A solid waste facility may be subject to one or more of these requirements:

Solid Waste Facility Plan Approval
A solid waste facility plan approval is currently required for medical waste facilities, special waste facilities and municipal solid waste landfills. Solid waste land disposal facilities will be required to obtain a solid waste plan approval when appropriate rules are promulgated. Until that time these facilities are subject to Aquifer Protection Permit (APP) requirements and must submit a notice to ADEQ.

Solid waste storage facilities and solid waste incinerators are subject to self-certification. However, self-certification rules have not been promulgated. Until rules are adopted these facilities must also submit a notice to ADEQ.

Transfer stations, dependent on throughput, are subject to either self-certification or best management practices and must submit a notice to ADEQ.

The remaining types of facilities, including biosolids processing facilities, recycling facilities and compost facilities, may require plan approval when appropriate rules are promulgated. Until that time, a notice is required for these facilities and they must operate according to the minimum operating standards.

Existing public solid waste facilities for which design and operational rules have been adopted must have obtained plan approval prior to Oct. 1, 1996 to continue to operate. New facilities must obtain plan approval prior to construction and operation.

See Solid Waste Facilities for planning and permitting requirements by facility type.

Amending a Solid Waste Facility Plan
Solid waste facility owners/operators are required to notify ADEQ of any change to the facility. ADEQ will determine the category of the change. As required by statute, certain changes will require plan review, fees and public notice. ADEQ must approve a type III or type IV change to the design or operation of an approved solid waste facility before work may begin.

• Categories of facility changes

Self-certification
Self-certification applies to solid waste facilities that are not subject to best management practices and for which plan review is not required. Depending on capacity, these facilities include transfer stations, storage facilities and solid waste incinerators.

ADEQ is developing self-certification procedural rules. Self-certification filings will be required when these rules (as well as design and operational rules for specific types of facilities) are effective. Until that time, facilities subject to self-certification must submit a notice to ADEQ.

Best Management Practices
Once rules have been promulgated, certain solid waste facilities will be subject to best management practices. These include depending on capacity, transfer facilities, and waste tire collection sites and recycling facilities. Until that time, these facilities must submit a notice to ADEQ.

Notices
Facilities that currently are not required to obtain plan approval must submit a notice to ADEQ. Notices were required by Sept. 1, 1996, for existing facilities and are required 30 days prior to operation for new facilities.

Notices must provide:

• Facility name and mailing address
• Legal description by township, range and section, and county assessor's book, map and parcel number
• Description of waste storage and treatment equipment and methods of waste management, including types and volumes of waste handled and time the waste remains on site
• Description of waste management practices used at the facility including measures taken to protect the environment and to protect the public health
• A diagram of the property showing the location of the solid waste facility or facilities
• Send notices to ADEQ Solid Waste Plan Review Unit, attention: Barbara Waterbury

Minimum Operating Standards
In the absence of design and operating requirements, solid waste facility owners/operators must operate the facilities in a manner that does not create a public nuisance or threaten human health or the environment. To this end, facilities must:

• Control wind dispersion of solid waste
• Collect visible solid waste dispersed beyond the facility boundary
• Ensure that there are no discharges of hazardous substances to underlying soils and groundwater
• Control vector breeding and fire hazards

Aquifer Protection Permits
Aquifer protection permits (APP) are required for certain solid waste facilities that discharge or could discharge pollutants into or near an aquifer. (A.R.S. § 49-01(12)) The Solid Waste Plan Review Unit reviews APP applications for solid waste facilities. There is a $1,000 initial review fee for existing facilities or facilities seeking a modification.

Municipal solid waste landfills (MSWLF) with an approved solid waste plan approval are not required to have an APP; however, discharging areas/facilities beyond an approved MSWLF cell, such as leachate collection ponds, must obtain an APP.

See also:
  Water Quality Permits/Groundwater

Permits & Plan Reviews Index · Facilities · Facility Planning & Permitting Requirements · Plan Review Fees · Plan Review Procedures