Solid Waste Program

The Solid Waste Program is responsible for ensuring that all appropriate solid waste facilities hold a valid permit from the department to install, establish, construct, modify, operate or close said facilities within the State of West Virginia.

The Solid Waste Program conducts the following activities:

• Reviews permit applications, prepares drafts and issues permits for different types of solid waste management facilities including landfills, transfer stations, waste tire monofills, construction/demolition landfills, yard waste or sewage sludge composting facilities, solid waste storage and support facilities for incinerators and recycling facilities.
• Issue, as necessary, Notices of Deficiency (NODs) that inform permit applicants of administrative or technical deficiencies in the application.
• Conduct a Comprehensive Background Investigation of the applicant. This investigation, required by West Virginia State Code, is to enable the Director to determine if an applicant has demonstrated, by police record or by record as a permittee, a lack of respect for law and order, generally, or for the laws and rules governing the disposal of solid waste; has misrepresented a material fact in applying to the Director for a permit; has been convicted of a felony; has exhibited a pattern of violating environmental laws in any state; or has had any permit revoked under the environmental laws in any state of the United States.
• Review and approve the amount and method of performance bonds and financial assurance for conformance with statutory and regulatory requirements.
• Conduct Quality Assurance/Quality Control inspections to ensure that solid waste facilities are constructed and closed in accordance with WV laws and regulations.

• Review analyticals to approve or deny special waste requests for minor permit modifications for wastes such as discarded chemicals and pesticides, foundry sand, oil spill cleanups, petroleum contaminated soils, contaminated foods, and other wastes not regulated as hazardous.
• Review monthly tonnage reports and groundwater monitoring reports submitted by permittees for compliance with the governing solid waste management rules.
• Work in coordination with other governmental agencies in the permitting process including the WV Public Service Commission, Division of Natural Resources, Department of Tax & Revenue, Attorney General's Office, Bureau for Public Health, Solid Waste Management Board and county and regional solid waste authorities.
• Promulgate solid waste management rules as mandated by the legislature and interpret existing rules.
• Provide technical and educational assistance to all clients.
• Provide testimony in court cases involving lawsuits on solid waste issues, permit appeals and to legislative committees when required.

• Solid Waste Permit Applications and Documents

• Permitting Process for Solid Waste Facilities