These regulations are promulgated under the
powers granted to counties by the Local Health Administration Law,
Act 315, P.L. 1304, adopted August 24, 1951, as amended; the Second
Class County Code Act of July 28, 1953, P.L. 723, as amended; the
Solid Waste Management Act of July 7, 1980, P.L. 380, No. 97, as amended;
and the Municipal Waste Planning, Recycling and Waste Reduction Act
of July 28, 1988, P.L. 556, No. 101, as amended.
This chapter provides regulations for establishing
minimum standards for the regulation of the collection, processing,
storage, and disposal of solid waste and recyclable material essential
to prevent public health hazards in Allegheny County, establishing
minimum standards governing the condition and maintenance of recycling
facilities, solid waste processing, storage, and disposal facilities,
solid waste collection and transportation vehicles and other equipment;
fixing certain responsibilities and duties of owners, operators, and
others in control of the processing, storage, and disposal of solid
waste material and recyclable materials; issuing permits for persons
engaged in the processing, transportation, and disposal of solid waste
material and the processing and transportation of recycling materials;
authorizing the inspection of all vehicles, equipment, and facilities;
and providing notices, hearings, and penalties.
It is hereby declared that the inadequate provision
for the management of solid waste systems and recycling systems endangers
the public health by causing or contributing to pollution of the air,
water, and land, and provides a breeding place for insects and animal
pests and that the establishment and maintenance of proper solid waste
management standards and cooperation with other agencies to control
this problem are essential to the public health, safety and welfare.
The provisions of this chapter shall become
effective on March 1, 1994.
The following words and phrases, whenever used
in this chapter, have the meaning indicated in this section, except
where the context indicates a clearly different meaning:
ACCESS ROAD
A roadway or course providing vehicular access to a solid
waste management processing, transfer, or disposal facility, or recycling
facility or areas within the facility, from a road that is under federal,
commonwealth or local control.
ARTICLE
Allegheny County Health Department Rules and Regulations
Article VIII, "Solid Waste And Recycling Management".
ARTICLE XX
Allegheny County Health Department Rules and Regulations
Article XX, "Air Pollution Control."
CLEAN FILL
Uncontaminated, non-water-soluble, non-decomposable, inert
solid material used to level an area or bring an area to grade in
a controlled manner, but not including materials placed into or on
any waters of the commonwealth. Clean fill includes the following,
if they are separated from other wastes at the point of generation:
A.
Uncontaminated soil, rock, stone, gravel, brick
and block, and concrete which is free of all exposed metal.
B.
Waste from on-site land clearing, grubbing and
excavation, including trees, brush, stumps, and vegetative material.
COMPACTOR
Any power-driven, mechanical device that reduces the volume
of solid waste by compression and crushing. The term does not include
single-family in-home compactors.
COMPACTOR VEHICLE
A truck-mounted solid waste compactor, which comprises an
engine-powered truck cab and chassis or trailer, equipped with a compactor
body and associated machinery for receiving, compacting, transporting
and unloading solid waste.
COMPOSTING
The process by which organic solid waste is biologically
decomposed under controlled anaerobic or aerobic conditions to yield
a humus-like product.
CONSTRUCTION/DEMOLITION WASTE
Solid waste resulting from the construction or demolition
of buildings and other structures, including but not limited to wood,
plaster, roofing materials, drywall, metals, asphaltic substances,
bricks, block and unsegregated concrete. The term also includes dredging
wastes. The term does not include materials defined as clean fill
when separated from other wastes at the point of generation.
DEPARTMENT
The Allegheny County Health Department.
DIRECTOR
The Director of the Allegheny County Health Department or
his/her authorized representative.
DISPOSAL
The deposition, injection, damping, spilling, leaking, or
placing of solid wastes into or on the land or water in a manner that
the solid wastes, or a constituent of the solid wastes, enter the
environment, are emitted into the air, or enter the waters of the
commonwealth.
FACILITY
All land, structures, and other appurtenances or improvements
where recycling or solid waste disposal, processing, transfer, or
storage is permitted or takes place.
FINAL CLOSURE
The date after which no further treatment, maintenance, monitoring
or other action is or will be necessary at a municipal waste processing
or disposal facility to ensure compliance with the Solid Waste Management
Act, Act of July 7, 1980, P.L. 380, No. 97, as amended, the rules
and regulations adopted thereunder, and this chapter.
FLUE
Any duct, pipe, stack, chimney, or conduit which conducts
air contaminants into the open air and which permits the performance
of the test methods and procedures specified in Chapter VI of Article
XX.
INCINERATION
The process of burning solid waste to a gas and a residue
in accordance with Article XX.
INCINERATOR
An enclosed device, including domestic refuse-burning equipment,
using controlled combustion for the primary purpose of thermally breaking
down solid waste, and which is equipped with a flue.
INCLUDE
Including, but not limited to.
INFECTIOUS WASTE
This term shall have the same definition as the term is currently
defined in 25 Pa. Code § 271.1.
LAND RECLAMATION
The land application of sewage sludge for its plant nutrient
value or as a soil conditioner, in order to establish vegetative growth
or restore or enhance the soil.
LEACHATE
A liquid, including suspended or dissolved components in
the liquid, which has permeated through or drained from solid waste.
MUNICIPALITY
A city, incorporated town, township, borough, county, any
political subdivision, or any authority created by any of the foregoing.
MUNICIPAL WASTE
Any garbage, refuse, lunchroom or office waste and other material including solid, liquid, semisolid, or contained gaseous material resulting from the operation of residential, municipal, commercial, or institutional establishments, including hospitals, nursing homes, orphanages, schools, universities, day-care facilities, and personal-care boarding homes, and from community activities, and any sludge not meeting the definition of residual or hazardous waste under 25 Pa. Code Chapter
271 from a municipal, commercial or institutional water supply treatment plant, wastewater treatment plant, or air pollution control facility.
MUNICIPAL WASTE MANAGEMENT PLAN
A plan or revision to a plan officially adopted by a municipality
and approved by Penn DER that provides a system for the management
of municipal waste.
NOTICE OF VIOLATION
A written advisory stating that a person has, through an
act of omission or commission caused, allowed to be caused, or allowed
to exist, a condition contrary to statute, law or rules and regulations,
or terms and conditions of a permit.
OPERATOR
A person that operates a municipal waste processing or disposal
facility, or recycling facility.
ORDER
A written document identifying violations of statute, law,
rule and regulation of Allegheny County, the commonwealth, or the
United States, or terms and conditions of a permit, and mandating
actions to be taken immediately upon receipt or by a specified time
to correct the violations.
OWNER
The person who is the owner of record of a facility.
PENN DER
Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Resources.
PERMIT
A permit, or any modification or amendment thereof, issued
by the Department and/or Penn DER to operate a municipal waste disposal
or processing facility, construction/demolition waste disposal facility,
a solid waste transfer facility, residual waste disposal facility,
or a recycling facility.
PERSON
A natural person, individual, corporation, municipality,
county, political subdivision, partnership, association, institution,
cooperative enterprise, municipal authority, federal government or
agency, state institution, authority, agency, or any other legal entity
whatsoever which is recognized by law as the subject of rights and
duties. In any provisions of this chapter pertaining to a fine 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.
PROCESSING
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 or all of such waste materials for
off-site reuse. Processing facilities include transfer facilities,
composting facilities, and resource recovery facilities.
PUMPINGS
The grit, sludges, and other residues manually or mechanically
removed from retaining or treatment tanks.
RECYCLING
The collection, separation, recovery, and sale or reuse of
source-separated recyclable materials, including metals, glass, paper,
plastics, and other materials which would otherwise be disposed or
processed as municipal waste.
RECYCLING FACILITY
Any facility employing any method or technology that separates
or classifies source-separated recyclable materials and creates or
recovers usable materials that can be sold to or reused by a manufacturer
as a substitute for or a supplement to virgin raw materials. The term
includes material recycling facilities (MRF). The term does not include
transfer facilities, municipal waste landfills, composting facilities,
construction/demolition waste landfills, resource recovery facilities,
or processing facilities nor does the term include point-of-origin
and on-site activities.
RECYCLING TRANSPORTATION VEHICLE
A vehicle or machine used for the transportation of source-separated
recyclable materials on a street or highway. The term includes a roll-off
container transporter. The term includes a trailer. The term does
not include a tractor used to haul a trailer.
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 water supply
treatment facility, wastewater treatment facility, or air pollution
control facility, provided that it is not hazardous waste. The term
"residual waste" shall not include coal refuse as defined in the Coal
Refuse Disposal Control Act. Residual waste 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 Clean Streams Law. The term does not include
lunchroom waste or office waste from industrial facilities.
RESOURCE RECOVERY FACILITY
Any municipal waste management facility using incineration
of municipal waste or its by-products to recover usable energy in
fuel-burning or combustion equipment, as defined in Article XX. This
term includes gas recovery systems.
RETAINING TANK
A watertight receptacle which receives and retains sewage
and is designed and constructed to facilitate ultimate disposal of
the sewage at another site. The term includes the following: (1) chemical
toilet, (2) holding tank, (3) privy, (4) incinerating toilet, (5)
composting toilet, and (6) recycling toilet, as those terms are defined
in 25 Pa. Code Chapter 73.
ROLL-OFF CONTAINER
A detachable vehicle container for the collection and transportation
of solid waste.
SALVAGING
The controlled removal or recycling of materials from a solid
waste processing or disposal facility.
SCAVENGING
The uncontrolled removal of usable materials.
SEWAGE SLUDGE
The coarse screenings, grit, and dewatered or air-dried sludges
and other residues from municipal sewage collection and treatment
systems.
SOLID WASTE
Waste, including municipal, residual, or hazardous wastes,
including solid, liquid, semisolid or contained gaseous materials.
SOLID WASTE STORAGE CONTAINER
Any receptacle used for the temporary storage of solid waste
while awaiting routine collection. The term does not include compactors,
trailers, or roll-off containers.
SOLID WASTE TRANSPORTATION VEHICLE
A vehicle or machine used for the transportation of solid
waste on a street or highway. The term includes a roll-off container
transporter. The term includes a trailer. The term does not include
a tractor used to haul a trailer.
SOURCE-SEPARATED RECYCLABLE MATERIALS
Materials that are separated from municipal waste at the
point of origin for reuse including metals, glass, paper, plastics
and other materials which would otherwise be disposed or processed
as municipal waste.
SPECIAL HANDLING WASTE
Solid waste that requires the application of special storage,
collection, transportation, processing or disposal techniques due
to the quantity of material generated or its unique physical, chemical
or biological characteristics. The term includes sewage sludge, blasting
residue, infectious waste, chemotherapeutic waste, ash residue from
a solid waste incineration facility, asbestos containing waste, PCB-containing
waste, waste oil that is not hazardous waste oil, fuel contaminated
soil, waste tires and water supply treatment plant sludge.
STORAGE
The containment of any waste on a temporary basis in such
a manner as not to constitute disposal of such waste. The containment
of any waste in excess of one year constitutes disposal, unless evidence
to the contrary has been submitted, in writing, and accepted as such
by either the Department or Penn DER.
TRANSFER FACILITY
A facility which receives and temporarily stores solid waste
at a location other than the generation site, and which facilitates
the bulk transfer of accumulated solid waste to a facility for further
processing or disposal. The facility includes land affected during
the lifetime of operations including areas where storage or transfer
actually occurs, support facilities, borrow areas, offices, equipment
sheds, air and water pollution control and treatment systems, access
roads, associated on-site or contiguous collection and transportation
facilities, closure and post-closure care and maintenance activities,
and other activities in which the natural land surface has been disturbed
as a result of or incidental to operation of a transfer facility.
A facility is a transfer facility regardless of whether it reduces
the bulk or volume of waste. The term does not include portable storage
containers used for the collection of municipal waste other than special
handling waste.
TRANSPORTATION
The off-site removal of any source-separated recyclable material,
leaf waste, yard waste, or any solid waste at any time after generation
whether or not a fee is charged.
TREATMENT
Any method, technique, or process, including neutralization,
designed to change the physical, chemical, or biological character
or composition of any waste so as to neutralize such waste or so as
to render such waste nonhazardous, safer for transport, suitable for
recovery, suitable for storage, or reduced in volume. Such term includes
any activity or process designed to change the physical form or chemical
composition of waste so as to render it neutral or nonhazardous.
TREATMENT TANK
A watertight tank designed to retain sewage long enough for
satisfactory bacterial decomposition of the solids to take place.
The term includes the following: (1) septic tank and (2) aerobic sewage
treatment tank, as those terms are defined in 25 Pa. Code Chapter
73.
WASTE
A material whose original purpose has been completed and which is directed to a disposal or processing facility or is otherwise disposed. The term does not include source-separated recyclable materials or material approved by the Department for beneficial use under 25 Pa. Code Chapter
271, § 271.232 (relating to beneficial use).
Any person aggrieved by any action of the Department
may request and shall be granted a hearing in accordance with Allegheny
County Health Department Rules and Regulations Article XI, Hearings
and Appeals.
Whenever the Director determines that an emergency
exists which necessitates immediate action to protect the public health,
safety, or welfare, he may without prior notice, issue an emergency
order citing the existence of the emergency and requiring corrective
action necessary to abate the emergency. Notwithstanding the provisions
of this chapter, this emergency order shall be effective upon service
and shall be complied with immediately.
The land disposal, land application, or incorporation
of treatment tank pumpings, retaining tank pumpings, or sewage sludge
commingled with treatment tank pumpings or retaining tank pumpings
is prohibited. This is not to be construed to prohibit land reclamation
with stabilized sewage sludge which has not been commingled with treatment
tank pumpings or retaining tank pumpings.
Upon the recommendation of the Director and
upon approval of the Board of Health a Solid Waste and Recycling Management
Fee Schedule shall be established. Those solid waste management facilities
possessing a valid operating permit from the Department and those
recycling and composting facilities in operation prior to May 1, 1994,
are not required to pay a permit application fee. The minimum fees
are on file in the County offices.