The Permitting Process
In the State of California it is illegal to
operate a
solid
waste facility except
under the terms and conditions of a Solid Waste Facility Permit. Although
there are several regulatory
tiers,
the permitting of any but the smallest facility is a time consuming and
expensive endeavor. Most
transfer
stations,
whether they are new facilities, or an expansion of an existing facility,
can take up to two years for the permitting process to be completed.
Landfills
are rarely permitted in less than ten years.
In the State of California, any department,
agency or program that can issue a Solid Waste Facility Permit (SWFP)
has been certified by the California Department of Resources and Recycling (CalRecycle)
as a Local Enforcement Agency, or
LEA.
All SWFPs are issued, and for the most part revised, only with the
concurrence of the CalRecycle. In the County of Los Angeles (except for the
cities of Los Angeles, West Covina, and Vernon) the LEA
is the Solid Waste Management Program, the host of this web site.
FACT:
At the time a SWFP is submitted to the
CalRecycle for concurrence, the LEA must certify that the
Lead
Agency has evaluated the project for it’s environmental
effects under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA)
and that the facility will be sited according
to an approved Conditional [Land] Use Permit (CUP)or a similar entitlement.
A Conditional Use Permit
should be obtained before an application for a SWFP is submitted. Based on the
information provided in the CUP application, the Lead Agency will decide
what type of environmental study will be conducted. Depending on the
project scope, an Environmental Impact Report (EIR) might be required. The
EIR provides public agencies and the public with detailed information on
the effects which a proposed
project is likely to have on the environment. It will also list ways in
which the significant effects of such a project might be minimized and
indicates alternatives to such a project.
FACT:
At the time a SWFP is submitted to the
CalRecycle for concurrence, the LEA must certify that the facility will be
operated in such a way as to achieve an acceptable level of health and
safety, or in other words, be in conformance with
State
Minimum Standards for solid waste handling and disposal.
Thus, at the time an
application
for a SWFP is submitted, the LEA will also require a very detailed
description of the project. This detailed description will be
contained in a
Report
of Facility Information (RFI)
whose detailed contents are spelled out in state regulations. The
LEA will rely on the RFI to make this determination.
FACT:
A solid waste facility may
also need permits from the State Air or Water Boards, the State Department of
Toxic Substance Control, and the Environmental Protection Agency. Locally,
there might be sewer connection permits and/or waste-water discharge
permits, as well as building permits and construction permits that may be
required.
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