ADEM July 7 hearing proposes UST & water-quality fee schedule changes (CPI-U adjustments)
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Demopolis-area UST owners and other regulated businesses who pay ADEM fees should pay attention to an upcoming rulemaking hearing. On Tuesday, July 7, 2026 at 10:00 a.m., the Alabama Department of Environmental Management (ADEM) will consider proposed changes to Administrative Code fee schedules that affect ADEM’s general administration (Division 335-1) and water quality program volume II (Division 335-6).
Hearing details (and the written-comment deadline)
ADEM’s notice says the public hearing will be held in the Main Hearing Room at the ADEM Central Office, 1400 Coliseum Boulevard, Montgomery.
- Hearing date/time: Tuesday, July 7, 2026, 10:00 a.m.
- Written comments deadline: Comments must be received by the Hearing Officer prior to 5:00 p.m. on Tuesday, July 7, 2026
The notice also emphasizes that attendance isn’t required to provide data, views, and arguments—written submissions can be made by the deadline.
What rules are being proposed for change
According to ADEM’s public notice, the proposal would address fee schedules and related structure in:
- Division 335-1 (General Administration)
- Division 335-6 (Water Quality Program Volume II)
CPI-U cost adjustments: why this matters for budgeting
A central part of the proposal is an annual cost adjustment concept for certain application fees based on the Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U)—specifically the “All Items – U.S. City Average” measure maintained by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. In plain terms: the fee framework described in the rule text is designed to allow fee changes to track inflation over time, not just remain fixed.
ADEM also proposes changes to specific fee-related rules within Division 335-1, including adjustments and clarifications connected to permit application fees.
New “Other Fees” chapter and UST fee language re-organization
In addition, the notice says ADEM proposes adding a new chapter—335-1-8 (“Other Fees”)—that would cover items such as disposal fees, underground storage tank fees, and provisions for worthless instruments.
For underground storage tanks, ADEM’s notice also says revisions to Division 335-6-15 would remove the tank fee amount from Division 6 and instead add references to Division 1 for the yearly underground storage tank regulation fee. That kind of re-organization can change how UST requirements are referenced in the administrative code (even if the underlying fee concept remains tied to the same annual obligation).
What Demopolis-area stakeholders should do next
- Confirm applicability: The rulemaking is statewide, but it is listed for Marengo County on ADEM’s county schedule (Demopolis is in Marengo County). Review the proposed rule text to see whether your facility’s permitting/registration situation ties into the Division 335-1 or 335-6 fee provisions being amended.
- Plan for inflation-based adjustments: Because the notice describes a CPI-U-based adjustment approach, budgeting may need to account for fee updates over time—not only for whatever fee levels exist today.
- Consider submitting comments by 5 p.m.: If you believe the proposal’s fee structure, applicability, or how UST-related language is organized should be changed, comments must be received by the Hearing Officer before 5:00 p.m. on July 7, 2026.
This is a proposed rule under a public hearing process—not a final adopted fee schedule yet. The final impact depends on what ADEM ultimately adopts after the hearing record closes.
Sources
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