing a trust fund that conforms to the requirements of Subsection R315-261-147(j) and submitting an originally signed duplicate of the trust agreement to the director.

(2) The trustee shall be an entity that has the authority to act as a trustee and whose trust operations are regulated and examined by a federal or Utah agency.

(3) The trust fund for liability coverage shall be funded for the full amount of the liability coverage to be provided by the trust fund before it may be relied upon to satisfy the requirements of Section R315-261-147. If at any time after the trust fund is created the amount of funds in the trust fund is reduced below the full amount of the liability coverage to be provided, the owner or operator, by the anniversary date of the establishment of the Fund, shall either add enough funds to the trust fund to cause its value to equal the full amount of liability coverage to be provided, or get other financial assurance as specified in Section R315-261-147 to cover the difference. For purposes of Subsection R315-261-147(j), "the full amount of the liability coverage to be provided" means the amount of coverage for sudden or nonsudden, or both, occurrences required to be provided by the owner or operator by Section R315-261-147, less the amount of financial assurance for liability coverage that is being provided by other financial assurance mechanisms being used to demonstrate financial assurance by the owner or operator.

(4) The wording of the trust fund shall be identical to the wording specified in Subsection R315-261-151(l).

Notes

Utah Admin. Code R315-261-147

Adopted by Utah State Bulletin Number 2016-9, effective 4/15/2016 Amended by Utah State Bulletin Number 2016-17, effective 8/15/2016 Amended by Utah State Bulletin Number 2025-02, effective 1/13/2025

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