Section 3734.44 - Issuance or renewal of permit or licenseNotwithstanding the provisions of any law to the contrary and except as provided in division (F) of this section, no permit or license shall be issued or renewed by the director of environmental protection or a board of health:
(A) Unless the director or the board of health finds that the applicant, in any prior performance record in the transportation, transfer, treatment, storage, or disposal of solid wastes, infectious wastes, or hazardous waste, has exhibited sufficient reliability, expertise, and competency to operate the solid waste, infectious waste, or hazardous waste facility, given the potential for harm to human health and the environment that could result from the irresponsible operation of the facility, or, if no prior record exists, that the applicant is likely to exhibit that reliability, expertise, and competence;(B) If any individual or business concern required to be listed in the disclosure statement or shown to have a beneficial interest in the business of the applicant or the permittee, other than an equity interest or debt liability, by the investigation thereof, has been convicted of any of the following crimes under the laws of this state or equivalent laws of any other jurisdiction:(10) Theft and related crimes;(11) Forgery and fraudulent practices;(12) Fraud in the offering, sale, or purchase of securities;(13) Alteration of motor vehicle identification numbers;(14) Unlawful manufacture, purchase, use, or transfer of firearms;(15) Unlawful possession or use of destructive devices or explosives;(16) A violation of section 2925.03, 2925.04, 2925.05, 2925.06, 2925.11, 2925.32, or 2925.37 or Chapter 3719. of the Revised Code, unless the violation is for possession of less than one hundred grams of marihuana, less than five grams of marihuana resin or extraction or preparation of marihuana resin, or less than one gram of marihuana resin in a liquid concentrate, liquid extract, or liquid distillate form;(17) Engaging in a pattern of corrupt activity under section 2923.32 of the Revised Code;(18) A violation of the criminal provisions of Chapter 1331. of the Revised Code;(19) Any violation of the criminal provisions of any federal or state environmental protection laws, rules, or regulations that is committed knowingly or recklessly, as defined in section 2901.22 of the Revised Code;(20) A violation of any provision of Chapter 2909. of the Revised Code;(21) Any offense specified in Chapter 2921. of the Revised Code.(C) Notwithstanding division (B) of this section, no applicant shall be denied the issuance or renewal of a permit or license on the basis of a conviction of any individual or business concern required to be listed in the disclosure statement or shown to have a beneficial interest in the business of the applicant or the permittee, other than an equity interest or debt liability, by the investigation thereof for any of the offenses enumerated in that division as disqualification criteria if that applicant has affirmatively demonstrated rehabilitation of the individual or business concern by a preponderance of the evidence. If any such individual was convicted of any of the offenses so enumerated that are felonies, a permit shall be denied unless five years have elapsed since the individual was fully discharged from imprisonment and parole for the offense, from a community control sanction imposed under section 2929.15 of the Revised Code, from a post-release control sanction imposed under section 2967.28 of the Revised Code for the offense, or imprisonment, probation, and parole for an offense that was committed prior to July 1, 1996. In determining whether an applicant has affirmatively demonstrated rehabilitation, the director or the board of health shall request a recommendation on the matter from the attorney general and shall consider and base the determination on the following factors: (1) The nature and responsibilities of the position a convicted individual would hold;(2) The nature and seriousness of the offense;(3) The circumstances under which the offense occurred;(4) The date of the offense;(5) The age of the individual when the offense was committed;(6) Whether the offense was an isolated or repeated incident;(7) Any social conditions that may have contributed to the offense;(8) Any evidence of rehabilitation, including good conduct in prison or in the community, counseling or psychiatric treatment received, acquisition of additional academic or vocational schooling, successful participation in correctional work release programs, or the recommendation of persons who have or have had the applicant under their supervision;(9) In the instance of an applicant that is a business concern, rehabilitation shall be established if the applicant has implemented formal management controls to minimize and prevent the occurrence of violations and activities that will or may result in permit or license denial or revocation or if the applicant has formalized those controls as a result of a revocation or denial of a permit or license. Those controls may include, but are not limited to, instituting environmental auditing programs to help ensure the adequacy of internal systems to achieve, maintain, and monitor compliance with applicable environmental laws and standards or instituting an antitrust compliance auditing program to help ensure full compliance with applicable antitrust laws. The business concern shall prove by a preponderance of the evidence that the management controls are effective in preventing the violations that are the subject of concern.(D) Unless the director or the board of health finds that the applicant has a history of compliance with environmental laws in this state and other jurisdictions and is presently in substantial compliance with, or on a legally enforceable schedule that will result in compliance with, environmental laws in this state and other jurisdictions;(E) With respect to the approval of a permit, if the director determines that current prosecutions or pending charges in any jurisdiction for any of the offenses enumerated in division (B) of this section against any individual or business concern required to be listed in the disclosure statement or shown by the investigation to have a beneficial interest in the business of the applicant other than an equity interest or debt liability are of such magnitude that they prevent making the finding required under division (A) of this section, provided that at the request of the applicant or the individual or business concern charged, the director shall defer decision upon the application during the pendency of the charge.(F) The director or the board of health shall not refuse to issue a permit or license to an applicant because of a conviction of an offense unless the refusal is in accordance with section 9.79 of the Revised Code.Amended by 133rd General Assembly, HB 263,§1, eff. 10/9/2021.Effective Date: 1/1/2004.