Solid and infectious facilities are regulated under Chapter 3734 of the Ohio Revised Code and Chapter 3745-27 of the Ohio Administrative Code.
“Solid waste” means such unwanted residual solid or semisolid material, including but not limited to, garbage, scrap tires, combustible and noncombustible material, street dirt and debris, as results from industrial, commercial, agricultural, and community operations, excluding earth or material from construction, mining, or demolition operations, or other waste materials of the type that normally would be included in demolition debris, nontoxic fly ash and bottom ash, including at least ash that results from combustion of coal, biomass fuels, and ash that results from the combustion of coal in combination with scrap tires where scrap tires comprise not more than fifty percent of heat input in any month, spent nontoxic foundry sand, and slag and other substances that are not harmful or inimical to public health, and includes, but is not limited to, garbage, scrap tires, combustible and noncombustible material, street dirt, and debris. Solid waste does not include any material that is an infectious waste or a hazardous waste.
The solid waste program involves licensing and inspecting solid waste disposal facilities, including the landfill and transfer stations. Inspections are performed on a quarterly basis at the landfill in order to verify compliance with the state law governing operation of such facilities. Basic inspections at the landfill involve checking for adequate daily cover, presence of maintenance problems such as erosion or ponding of water, proper handling of scattered litter, control of vectors such as rodents and nuisance animals, verifying waste receipts do not exceed daily allowance, and verifying that the types of wastes accepted for disposal are allowed under the permit.
Another solid waste program component includes inspections of infectious waste generators such as the hospital and some doctors offices. These facilities are inspected annually to ensure proper storage and handling of infectious wastes.
Also, registered composting facilities are inspected as required by Ohio EPA regulations.
To read more about Solid and Infectious Waste and associated regulations, please visit the Ohio EPA’s website at http://www.epa.state.oh.us/dsiwm/
Solid wastes are sometimes illegally disposed of by open burning. To report an incident of open burning, please contact the Ohio EPA, Northwest District Office at 1-800-686-6930