(a) Except as provided in subdivision (b), within 120 days from the date of receipt of a countywide or regional integrated waste management plan that the department has determined to be complete, or any element of the plan that the department has determined to be complete, the department shall determine whether the plan or element is in compliance with Article 2 (commencing with Section 40050) of Chapter 1 of Part 1, Chapter 2 (commencing with Section 41000), and Chapter 5 (commencing with Section 41750), and, based upon that determination, the department shall approve, conditionally approve, or disapprove the plan or element.
(b) (1) Within 120 days from the date of receipt of a city, county, or regional agency nondisposal facility element that the department has determined to be complete, the department shall determine whether the element that the department has determined to be complete is in compliance with Chapter 4.5 (commencing with Section 41730) and Article 1 (commencing with Section 41780) of Chapter 6, and, based upon that determination, the department shall approve, conditionally approve, or disapprove the element within that time period.
(2) In reviewing the element, the department shall:
(A) Not consider the estimated capacity of the facility or facilities in the element unless the department determines that this information is needed to determine whether the element meets the requirements of Article 1 (commencing with Section 41780) of Chapter 6.
(B) Recognize that individual facilities represent portions of local plans or programs that are designed to achieve the diversion requirements of Section 41780 and therefore may not arbitrarily require new or expanded diversion at proposed facilities.
(C) Not disapprove an element that includes a transfer station or other facility solely because the facility does not contribute toward the jurisdiction’s efforts to comply with Section 41780.
(c) If the department does not act to approve, conditionally approve, or disapprove an element that the department has determined to be complete within 120 days, the department shall be deemed to have approved the element.
(Amended by Stats. 2011, Ch. 476, Sec. 11. (AB 341) Effective January 1, 2012.)