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Solid Waste Management
All qualified local governments are required by the Department of Community Affairs to maintain a current solid waste management to remain eligible for solid waste grants and loans. Plans are updated every ten years on the same schedule as comprehensive plans. Most counties, together with their municipalities, elect to submit a consolidated waste plan. Most solid waste plans in our region are prepared by the RC.
Georgia's solid waste management has changed dramatically in the 1990s. Recycling and waste reduction efforts have increased, while unsafe disposal of waste has declined significantly. However, at the same time, the amount of waste Georgians send to landfills annually has increased. Our state clearly has more work to do in the area of solid waste management, but the accomplishments to date should not go unrecognized.
In 1990, the Georgia General Assembly passed the Georgia Comprehensive Solid Waste Management Act, which set a path toward improved solid waste management in the state. Some of the key provisions of the law are:
- Solid waste management planning at the state and local levels.
- A facility issues negotiation process designed to facilitate discussion among interested parties on conflicts related to the operation of solid waste management facilities, such as hours of operation, protection of property values and traffic routing.
- Certification for all landfill operators.
- Public education to be undertaken by the Georgia Department of Community Affairs and its Georgia Clean and Beautiful program.
- Recycling by State agencies in State owned buildings.
- Ban on yard trimmings from lined and vertically expanded landfills (1992 amendment).
- Ban on lead acid vehicle battery and tire disposal in all Georgia landfills.
- Mechanism for regional ownership and operation of solid waste management facilities.
- Local user fees ($1 per ton of solid waste, paid to host local government of solid waste management facility) to offset local government solid waste management costs.
- Creation of a State Solid Waste Trust Fund, financed through a $1 fee collected on each new tire sold within the state.
- Annual reporting of solid waste management activities and full costs by local governments, with a compilation of these reports to be prepared by the Georgia Department of Community Affairs.
- Improved management and record keeping at solid waste handling facilities.
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