Keith BentleyLand Protection Branch Chief

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Georgia EPD UpdateLand Protection BranchAir and Waste Management Association Annual MeetingApril 2013

Georgia Statistics

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Organization

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Budget Trends and Impacts• LPB is funded from ~20 sources (federal and state)• Since 2008 staff has been reduced by ~20%• Funding has been reduced by 35%• Most reductions have been from state-based funding• Seeing reductions in federal funding as well• Spending on orphan site cleanups (scrap tires, HSI

sites, landfills) has been minimal recently• Continue with inspections and enforcement to

prevent problems from getting worse

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Initiatives• General theme: How to get job done with

declining resources?• Expedited permitting for borrow pits– So far so good

• IT projects– Online permit tracking– Unified Facility Registration System– Online fee payments

• VRP/HSRA work process improvements6

Legislation: Hazardous Waste Trust Fund• Hazardous Waste Trust Fund reauthorized

through July 2018• Funded through fees (landfill tipping, hazardous

waste generators, hazardous waste disposal)• Funds staff to run HSRA and VRP programs• Funds orphaned site cleanups• Funds emergency response

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Legislation: Scrap Tires• Legislation targets dumping of scrap tires• Regulates used tire carriers to close loophole• Requires decal for all used/scrap tire carriers• Allows enforcement by police and local code

enforcement officers• New rulemaking required; probably this fall

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Legislation: Inert Waste Landfills• Inert waste landfills were subject to permit by rule• Reached unmanageable numbers and non-

compliance rates were high• New rules final January 2013– Requires permit, methane control and financial

assurance• Legislature passed law exempting facilities that can

certify compliance with PBR requirements• New rulemaking will be required

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Regulation: Composting• Composting industry evolved and existing rules were

inadequate to address variety of applications• Food residuals of 800,000 tons per year could be

diverted from MSWs• Composting capacity < 10% of that needed• Engaged stakeholder group to determine what was

needed• Draft regulations developed with tiered requirements

based on feedstock and technology• Proposed rule out for comment in May?

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• Georgia Underground Storage Tank (GUST) Fees– Fund cleanups for leaking USTs

• Voluntary program– Participants are smaller operators

• Market forces reducing fees collected• Ability to fund cleanups threatened• Rule raising fees proposed in February (short-term

fix)• Strategy for long-term stability TBD

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Regulation: GUST Fees

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Solid Waste Handling Permits

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Hazardous Site Inventory

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Brownfields

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Questions?

Keith Bentley, EPDLand Protection Branch Chief