HB 351: Board of Natural Resources; modify powers and duties

Georgia's solid waste laws, found in Title 12, Chapter 8 of state code, set rules for how landfills and other waste facilities get permitted and how local governments plan for waste disposal. This bill updates those rules in several ways. It eliminates the old 'special solid waste' category and manifest requirements tied to it, since that term is no longer used elsewhere in the law. It changes how the state's Environmental Protection Division verifies that a proposed facility complies with local zoning and land use rules, requiring a written statement from the host local government's authorized official rather than just the applicant, and spelling out what that statement must cover. The bill also removes older restrictions on permits for landfills sited in significant groundwater recharge areas and drops outdated waste-reduction deadlines from the 1990s. It updates public notice timing for siting meetings from 'once a week for two weeks' to '14 days and again at least seven days' before a meeting, and shifts some reporting duties from the Department of Community Affairs to the Environmental Protection Division. The changes take effect January 1, 2026.

• Eliminates the legal category of 'special solid waste' and the manifest tracking requirement tied to it, replacing those code sections with 'Reserved.'
• Requires a written verification from an authorized official of the host local government, not just the applicant, confirming zoning compliance before a solid waste permit or major modification is issued.
• Removes decades-old restrictions on landfill permits near significant groundwater recharge areas and near military bombing ranges.
• Changes public notice timing for siting meetings from 'once a week for two weeks' to a two-notice schedule of at least 14 days and then 7 days before the meeting.
• Shifts annual solid waste reporting duties for cities, counties, and landfill operators from the Department of Community Affairs to the state's Environmental Protection Division.
• Removes outdated statewide waste-reduction deadlines from 1992 and 1996 that no longer apply.

Landfill and waste facility owners and operators, county and city governments that host or site waste facilities, regional solid waste management authorities, the Department of Natural Resources and its Environmental Protection Division, and residents near proposed waste facility sites who rely on public notice and hearing requirements.

The changes affect how quickly and under what conditions new landfills or waste facility expansions can be permitted, who signs off on local zoning compliance, and how much advance notice residents get before siting decisions are made, potentially speeding up or reshaping the local approval process for waste facilities across Georgia.

• Section 1 revises definitions in O.C.G.A. § 12-8-22, removing 'special solid waste' as a defined term.
• Section 2 rewrites the Board of Natural Resources' rulemaking powers in O.C.G.A. § 12-8-23, dropping special solid waste manifest rules.
• Section 3 changes permit requirements in O.C.G.A. § 12-8-24, requiring written zoning and land use verification directly from the host local government's authorized official, valid for no more than 36 months.
• Section 4 removes restrictions in O.C.G.A. § 12-8-25.3 on landfill permits near groundwater recharge areas and military bombing ranges.
• Section 5 rewrites public meeting and notice rules in O.C.G.A. § 12-8-26, changing notice timing to 14 days and then 7 days before a meeting and adding new disclosure requirements for siting meetings.
• Section 7 revises solid waste planning and reporting rules in O.C.G.A. § 12-8-31.1, shifting reporting from the Department of Community Affairs to the Environmental Protection Division and removing outdated 1990s waste-reduction goals.
• 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 (Cámara de Representantes)
4. 2025-04-10House Sent to Governor (Cámara de Representantes)
5. 2025-03-31House Agreed Senate Amend or Sub (Cámara de Representantes)
6. 2025-03-28Senate Passed/Adopted As Amended (Senado)
7. 2025-03-28Senate Third Read (Senado)
8. 2025-03-21Senate Read Second Time (Senado)

• John Corbett (R, HD-174)Patrocinador principal
• 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. AprobadaVotación: Cámara de Representantes6 de marzo de 2025

   175 a favor, 0 en contra (2 sin votar, 3 ausentes)

   Passage: House Vote #249

2. AprobadaVotación: Senado28 de marzo de 2025

   46 a favor, 3 en contra (2 sin votar, 5 ausentes)

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

3. AprobadaVotación: Senado28 de marzo de 2025

   47 a favor, 0 en contra (3 sin votar, 6 ausentes)

   Passage As Amended: Senate Vote #328

4. AprobadaVotación: Cámara de Representantes31 de marzo de 2025

   163 a favor, 0 en contra (8 sin votar, 9 ausentes)

   Agree To Senate Amendment: House Vote #356

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