As used in this Part, the following terms shall have the meanings
indicated:
ABATEMENT
The restoration, reclamation, recovery, etc., of a natural
resource adversely affected by the activity of a person.
AGRICULTURAL WASTE
Poultry and livestock manure, or residual materials in liquid
or solid form generated in the production and marketing of poultry,
livestock, fur-bearing animals, and their products, provided that
such agricultural waste is not hazardous. The term includes the residual
materials generated in producing, harvesting, and marketing of all
agronomic, horticultural, aquacultural and silvicultural crops or
commodities grown on what are usually recognized and accepted as farms,
forests, or other agricultural lands. (The term also includes materials
in liquid or solid form generated in the production and marketing
of fish or fish hatcheries.)
AQUACULTURE
The practice of raising plants or animals, such as fish or
shellfish, in man-made or natural bodies of water.
BENEFICIAL USE
Use or reuse of residual waste or residual material derived
from residual waste for commercial, industrial or governmental purposes,
where the use does not harm or threaten public health, safety, welfare
or the environment.
BULKY WASTE
Large items of solid waste, including, but not limited to,
appliances, furniture, large auto parts, trees, branches or stumps,
which may require special handling due to their size shape, or weight.
COAL ASH
Fly ash, bottom ash or boiler slag, resulting from the combustion
of coal, that is or has been beneficially used, reused or reclaimed
for a commercial, industrial or governmental purpose. The term includes
such materials that are stored, processed, transported or sold for
beneficial use, reuse or reclamation.
COMBUSTIBLE REFUSE
All paper, straw, excelsior, rags, rubbish, shoes and such
other refuse as may result from ordinary housekeeping or commercial
pursuits and which may be burned.
COMMERCIAL ESTABLISHMENT
Any establishment engaged in nonmanufacturing or nonprocessing
business, including, but not limited to, stores, markets, office buildings,
restaurants, shopping centers and theaters.
COMMISSION
The Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission and its authorized
representatives.
COMMONWEALTH AGENCY
The commonwealth and its departments, boards, commissions
and agencies, commonwealth-owned universities, and the State Public
School Building Authority, the State Highway and Bridge Authority,
and any other authority now in existence or hereafter created or organized
by the commonwealth.
DEPARTMENT
The Department of Environmental Protection of the commonwealth
and its authorized representatives.
DISPOSAL
The incineration, deposition, injection, dumping, spilling,
leaking, or placing of solid waste into or on the land or water in
a manner that the solid waste, or a constituent of the solid waste
enters the environment, is emitted into the air or is discharged to
the waters of the commonwealth.
FACILITY
All land, structures and other appurtenances or improvements
where municipal or residual waste disposal or processing is permitted
or takes place, or where hazardous waste is treated, stored or disposed.
FOOD-PROCESSING WASTE
Residual materials in liquid or solid form generated in the
slaughtering of poultry and livestock or in processing and converting
fish, seafood, milk, meat, and eggs to food products; it also means
residual materials generated in the processing, converting, or manufacturing
of fruits, vegetables, crops and other commodities into marketable
food items.
GARBAGE
All table, refuse, animal and vegetable matter, offal from
meat, fish and fowls, vegetables and fruits and parts thereof, and
other articles and materials ordinarily used for food and which have
become unfit for such use or which are for any reason discarded or
the animal and vegetable wastes resulting from the handling, preparation,
cooking, and consumption of foods.
HOST MUNICIPALITY
The municipality other than the county within which a municipal
waste landfill or resource recovery facility is located or is proposed
to be located.
INCOMBUSTIBLE REFUSE
All discarded articles or materials, except sewage, liquid
waste, garbage and combustible refuse.
INDUSTRIAL ESTABLISHMENT
Any establishment engaged in manufacturing or processing,
including, but not limited to, factories, foundries, mills, processing
plants, refineries, mines and slaughterhouses.
INSTITUTIONAL ESTABLISHMENT
Any establishment engaged in service, including, but not
limited to, hospitals, nursing homes, orphanages, schools and universities.
LEAF WASTE
Leaves, garden residues, shrubbery, and tree trimmings, and
similar materials, but not including grass clippings.
LOCAL PUBLIC AGENCY
A.
Counties, cities, boroughs, towns, school districts and any
other authority now in existence or hereafter created or organized
by the commonwealth.
B.
All municipal or school or other authorities now in existence
or hereafter created or organized by any county, city, borough or
school district or any combination thereof.
C.
Any and all other public bodies, authorities, councils of government,
officers, or agencies or instrumentalities of the foregoing, whether
exercising a governmental or proprietary function.
MANAGEMENT
The entire process, or any part thereof, of storage, collection,
transportation, processing, treatment and disposal of solid wastes
by any person engaging in such process.
MUNICIPALITY
A city, borough, incorporated town or home rule, county or
any authority created by any of the foregoing.
MUNICIPAL RECYCLING PROGRAM
A source-separation and collection program for recycling
municipal waste or source-separated recyclable materials, or a program
for designated dropoff points or collection centers for recycling
municipal waste of source-separated recyclable materials, that is
operated by or on behalf of a municipality. The term includes any
source-separation and collection program for composting yard waste
that is operated by or on behalf of a municipality. The term shall
not include any program for recycling construction/demolition waste
or sludge from sewage treatment plants or water supply treatment plants.
MUNICIPAL WASTE
Any garbage, refuse, industrial lunchroom or office waste
and other materials, including solid, liquid, semisolid or contained
gaseous materials, resulting from operation of residential, municipal,
commercial or institutional establishments and from community activities
and any sludge not meeting the definition of residual or hazardous
waste in the Solid Waste Management Act from a municipal, commercial or institutional waste supply
treatment plant, wastewater treatment plant or air pollution control
facility. The term does not include source-separated recyclable materials.
MUNICIPAL WASTE LANDFILL
Any facility that is designated, operated or maintained for
the disposal of municipal waste, whether or not such facility possesses
a permit from the Department under the Solid Waste Management Act.
The term shall not include any facility that is used exclusively for
disposal of construction/demolition waste or sludge from sewage treatments
plants or water supply treatment plants.
OPERATOR
A person engaged in solid waste processing or disposal. Where
more than one is so engaged in a single operation, all persons shall
be deemed jointly and severally responsible for compliance with the
provisions of this act.
PERSON
Any individual, partnership, corporation, association, institution,
cooperative enterprise, municipality, municipal authority, federal
government or agency, state institution or agency (including, but
not limited to, the Department of General Services and the State Public
School Building Authority), or any other legal entity whatsoever which
is recognized by law as the subject of rights and duties. In any provisions
of this act prescribing a fine, imprisonment or penalty, or any combination
of the foregoing, the term "person" shall include the officers and
directors of any corporation or other legal entity having officers
and directors.
POLLUTION
Contamination of any air, water, land or other natural resources
of this commonwealth that will create or is likely to create a public
nuisance or to render the air, water, land or other natural resources
harmful, detrimental or injurious to public health, safety or welfare,
or to domestic, municipal, commercial, industrial, agricultural, recreational
or other legitimate beneficial uses, or to livestock, wild animals,
birds, fish or other life.
PROCESSING
A.
The term includes any of the following:
(1)
Any method or technology used for the purpose of reducing the
volume or bulk of municipal or residual waste, or any method or technology
used to convert part of all or such waste materials for off-site reuse.
(2)
Transfer facilities, composting facilities, and resource recovery
facilities.
B.
The term does not include a collection or processing center
that is only for source-separated recyclable materials, including
clear glass, colored glass, aluminum, steel and bimetallic cans, high-grade
office paper, newsprint, corrugated paper and plastics.
PUBLIC NUISANCE
Any violation of any provision of this Part, rule or regulation
or any government agency, order of the Department or any term and
condition of any permit shall constitute a public nuisance.
REFUSE
All combustible refuse and incombustible refuse, referred
to collectively.
RESIDUAL WASTE
Any garbage, refuse, other discarded material or other waste,
including solid, liquid, semisolid or contained gaseous materials
resulting from industrial, mining and agricultural operations and
any sludge from an industrial, mining or agricultural waste supply
treatment facility, wastewater treatment facility or air pollution
control facility, provided that it is not hazardous. The term shall
not include coal refuse as defined in the act of September 24, 1968
(P.L. 1040, No. 318), known as the "Coal Refuse Disposal Control Act." The term shall not include treatment sludges from coal
mine drainage treatment plants, disposal of which is being carried
on pursuant to and in compliance with a valid permit issued pursuant
to the act of June 22, 1937 (P.L. 1987, No. 394), known as the "Clean
Streams Law."
RESOURCE RECOVERY FACILITY
A processing facility that provides for the extraction and
utilization of materials or energy from municipal waste that is generated
off-site, including, but not limited to, a facility that mechanically
extracts materials from municipal waste, a combustion facility that
converts the organic fraction of municipal waste to usable energy,
and any chemical and biological process that converts municipal waste
into a fuel product. The term also includes any facility for the combustion
of municipal waste that is generated off-site, whether or not the
facility is operated to recover energy. The term does not include:
B.
Methane gas extraction from a municipal waste landfill.
C.
Any separation and collection center, drop-off point or collection
center for recycling, or any source-separation or collection center
for composting leaf waste.
D.
Any facility, including all units in the facility, with a total
processing capacity of less than 50 tons per day.
SECRETARY
The Secretary of Environmental Protection of the commonwealth.
SOLID WASTE
Any waste, including, but not limited to, municipal or residual
wastes, including solid, liquid, semisolid or contained gaseous material.
The term "solid waste" does not include either coal ash or drill cuttings
or hazardous wastes as defined in general Pennsylvania law. "Storage,"
the containment of any municipal waste on a temporary basis in such
a manner as not to constitute disposal of such waste. It shall be
presumed that the containment of any municipal waste in excess of
one year constitutes disposal. This presumption can be overcome by
clear and convincing evidence to the contrary.
TRANSFER FACILITY
A facility which receives and processes or temporarily stores
municipal or residual waste at a location other than the generation
site, and which facilitates the transportation or transfer of municipal
or residual waste to a processing or disposal facility. The term includes
a facility that uses a method or technology to convert part of all
of such waste materials for off-site reuse. The term does not include
a collection or processing center that is only for source-separated
recyclable materials, including clear glass, colored glass, aluminum,
steel and bimetallic cans, high-grade office paper, newsprint, corrugated
paper and plastics.
WASTE REDUCTION
Design, manufacture or use of a product to minimize weight
of municipal waste that requires processing or disposal, including,
but not limited to:
A.
Design or manufacturing activities which minimize the weight
or volume of materials contained in a product, or increase durability
or recyclability; and
B.
Use of products that contain as little material as possible,
are capable of being reused or recycled or have an extended useful
life.