81-1528. Act; political subdivision exempt; when; council; rules and regulations.

(1) The Environmental Protection Act shall not apply in any political subdivision which provides for the control of air, water, or land pollution by resolution, ordinance, or regulation not inconsistent with the substantive provisions of the Environmental Protection Act or any rule or regulation adopted pursuant to such act, except that no such resolution, ordinance, or regulation shall become effective until a certificate of exemption has been issued by the director. Such certificate of exemption shall be available for inspection in the office of the county, city, or village clerk as the case may be.

(2) If the director determines at any time after the issuance of such a certificate that a resolution, ordinance, or regulation is being enforced in a manner inconsistent with the Environmental Protection Act or any rule or regulation adopted pursuant to such act in any political subdivision holding a certificate of exemption, the director may suspend the certificate of exemption and the Environmental Protection Act shall apply in such political subdivision until such standards are met and a new certificate is issued.

(3) Any political subdivision desiring a certificate of exemption shall make application for such certificate by filing a petition for certificate of exemption with the director. The director or his or her designated representative shall promptly investigate such petition. If the recommendation of the director or his or her designated representative is against the granting of a certificate of exemption and he or she, in his or her discretion, concludes that a hearing would be advisable, a hearing shall be held as provided in section 81-1507 on the questions of whether the resolution, ordinance, or regulation is consistent with the substantive provisions of the Environmental Protection Act or any rule or regulation adopted pursuant to such act and whether adequate provisions have been made for enforcement. The burden of proof shall be upon the political subdivision. A like hearing shall be held upon any proposed suspension of a certificate of exemption.

(4) If the director finds that the location, character, or extent of particular concentrations of population, air, water, or land contaminant sources, the geographic, topographic, or meteorological considerations, or any combination thereof are such as to make impracticable the maintenance of appropriate levels of air, water, or land quality without an areawide air, water, or land pollution control program, the director may determine the boundaries within which such program is necessary and require it as the only acceptable alternative to direct state administration.

(5) Nothing in the Environmental Protection Act shall be construed to supersede or oust the jurisdiction of any local air, water, or land pollution control program in operation on May 26, 1971. Such program shall meet all requirements of the Environmental Protection Act for a local air, water, or land pollution control program. Any approval required from the department shall be deemed granted unless the department takes specific action to the contrary.

(6) Until October 1, 1993, cities of the second class and villages shall be exempt from the provisions of the Environmental Protection Act and the Integrated Solid Waste Management Act pertaining to permits for and control of nonhazardous solid waste disposal systems if such cities and villages provide solid waste disposal systems which do not result in the pollution of waters of the state. The department shall act in an advisory capacity to such cities and villages and shall have the right to inspect solid waste disposal sites and evaluate them according to the site evaluation criteria promulgated pursuant to the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act, as amended, 42 U.S.C. 6901 et seq. The department shall notify the community of the results of its evaluation.

(7) The council shall, by July 1, 1992, adopt and promulgate rules and regulations which provide standards for the closure and postclosure care of all landfills, including landfills previously exempted under this section.

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