a. Applications and preliminary plans for closure project grants and loans shall be filed with the commissioner. The commissioner shall develop a priority system for landfill closure projects which shall establish ranking criteria and funding policies for the projects. With respect to the ranking criteria for these projects, priority shall be given to the owners and operators of sanitary landfill facilities in the following order:

(1) Those owners or operators of sanitary landfill facilities who have received, for a period of at least six months, solid waste from sources out-of-State;

(2) Those owners or operators of sanitary landfill facilities who are local government units; and

(3) Any other owners or operators of sanitary landfill facilities.

b. The commissioner shall set forth a project priority list for closure project grants and loans in accordance with the ranking criteria established pursuant to subsection a. of this section. Eligibility of an owner or operator of a sanitary landfill facility for a grant or loan for a closure project to be included on the project priority list shall be determined in accordance with the provisions of section 5 of this act. The project priority list shall include for each landfill closure project the date each project is scheduled to be certified by the department as ready for funding and shall be in conformance with applicable provisions of State law.

L. 1985, c. 368, s. 4, eff. Nov. 12, 1985.