1. Preliminary site investigation approval shall not be required for any municipal utility located in a county of the first classification with more than two hundred sixty but fewer than three hundred thousand inhabitants to proceed with a utility waste landfill detailed site investigation. Nothing in this section shall preclude the department from exercising its existing authority to approve or disapprove the site upon completion of the detailed site investigation. Solely for purposes of conducting the public involvement activity described in subsection 3 of section 260.205, August 28, 2013, shall be considered the date of approval of the preliminary site investigation.

2. If any provision of this section or the application thereof to anyone or to any circumstance is held invalid, the remainder of this act^** and the application of such provisions to others or other circumstances shall not be affected thereby.