North Carolina Legislature Passes Tough New Landfill Laws

Date: August 2, 2007

Source: News Room

The North Carolina state Senate and House have tentatively approved more stringent regulation of landfills. The bill includes a proposed $2-per-ton surcharge, increases setback requirements to protect waterways, requires increased financial assurances by companies wanting to build facilities, and requires computer manufacturers to recycle computers sold in the state. The overhaul of current laws stems from concerns that private regional landfills proposed in the rural eastern and Piedmont counties would turn the state into one of the nation's top five importers of waste. But, as Waste Industries vice president-Ven Poole points out, the legislation would not stop the importation of waste, rather it would make the six existing privately owned landfills grow larger since new landfills would be more difficult to develop.

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