(1) Any person desiring to own or operate a solid wastes disposal site and facility shall make application to the governing body having jurisdiction over the area in which such site and facility is or is proposed to be located for a certificate of designation. Such application shall be accompanied by a fee to be established by the governing body having jurisdiction, which fee shall be based on the anticipated costs that may be incurred by such governing board in the application review and approval process and shall not be refundable. The application shall set forth the location of the site and facility; the type of site and facility; the type of processing to be used, such as sanitary landfill, composting, or incineration; the hours of operation; the method of supervision; the rates to be charged, if any; and such other information as may be required by the governing body having jurisdiction over the area. The application shall also contain such engineering, geological, hydrological, and operational data as may be required by the department by rule. All such applications shall be referred to the department for review and for recommendation as to approval or disapproval, which shall be based upon criteria established by the solid and hazardous waste commission, the water quality control commission, and the air quality control commission. Such review and recommendation of an application by the department shall include a technical review of the environmental and public health issues provided in section 30-20-110 that are raised by the proposed site and facility. As a part of the department's review of an application for a solid wastes site and facility, the department shall provide a period of not less than thirty days during which members of the public may review and make comments concerning such application.

(2) Upon receiving an application for a solid wastes disposal site and facility, the department shall perform an initial examination to establish the completeness of the information submitted. Such initial examination shall be completed within thirty days after the department receives such application. The department shall mail written notification to the applicant within such time period of the department's decision either to begin its review of such application or to reject such application because of incompleteness.

(3) After the initial approval of an application pursuant to the provisions of subsection (2) of this section, the department shall determine whether it shall complete the review of the application or whether it shall offer the applicant the option of having such application reviewed by a private contractor. Such determination shall be made pursuant to the provisions of section 30-20-103.7 (1). If the department reviews such application, the department shall complete such review within one hundred fifty days after the date of issuance of its initial approval of such application.