Opinion ID: 756994
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Resource Conservation and Recovery Act

Text: 25 The Resource Conservation and Recovery Act of 1976 (RCRA), as amended by the Hazardous and Solid Waste Amendments of 1984, 42 U.S.C. §§ 6941-6949a, establishes a comprehensive regime for the regulation of solid and hazardous waste disposal on land. See Ashoff v. City of Ukiah, 130 F.3d 409, 410 (9th Cir.1997). RCRA gives the EPA authority to issue permits for the disposal of solid waste, but allows the states to substitute their own permit programs for the federal program if the state program is approved by the EPA. See United States Dep't of Energy v. Ohio, 503 U.S. 607, 611, 112 S.Ct. 1627, 118 L.Ed.2d 255 (1992). 26 Congress directed the EPA to promulgate regulations for the safe and environmentally-sound disposal of solid waste, including requirements for the siting, design, construction, operation and closure of solid waste landfills. See 42 U.S.C. § 6942. In response, the EPA promulgated regulations (Subtitle D regulations) providing minimum federal criteria with which all solid waste landfills must comply. See 40 C.F.R. §§ 258.1-258.75. The RCRA requires each state to adopt and implement a permit program which ensures compliance with these minimum federal criteria, see 42 U.S.C. § 6943; 40 C.F.R. § 258.1(a), and directs the EPA to determine whether each state has developed an adequate program, see 42 U.S.C. § 6947. 27 Under the EPA's Subtitle D regulations, wetlands are given strong protection against degradation by solid waste landfills. A new municipal solid waste landfill cannot be constructed on a wetlands area unless the owner can make several demonstrations to the director of an approved state. 4 First, the owner must clearly rebut the presumption that a practicable alternative to the proposed landfill is available that does not involve wetlands. See 40 C.F.R. § 258.12(a)(1). Second, the owner must show that the construction or operation of the landfill will not cause or contribute to violations of any applicable state water quality standard, violate any applicable toxic effluent standard or prohibition, jeopardize the continued existence of endangered or threatened species or critical habitats, or violate any requirement for the protection of a marine sanctuary. See 40 C.F.R. § 258.12(a)(2). Third, the owner must demonstrate that the landfill will not cause or contribute to significant degradation of wetlands. See 40 C.F.R. § 258.12(a)(3). Fourth, the owner must demonstrate that steps have been taken to achieve no net loss of wetlands by first avoiding impacts to wetlands to the maximum extent practicable, then minimizing unavoidable impacts to the maximum extent practicable, and finally offsetting remaining unavoidable wetlands impacts through all appropriate and practicable compensatory mitigation actions. See 40 C.F.R. § 258.12(a)(4). These RCRA wetlands provisions mirror the EPA's section 404 guidelines concerning wetlands under the CWA. See 40 C.F.R. § 230.10. 28 The EPA approved the State of Washington's municipal solid waste landfill permit program in 1994. See 59 Fed.Reg. 15,203 (1994). Under the State of Washington's permit program, an owner of a proposed municipal solid waste landfill must make the exact demonstrations required by the EPA in the Subtitle D regulations. See Wash. Admin. Code § 173-351-130(4)(a). The State of Washington has delegated its permit authority in Pierce County to the Tacoma-Pierce County Health Department. See Wash. Admin. Code § 173-351-720(1)(f). 29 In granting RII's application for a solid waste handling permit, the Tacoma-Pierce County Health Department certified that RII successfully made the appropriate demonstrations concerning wetlands under Wash. Admin. Code § 173-351-130(4)(a).