Bill > HB707

This bill establishes a Solid Waste Site Evaluation Committee to oversee the approval of major solid waste disposal facilities, defined as sites accepting over 100,000 tons of waste annually, with the goal of ensuring that local, regional, and statewide impacts are thoroughly evaluated beyond existing regulatory reviews. The committee will be composed of seven members, including representatives from state agencies and appointed public members with relevant expertise, and will be responsible for issuing "certificates" that authorize the construction and operation of these facilities, with a preference for expanding existing landfills or utilizing brownfield sites over greenfield sites. The bill also outlines detailed application requirements, including assessments of environmental, health, economic, and aesthetic impacts, establishes application and filing fees to fund the committee's operations, and mandates public hearings and information sessions to ensure public input. Furthermore, it clarifies that the committee's decisions on facility certificates must be made before other state agency permit applications are finalized, with some exceptions for facilities already under review, and it introduces penalties for violations, including fines and certificate suspension or revocation.