(1) (a) The owner or operator of any hazardous waste incinerator or processor for which a certificate of designation has been issued pursuant to this article shall be required, contingent upon the issuance of federal or state permits, to pay the governing body having jurisdiction an annual fee for the purpose of offsetting the estimated direct costs necessitated by such hazardous waste incinerator or processor. The governing body having jurisdiction shall provide the owner or operator of such hazardous waste incinerator or processor with an accounting of the basis of such fees. Such costs may include but are not limited to the improvement and maintenance of roads and bridges; fire protection; law enforcement; monitoring by county or municipal health officials pursuant to the requirements of state law, rules, and the certificate of designation; and emergency preparation and response. The amount of such fee shall be no more than the greater of two percent of the annual estimated operating cost of or the annual estimated gross revenue received for the incineration or processing of hazardous wastes by the hazardous waste incinerator or processor. The governing body having jurisdiction may provide reimbursement out of such fee moneys to other governmental units for the reasonable direct costs to such governmental units of increased services necessitated by such hazardous waste incinerator or processor.
(b) In lieu of the annual fees imposed under paragraph (a) of this subsection (1), the governing body may request that the owner or operator of any hazardous waste incinerator or processor site make a lump-sum payment covering the total amount of fees imposed under this section. Such lump sum payment shall not be made unless the governing body having jurisdiction and the owner or operator of a hazardous waste incinerator or processor agree to such payment.
In the event that the owner or operator of a hazardous waste incinerator or processorsite fails to pay the annual fee imposed pursuant to the provisions of subsection (1) of this section, the governing body having jurisdiction may suspend the certificate of designation for such site until such annual fee has been paid.
Any governing body having jurisdiction is authorized to establish a hazardous wasteincinerator or processor fund. All fees collected pursuant to subsection (1) of this section shall be deposited to the credit of said fund and appropriated by the governing body for the purposes for which such fees are collected.
Source: L. 92: Entire part added, p. 1271, § 1, effective July 1. L. 2002: Entire section amended, p. 94, § 13, effective March 22. L. 2004: (1)(b) amended, p. 1202, § 67, effective August 4.