(a) Any person engaged in the business of handling or disposing of garbage in accordance with this subpart must first enter into a compliance agreement with the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS). Compliance agreement forms (PPQ Form 519) are available without charge from local USDA/APHIS/Plant Protection and Quarantine offices, which are listed in telephone directories.
(b) A person who enters into a compliance agreement, and employees or agents of that person, must comply with the following conditions and any supplemental conditions which are listed in the compliance agreement, as deemed by the Administrator to be necessary to prevent the dissemination into or within the United States of plant pests and livestock or poultry diseases:
(1) Comply with all applicable provisions of this subpart;
(2) Allow inspectors access to all records maintained by the person regarding handling or disposal of garbage, and to all areas where handling or disposal of garbage occurs;
(3)
(i) If the garbage is regulated under § 330.401, remove garbage from a means of conveyance only in tight, covered, leak-proof receptacles;
(ii) If the garbage is regulated under § 330.402, transport garbage interstate in packaging approved by the Administrator;
(4) Move the garbage only to a facility approved by the Administrator; and
(5) At the approved facility, dispose of the garbage in a manner approved by the Administrator and described in the compliance agreement.
(c) Approval for a compliance agreement may be denied at any time if the Administrator determines that the applicant has not met or is unable to meet the requirements set forth in this subpart. Prior to denying any application for a compliance agreement, APHIS will provide notice to the applicant thereof, and will provide the applicant with an opportunity to demonstrate or achieve compliance with requirements.
(d) Any compliance agreement may be canceled, either orally or in writing, by an inspector whenever the inspector finds that the person who has entered into the compliance agreement has failed to comply with this subpart. If the cancellation is oral, the cancellation and the reasons for the cancellation will be confirmed in writing as promptly as circumstances allow. Any person whose compliance agreement has been canceled may appeal the decision, in writing, within 10 days after receiving written notification of the cancellation. The appeal must state all of the facts and reasons upon which the person relies to show that the compliance agreement was wrongfully canceled. As promptly as circumstances allow, the Administrator will grant or deny the appeal, in writing, stating the reasons for the decision. A hearing will be held to resolve any conflict as to any material fact. Rules of practice concerning a hearing will be adopted by the Administrator. This administrative remedy must be exhausted before a person can file suit in court challenging the cancellation of a compliance agreement.
(e) Where a compliance agreement is denied or canceled, the person who entered into or applied for the compliance agreement may be prohibited, at the discretion of the Administrator, from handling or disposing of regulated garbage.
(Approved by the Office of Management and Budget under control numbers 0579-0015, 0579-0054, and 0579-0292)