When a facility with an Individual Aquifer Protection Program (APP) permit is planning to stop operating, the permittee must complete closure of the discharging facilities.

Types of Closure 

There are three types of closure: clean closure, partial closure and closure-in-place. 

Clean Closure - Full Permit Release 

A permit holder achieving clean closure is not subject to licensing time-frame (LTF) requirements or billing, and annual billing is discontinued once the closure is complete.

Partial Closure 

A permit holder may apply for a partial closure to close one or more, but not all, APP discharging facilities listed in the APP permit. The permit remains in effect for the other facilities, and the table of discharging facilities is amended to reflect the closure. Ongoing monitoring for the closed facility is no longer required.

Closure-in-Place

A permit holder must continue ongoing monitoring when a clean closure is not achieved, such as when contaminants cannot be removed, or violations of aquifer quality limits are observed.

Closure Application

The permit holder must submit a complete closure application to initiate the closure process. To ensure an efficient review, the application must include the following components:

• Site investigation plan (SIP)
• Sampling and analysis methods
• Maps and monitoring locations
• Quality assurance procedures

Closure Report

After completing closure activities, the permit holder must submit a Closure Report to document the final status of the site. This report must include:

• Soil and groundwater results
• Cleanup activities
• How to address any contamination identified by the SIP 
• Long-term monitoring plan (if needed)
• Land use restrictions (if applicable)