Section 454.660 - Delegation of variance powers; appeal; qualification of officers; hearing and decision(1) The Environmental Quality Commission shall delegate on such general conditions as it may find appropriate the power to grant variances to special variance officers appointed by the Director of the Department of Environmental Quality. Decisions of the variance officers to grant variances may be appealed to the Environmental Quality Commission.(2) Variance officers appointed under this section shall be persons qualified in soil sciences and possessing knowledge of and experience in subsurface sewage disposal methods.(3) Each request for a variance under ORS 454.657 shall be heard by the appropriate variance officer in the county within which the parcel of real property described in the variance request is located.(4) Each request for a variance shall be heard by the appropriate variance officer within 30 days after the date on which a completed application for a variance has been received by the Department of Environmental Quality. A decision shall be made by the variance officer within 45 days after completion of the hearing on the variance request.