The Department may issue a Sewage Sludge Utilization Permit to construct and operate a treatment facility to generate Class A or B sewage sludge and to market the Class A sewage sludge in Maryland if the person applying for a permit demonstrates that the following conditions and requirements will be met: The treatment process shall meet, at a minimum, the applicable requirements for Class A or B sewage sludge; For a facility constructed after May 26, 2014, a 1,000-foot buffer zone shall be maintained between the treatment facility sewage sludge processing or storage area and the nearest inhabited off-site dwelling, except that this buffer distance may be reduced if the Department determines that the treatment facility has adequate odor control measures; The treatment facility shall be designed, constructed, and operated to safely treat the sewage sludge in a manner that will not cause an undue risk to the environment or public health, safety, or welfare as may be determined by the Department; and For marketing Class A sewage sludge in Maryland that is generated by a wastewater treatment plant in Maryland, the person applying for a permit shall describe to the Department’s satisfaction how the following conditions will be met: The sewage sludge to be marketed will not cause an undue risk to the environment or public health, safety, or welfare as may be determined by the Department, or in a manner that causes or likely to cause a discharge of constituents to the waters of the State; and The sewage sludge to be marketed is free of liquid, with the presence of free liquid determined by Application of Method 9095B (Paint Filter Liquids Test) as outlined in the most recent edition of the U.S. EPA Publication SW-846 “Test Methods for Evaluating Solid Waste”, which is incorporated by reference in COMAR 26.13.01.05A(4); or A comparable test approved by the Department. A written quality control monitoring plan approved by the Department shall be implemented to ensure that the Class A sewage sludge to be marketed meets the Department's standards regarding the destruction of primary pathogenic organisms, reduction of vector attraction, and limitations for heavy metals and other constituents. The Department may issue a Sewage Sludge Utilization Permit to construct and operate a sewage sludge treatment facility by processes other than those used to classify the material as Class A or B sewage sludge if the applicant demonstrates, at a minimum, that the requirements specified under §A of this regulation will be met.