|
WV Solid Waste Authorities
West Virginia's fifty local Solid Waste Authorities (SWAs)
were created in 1989 by W.Va. Code §22C-4. The Legislative
intent was to protect the public health and welfare with a
comprehensive program of solid waste collection, processing,
recycling and disposal, managed for the most part, on the
local level. Responsibilities of the authorities include but
are not limited to acquisition, construction of and/or
operation of solid waste facilities; local and/or regional
solid waste planning; siting approval of commercial solid
waste facilities; coordinating public education and
awareness; solid waste and litter control project
coordination/ management and many other thing consistent
with W.Va. Code §22C-4.
Administrative Guide for Solid Waste Authorities
Administrative Guide Page
The purpose of
this document is to provide initial instruction to new SWA
board members and provide a resource for SWA veterans
detailing the operational aspects of their county and/or
regional Solid Waste Authorities (SWAs). Subjects covered in
the guide include SWA administration, business procedures,
solid waste planning, issuing certificates of siting
approval for solid waste facilities, SWMB grants, recycling
and market development, the role of education in solid waste
management, cleaning up open dumps, enforcing mandatory
disposal and operating and closing solid waste authority
owned facilities.
Solid Waste
Planning
Comprehensive Litter and Solid Waste Control Plan Update
Template and Legislative Rule (Comp Plan)
Commercial Solid Waste Facility Siting Plan Update Template
and Legislative Rule (Siting Plan)
The states fifty county and regional solid waste authorities
are responsible for providing the Solid Waste Management
Board with their Comprehensive Litter and Solid Waste
Control Plan and Commercial Solid Waste Facility Siting
Plan. These plans are to be updated every five years.
Instructions for completing the plans can be found in the
Solid Waste Authority Administrative
Guide.
The required format and content of both plans are denoted in
detail in Title 54 Legislative Rules, Series 3 and 4 (links
on Code/Rules tab above).
Audit
Information
Basic Steps in Procuring an Audit and
Audit Materials Guide
WV Auditors' Office Chief Inspectors
Division
The SWMB
has been informed by some authorities that the current CPA
list on the Auditor's website may not be the most current
they have. The SWMB is sugessting that any authority needing
to start the audit process should first, call the Chief
Inspectors Division for information about the list and
process.
Solid Waste
Authorities are required under WV Code §22C-4-9a(j) to have
annual financial examinations. The Business & Financial
Assistance Section provides advice and assistance to the
states local solid waste authorities in meeting the
requirements of WV Code §6-9-7 (see SW Code/Rules link
above) in obtaining the required financial examinations and
audits. For further assistance, contact someone from the
SWMB Business & Financial Assistance Section.
Administrative Assistance
Open Meetings Handbook
The Ethics Act
Conducting proper
public meetings and actions in an ethical manner can
sometimes be questionable. Thankfully, the Office of the
Attorney General and the Ethics Commission have information
readily available to assist solid waste authorities with
most of their commonly asked questions. The most recent
versions of the Open Meetings Handbook and the Ethics
Act can be accessed through the links above. For additional
information on handling Freedom of Information Act (FOIA)
requests, guidelines for accepting and soliciting gifts,
door prizes, and giveaways for conferences, check out their
websites.
State
Grants Available to Authorities
SWMB-DEP Grant
Overview
Information on the
SWMB and DEP-REAPs grant programs for solid waste
authorities. For current SWMB grant forms, reporting forms
and information, click on topics at right under "Quick
Links".
Mandatory Disposal
WV Code §22C-4-10
requires that everyone in the state dispose of their garbage
legally. WV Code §22-C-4 gives the SWAs the authority to
promulgate rules to that effect and reads as follows:
WV Code
§22-C-4-23(3): The authority board of directors
shall promulgate rules to implement the provisions of
sections nine and ten of this article and is authorized to
promulgate rules for the purposes of this article and the
general operation and administration of authority affairs.
State law requires households to do one
of the following with their solid waste; (1) subscribe to
and use an approved solid waste collection service; (2) have
proof that your waste was disposed of at an approved solid
waste facility. The following methods of waste disposal are
illegal:
-
It's illegal to burn solid waste -
WV Code §22-5-3;
-
It's illegal to bury solid waste -
WV Code §22-15-10;
-
It's illegal to dump solid waste
into a roadside dump - WV Code §22-15-10;
-
It's illegal to create an open dump
on your property - WV code §22-15-10.
Penalties for noncompliance can be
severe.
Recycling
Equipment Exchange
Recycling Equipment Exchange Page -
COMING SOON
From time to time,
most authorities that manage recycling programs have
equipment that, for one reason or another, they can no
longer use. The Recycling Equipment Exchange Page provides a
format where authorities can sell, lease, donate or
otherwise transfer used equipment to another program for
continued use.
If your authority
is in need of equipment you should check this page to see if
someone else has something you can use. If you have
equipment that you don't need and are willing to transfer
that equipment to another authority, contact someone from
the Recycling, Planning and Market Development Section for
additional assistance.
|