SENATE BILL REPORT

                            SB 6594

                    AS OF FEBRUARY 18, 1994

Brief Description:  Modifying requirements for standards for solid waste handling.

SPONSORS: Senator Snyder

SENATE COMMITTEE ON ECOLOGY & PARKS

Staff:  Kari Guy (786‑7464)

Hearing Dates: February 21, 1994

BACKGROUND:

The federal Resource Conservation and Recovery Act, subtitle D, required that the Environmental Protection Agency develop standards for municipal solid waste landfills.  EPA published the criteria for municipal solid waste landfills in 1991. 

In October, 1993, the Department of Ecology published rules to establish minimum, statewide standards for all municipal solid waste landfills.  These standards implement the rule-making of the EPA under Subtitle D of the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act.  The rule applies to all new and existing municipal solid waste landfill units.  The locational standards in the rule do not apply to existing municipal solid waste landfill units.

Under the state standards, existing municipal solid waste landfill units are defined to include existing landfills that are receiving wastes, and any existing horizontal expansion approved by the jurisdictional health department for which as-built plans documenting construction have been prepared.  The definition for existing landfills does not include planned expansions for which only conceptual plans have been drafted.

SUMMARY:

Minimum functional standards for solid waste handling adopted by the Department of Ecology after October 1, 1993 are to affect existing municipal solid waste landfill units to the minimum extent possible.  Existing municipal solid waste landfills include defined areas of land that have been permitted by a jurisdictional health department to receive solid waste as of the date of the standard. 

Appropriation:  none

Revenue:  none

Fiscal Note:  none requested