Virginia Law

A. Basic planning elements:

1. Objectives for solid waste management within the planning unit;

2. A discussion as to how the plan will be implemented and tracked, consisting of an integrated waste management strategy to support and promote the hierarchy set forth at 9VAC20-130-30; and giving preference to alternatives in the following order of priority: source reduction, reuse, recycling, resource recovery, incineration, and landfilling;

3. Definition of incremental stages of progress toward the objectives and schedule for their implementation, including, for compliance with 9VAC20-81-450, specific solid waste management facility names, facility capacities, and life based on 20-year need;

4. Strategy for the provision of necessary funds and resources;

5. Descriptions of the funding and resources necessary, including consideration of fees dedicated to future facility development;

6. Strategy for public education and information on source reduction, reuse, and recycling; and

7. Consideration of public and private sector partnerships and private sector participation in execution of the plan. Existing private sector recycling operations should be incorporated in the plan, and the expansion of such operations should be encouraged.

B. A minimum recycling rate as specified in § 10.1-1411 of the Code of Virginia for total municipal solid waste generated annually in each solid waste planning unit shall be met and maintained.

1. The plan shall describe how the minimum recycling rate shall be met or exceeded. The director may approve the solid waste management plans of units that do not currently meet the minimum recycling rate only if all other requirements of this chapter have been met and the solid waste planning unit demonstrates its commitment to implementing a strong and detailed action plan for recycling to meet the required rate.

2. When a solid waste planning unit's annual recycling rate falls below the minimum rate, it shall constitute evidence of a significant deviation from the plan. The plan may be subject to revocation by the department under 9VAC20-130-110 E unless the solid waste planning unit submits a recycling action plan acceptable to the department per subsection I of this section.

C. The solid waste management plan shall include data and analyses of the following type for each jurisdiction. Each item listed in this subsection shall be in a separate section and labeled as to content:

1. Population information and projections for 20 years of population growth and development patterns;

2. Urban concentrations, geographic conditions, economic growth and development, markets for the reuse and recycling of materials, transportation conditions, and related factors;

3. Estimates of solid waste generation from residential, commercial institutional, industrial, construction, demolition, debris and other types of sources, including the amounts reused, recycled, recovered as a resource, incinerated, and landfilled. Entities engaged in the collection, processing, and marketing of recyclable materials should provide data for incorporation into the recycling rate calculation when requested by the planning unit;

4. A listing of existing and planned solid waste collection, storage, treatment, transportation, disposal, and other management facilities, their projected capacities, expected life, and systems for their use;

5. All milestones in the implementation of the solid waste management plan over the 20-year projection and the parties responsible for each milestone;

6. A description of programs for solid waste reduction, reuse, recycling, resource recovery, incineration, storage, treatment, disposal, and litter control;

7. A description of outreach programs for waste exchange, public education, and public participation;

8. The procedures for and results of evaluating solid waste collection, including transfer stations; and

9. The assessment of all current and predicted needs for solid waste management for a period of 20 years and a description of the action to be taken to meet those needs.

D. All known solid waste disposal sites, closed, inactive, and active, within the area of the solid waste management plan shall be documented and recorded at a centralized archive authorized to receive and record information and a copy shall be sent to the department. All new sites shall be recorded at the same central data source.

E. A methodology shall be utilized to monitor the amount of solid waste of each type produced within the area of the solid waste management plan and to record the annual production by solid waste types at a centralized archive and a copy shall be sent to the department.

F. The solid waste management plan shall include, when developed locally, a copy of the local governing body's resolution adopting the solid waste management plan.

G. When the solid waste management plan is developed regionally, the solid waste management plan shall include a copy of the resolution of the solid waste planning unit approving the plan adopted in accordance with the Regional Cooperation Act, the Virginia Water and Waste Authorities Act, the provisions of the Code of Virginia governing joint exercise of powers by political subdivisions (§ 15.2-1300 of the Code of Virginia), or other authority as applicable. The plan shall specify the solid waste planning unit's legal authority to adopt the solid waste management plan.

H. The solid waste management plan shall clearly and explicitly demonstrate the manner in which the goals of the planning requirements in this chapter shall be accomplished and actions to take if these requirements are not met.

I. A planning unit that does not meet the requirements of these regulations shall submit an action plan, by mail or electronic mail, for approval by the department. Such action plans shall include:

1. A description of the deficiency that requires the development of the action plan.

2. A time schedule to resolve the deficiency associated with the planning unit's failure to meet the requirements of the approved solid waste management plan.

3. A reporting requirement to the department of a minimum of once every six months, including activities or updates documenting how the action plan requirements are being met.

4. Plans and all subsequent reports and submittals shall be reviewed by the department within 30 days of receipt by the department.

5. All the department's requests for further information or responses shall be provided within 30 days of receipt at the planning unit. The department may grant reasonable extensions to these deadlines on a case-by-case basis.