(1) Before issuing a permit for a landfill established after October 3, 1979, in any area zoned for exclusive farm use, the Department of Environmental Quality shall determine that the site can and will be reclaimed for uses permissible in the exclusive farm use zone. A permit issued for a landfill in an exclusive farm use zone must contain requirements that:

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Terms Used In Oregon Statutes 459.055

  • Contract: A legal written agreement that becomes binding when signed.
  • local government: means all cities, counties and local service districts located in this state, and all administrative subdivisions of those cities, counties and local service districts. See Oregon Statutes 174.116
  • Person: includes individuals, corporations, associations, firms, partnerships, limited liability companies and joint stock companies. See Oregon Statutes 174.100

(a) Ensure rehabilitation of the site at the termination of the use for solid waste disposal to a condition comparable to its original use;

(b) Protect the public health and safety and the environment;

(c) Minimize the impact of the landfill on adjacent property;

(d) Minimize traffic; and

(e) Minimize rodent and vector production and sustenance.

(2) Before issuing a permit for any disposal site, including a landfill established under ORS § 459.047 or 459.049, the department shall require:

(a) Any person who sends more than 75,000 tons of solid waste a year to the disposal site to prepare a waste reduction program accepted by the department; and

(b) That any contract or agreement to dispose of more than 75,000 tons of out-of-state solid waste a year in an Oregon disposal site established under ORS § 459.047 or 459.049 provides for a waste reduction program accepted by the department.

(3) A disposal site subject to the requirements of subsection (2) of this section may not accept solid waste from any person disposing of solid waste originating in any local government unit that does not have a waste reduction program or a contract accepted by the department. The department shall review the local government programs and the contract programs in the manner provided in subsection (5) of this section. A waste reduction program shall provide for:

(a) A commitment by the local government unit to reduce the volume of waste that would otherwise be disposed of in a landfill through techniques such as waste prevention, recycling, reuse, composting and energy recovery;

(b) An opportunity to recycle that:

(A) Includes a program for recycling that achieves the applicable recovery rate in ORS § 459A.010 (2) for waste originating in Oregon, or as demonstrated by the disposal site operator for waste originating outside Oregon, either a recovery rate equivalent to that achieved in a comparable county in Oregon or a recycling and waste prevention program equivalent to the opportunity to recycle in ORS § 459A.005 (1)(a) and (2) and the program elements in ORS § 459A.007; and

(B) For waste originating inside Oregon, meets or exceeds the requirements of ORS § 459.250 and 459A.005 to 459A.085;

(c) A timetable for implementing each portion of the waste reduction program;

(d) Energy efficient, cost-effective approaches for waste reduction;

(e) Procedures commensurate with the type and volume of solid waste generated in the area; and

(f) Legal, technical and economic feasibility.

(4) For each area outside the state from which a disposal site receives solid waste, the disposal site has two years after first accepting solid waste from the area to demonstrate how the area complies with the requirements of subsection (3) of this section. If after two years the waste reduction program required under subsection (3) of this section is not implemented, the Environmental Quality Commission may, by order, direct such implementation, or may prohibit the disposal site from accepting waste from the person responsible for preparing the waste reduction program. The disposal site operator shall provide written notice to the department prior to first accepting solid waste from outside the state. The requirements of this subsection apply only to contracts entered into after September 9, 1995.

(5) The department shall review a waste reduction program prepared under subsection (2) of this section and shall accept the program if it meets the criteria prescribed in subsection (3) of this section.

(6) Notwithstanding ORS § 459.245 (1), if the department fails to act on an application subject to the requirements of this section within 60 days, the application is not considered granted.

(7) A contract or agreement for the disposal of solid waste made between an owner or operator of a disposal site and a person does not affect the authority of the commission to establish or modify the requirements of an acceptable waste reduction program under subsection (2) of this section.

(8) Notwithstanding any other provision of law relating to solid waste disposal, if the state of origin prohibits or restricts the disposal of any kind of solid waste within the state of origin, the prohibition or restriction also applies to the disposal of the solid waste in Oregon. [1979 c.773 § 8a; 1989 c.541 § 2; 1991 c.765 § 8; 1993 c.560 § 12; 1995 c.541 § 1; 1997 c.552 § 3; 2015 c.534 § 14]