HB351: HB351 Board of Natural Resources; modify powers and duties

Georgia's solid waste law (O.C.G.A. Title 12, Chapter 8) gives the Board of Natural Resources power to regulate landfills and other waste facilities and sets rules for permits and public notice. House Bill 351 updates several parts of that law. It revises the definitions of 'manifest' and 'special solid waste,' removes the board's authority to require a manifest tracking form for special solid waste, and eliminates several older restrictions tied to now-outdated statewide waste reduction deadlines from the 1990s. The bill also removes certain siting restrictions near groundwater recharge areas and military bombing ranges, and it changes the public notice period for meetings on new landfill siting decisions from a 'two weeks' newspaper notice to a flat 14-day requirement plus a seven-day reminder notice. It adds a requirement that permit applicants get written verification from the host local government confirming compliance with local zoning and land use rules. The changes take effect January 1, 2026.

• Removes the Board of Natural Resources' rule-making power to require a manifest (tracking document) for special solid waste handling.
• Eliminates outdated permit conditions tied to a 1990s statewide waste reduction goal that no longer applies.
• Requires permit applicants for solid waste facilities to submit written verification from the host local government confirming compliance with local zoning and land use rules.
• Removes restrictions that limited landfill permits near significant groundwater recharge areas or near military air space used as a bombing range.
• Changes the public notice period for landfill siting meetings from 'two weeks' of newspaper notice to a specific 14-day notice plus a seven-day reminder notice.
• Replaces outdated recycling/composting reporting language with a requirement to report actual quantities of material recycled and composted at each landfill.

The bill affects the Board of Natural Resources and the Environmental Protection Division, which regulate solid waste facilities; local governments and regional authorities that issue zoning verifications and hold public meetings on landfill siting; landfill owners and operators who must report waste and recycling data; and communities near proposed solid waste facilities.

Removing older permitting restrictions and waste-reduction conditions could make it easier for some solid waste facilities to get permits, while the new written zoning verification requirement adds a documented check on local land use compliance. Changed notice timelines affect how much advance warning residents get before landfill siting decisions.

• Section 1 revises definitions of 'manifest' and 'special solid waste' in O.C.G.A. § 12-8-22.
• Section 2 amends the Board of Natural Resources' powers under O.C.G.A. § 12-8-23, removing the rule-making authority for a special solid waste manifest system.
• Section 3 amends permit rules in O.C.G.A. § 12-8-24, removing the outdated 1996 waste-reduction condition on cross-county waste transport permits and adding a requirement for written host-government zoning verification.
• Section 4 removes restrictions on landfill siting near groundwater recharge areas and military bombing ranges under O.C.G.A. § 12-8-25.3.
• Section 5 revises public meeting and notice requirements for landfill siting decisions under O.C.G.A. § 12-8-26, changing the notice period to 14 days plus a seven-day reminder.
• Section 7 updates local and regional solid waste planning and reporting requirements under O.C.G.A. § 12-8-31.1, including replacing general recycling activity reports with reporting of actual recycled and composted quantities.
• Section 9 sets the effective date of the Act as January 1, 2026.

1. 2025-05-14Effective Date 2026-01-01
2. 2025-05-14Act 259
3. 2025-05-14House Date Signed by Governor (House)
4. 2025-04-10House Sent to Governor (House)
5. 2025-03-31House Agreed Senate Amend or Sub (House)
6. 2025-03-28Senate Passed/Adopted As Amended (Senate)
7. 2025-03-28Senate Third Read (Senate)
8. 2025-03-21Senate Read Second Time (Senate)

• John Corbett (R, HD-174)Primary sponsor
• Charles Cannon (R, HD-172)
• Lynn Smith (R, HD-070)
• Vance Smith (R, HD-138)
• Robert Dickey (R, HD-134)
• Russ Goodman (R, SD-008)

1. PassedHouse voteMarch 6, 2025

   175 yea, 0 nay (2 not voting, 3 absent)

   Passage: House Vote #249

2. PassedSenate voteMarch 28, 2025

   46 yea, 3 nay (2 not voting, 5 absent)

   Adoption Of Amendment #1 By The Senator From The 6th: Senate Vote #327

3. PassedSenate voteMarch 28, 2025

   47 yea, 0 nay (3 not voting, 6 absent)

   Passage As Amended: Senate Vote #328

4. PassedHouse voteMarch 31, 2025

   163 yea, 0 nay (8 not voting, 9 absent)

   Agree To Senate Amendment: House Vote #356

• solid waste management
• landfill permits
• environmental regulation
• local zoning
• public notice requirements