(a) As provided for in Code Section 12-8-21, it is the policy of the State of Georgia to assure that solid waste facilities do not adversely affect the health, safety, and well-being of the public and do not degrade the quality of the environment. The General Assembly finds that an excessive concentration of solid waste facilities in any one community can adversely affect the health, safety, well-being, and environment of that community and impose an onus on the community without any reciprocal benefits to the community. The purpose of this Code section is to provide a limited degree of protection against any given community becoming an involuntary host to an excessive concentration of solid waste facilities.

(b) No permit shall be issued under Code Section 12-8-24 for any solid waste handling facility other than a material recovery facility or compost facility or for any solid waste disposal facility other than a private industry solid waste disposal facility if any part of the premises proposed for permitting would lie within any geographic area which can be shown to meet the following criteria:

(1) The geographic area is in the shape of a circle with a two-mile radius, the centerpoint of which circle may be any point within the premises proposed for permitting; and

(2) The circular geographic area already includes all or a portion of three or more landfills within that portion of its territory which is within this state (including the landfill proposed for permitting in the case of a proposed expansion).

(c) For the purposes of the criteria specified in subsection (b) of this Code section, the term "landfill" shall include:

(1) Any active landfill permitted under authority of the state under this part or any prior general law of the state; and

(2) Any inactive landfill so permitted under this part or any prior general law, which landfill ceased receiving waste on or after June 29, 1989, and is either in closure or postclosure status, provided that such a landfill which has completed postclosure care status shall no longer be included

but for purposes of subsection (b) of this Code section the count of landfills shall not include any permit by rule inert waste landfill or any private industry solid waste disposal facility; and in counting landfills each existing landfill site shall be counted only once even if such landfill site has previously been expanded under a new or existing permit, provided the facilities under each new or existing permit are the same type landfill, are owned by the same person, and are contiguous or if not contiguous are separated only by the width of a public road.

(d) Subsection (b) of this Code section shall apply with respect to: (1) the permitting of a proposed horizontal expansion requiring a permit or a major modification of an existing permit; and (2) the permitting of a new site requiring a new permit; provided, however, that a permit for a vertical expansion not to exceed 5 million tons capacity may be granted if all permitted landfills wholly or partially in the two-mile radius circular geographic area are in compliance with state and federal laws and regulations and any applicable remedial plans have been implemented.

(e) The board may by rule authorize an exemption from this Code section for one or more areas in the state if the board determines that compliance with this Code section is not reasonably practicable in such area or areas because of a high water table in such area or areas which limits the land area suitable for facility siting.