The department is responsible for regulating and overseeing various activities at facilities that manage solid waste. Solid waste disposal areas (landfill) are any areas used to dispose of solid waste from one or more residential household(s) or commercial, industrial, manufacturing, recreational or governmental operation(s). Each landfill is located, designed, built, operated, monitored, closed and maintained to make sure it follows federal and state laws and regulations.
Landfills accept and manage various types of waste for disposal, in order to prevent the waste materials from harming public health or the environment. It is necessary to exclude certain wastes from disposal in order to conserve landfill space, ensure safe landfill operation or reduce the chance of environmental contamination. Some excluded wastes include hazardous wastes, waste oil, large amounts of liquids, lead-acid batteries, appliances and brush or vegetative wastes.
The applicant for this permit must first apply for a Solid Waste Disposal Area (Landfill) Construction Permit. After the applicant has received a construction permit and completed construction of all pre-operational features, they may apply for an operating permit. The department will conduct an inspection to make sure all features were constructed according to the approved plans and permit. An operating permit must be obtained before the solid waste landfill may begin accepting waste.
Types of Disposal Areas (Landfills)
Demolition landfills are exclusively designed to accept demolition wastes, construction materials, brush, wood wastes, soil, rock, concrete and inert solids (that will not dissolve in water). The types of waste approved for disposal at these landfills are much fewer than those accepted at sanitary landfills. Landfills accept and manage various types of waste for disposal, in order to prevent the waste materials from harming public health or the environment.
Sanitary landfills, sometimes referred to as municipal solid waste landfills, are likely what you think of when you hear the word “landfill.” These landfills are permitted for controlled disposal of residential or household wastes and commercial, industrial, agricultural, governmental and institutional wastes that have chemical and physical characteristics similar to those in household wastes.
Special waste landfills are designed specifically for processing one or more special wastes. These wastes have physical or chemical characteristics, or both, that are different from municipal solid wastes accepted at sanitary landfills or construction and demolition wastes accepted at demolition landfills. These wastes are typically non-hazardous industrial wastes, such as incinerator ash or water treatment plant sludge, that may require special handling. Often the business or industry that produces the special waste constructs a landfill to dispose of these wastes at the location where the waste was produced, or generated. Many of these landfills are ash landfills permitted for use by power-generating plants, which may also be called utility waste landfills.
Utility waste landfills are designed to dispose of fly ash, bottom ash, slag and flue gas emission control waste produced mainly from burning coal or other fossil fuels in power-generating plants. These wastes may contain contaminants like mercury, cadmium and arsenic.
Landfills accept and manage various types of waste for disposal, in order to prevent the waste materials from harming public health or the environment.
Length of Permit
Permits issued for solid waste facilities shall be for the anticipated life of the facility. According to sections 260.200 to 260.345, RSMo, permits granted by the department shall be subject to suspension for a designated period of time, civil penalty or revocation whenever the department determines the solid waste processing facility or solid waste disposal area is, or has been, operated in violation of sections 260.200 to 260.345 or the rules or regulations adopted pursuant to sections 260.200 to 260.345, or has been operated in violation of any permit terms and conditions, or is creating a public nuisance, health hazard, or environmental pollution. In the event a permit is suspended or revoked, the person named in the permit shall be fully informed as to the reasons for such action.
Laws, Rules and Regulations
- Federal Law: Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCA) Subtitle D
- State Law: Solid Waste Management Law Sections 260.200 to 260.345 RSMo
- Code of State Regulations: Division 80 – Solid Waste Management, 10 CSR 80
- Commission, Board, Council: Missouri Solid Waste Advisory Board