A. The Department of Environmental Quality shall have the power and duty to:

1. Advise, consult and cooperate with other agencies and instrumentalities of the state, other states and the federal government and with affected groups and industries in the formulation of plans and the implementation of the solid waste disposal program;

2. Administer and make available such loans and grants from the federal government and from other sources as may be available to the Department for the planning, construction, and operation of solid waste disposal sites;

3. Develop a statewide integrated solid waste management plan with input from the public, municipal and county governments and regional solid waste planning and management entities;

4. Review and act upon applications for solid waste disposal site permits, inspect construction, operation, closure and maintenance of solid waste disposal sites and establish standards for and oversee the remediation of contaminated soils resulting from releases or spills associated with transit or other activities not subject to permitting requirements and not subject to the jurisdiction of another state environmental agency;

5. Perform investigations and inspections which it deems necessary to ensure compliance with the Oklahoma Environmental Quality Code, the Oklahoma Solid Waste Management Act and rules promulgated thereunder and orders, permits and licenses issued pursuant thereto;

6. Provide technical assistance to solid waste planning units, public solid waste management service entities, political subdivisions, business and industry, and the general public to promote development and implementation of recycling activities to meet the goals of the Oklahoma Solid Waste Management Act;

7. Establish and maintain, or cause to be established and maintained, in cooperation with the Department of Commerce, a database for tracking markets for materials which are being or could be recovered from the municipal solid waste stream in Oklahoma. The database shall contain information including but not limited to the names and addresses of buyers and sellers of secondary materials relevant to Oklahoma, market prices, and specifications required by buyers;

8. Establish an office for local solid waste systems development and coordination; and

9. Establish a certification program for control officers employed by regional solid waste management districts within this state or governments or county government instrumentalities within this state who are responsible for the investigation and enforcement of the laws of this state relating to illegal dumps. Such certified control officers shall have the authority to investigate and report violations to the proper authority pursuant to the provisions of Section 1761.1 of Title 21 of the Oklahoma Statutes.

B. Any local governing body may by ordinance or resolution adopt standards for the location, design, construction, and maintenance of solid waste disposal sites and facilities more restrictive than those promulgated by the Board under the provisions of the Oklahoma Solid Waste Management Act.

Added by Laws 1970, c. 69, § 10, emerg. eff. March 17, 1970. Amended by Laws 1990, c. 217, § 2, eff. Sept. 1, 1990. Renumbered from § 2260 of Title 63 by Laws 1990, c. 217, § 10, eff. Sept. 1, 1990. Amended by Laws 1990, c. 337, § 16; Laws 1993, c. 145, § 143, eff. July 1, 1993. Renumbered from § 1-2418 of Title 63 by Laws 1993, c. 145, § 359, eff. July 1, 1993. Amended by Laws 1994, c. 242, § 41; Laws 2001, c. 392, § 2, emerg. eff. June 4, 2001; Laws 2002, c. 328, § 1, eff. Nov. 1, 2002.

NOTE: Renumbering by Laws 1990, c. 217, § 10 was editorially modified to conform to renumbering by Laws 1990, c. 225, § 11, eff. Sept. 1, 1990.

NOTE: Laws 1990, c. 225, § 9 repealed by Laws 1990, c. 337, § 26.