Local Enforcement Agency Permit Toolbox: Permit Types/Tiers

Full Solid Waste Facility Permits

This page provides information and resources for "full" solid waste facility permits.

• What is a full permit?
• Who needs a full permit?
• Processing requirements.
• Standards unique to the full permit tier.
• Resources (regulations, advisories, tools, forms, and links).

Please note that other local, state, or federal agencies may also have regulatory authority over solid waste facilities. Also, all statutory citations refer to the California Code of Regulations (CCR) unless otherwise indicated.

Note: This page has been updated to reflect the Permit Implementation Regulations effective April 13, 2007.  Newly inserted text is shown with a shaded background.

What is a full permit?

Public Resources Code (PRC), Sections 44001 and 44002, state that 

• "...no person shall operate a solid waste facility without a solid waste facilities permit..."
• "...any person who proposes to become an operator of a solid waste facility shall file with the enforcement agency having jurisdiction over the facility, or the board if there is no designated and certified enforcement agency, an application for a solid waste facilities permit..."

"Solid Waste Facility" includes a solid waste transfer or processing station, a composting facility, a transformation facility, and a disposal facility. Section 40194 of the PRC (Definitions) 

Until the Board's tiered regulatory structure became effective in 1994, there was a "one-size-fits-all" permit applied to all facilities. There are now five tiers, including the original "full" tier which provides the greatest level of review and oversight. Permit tiers include:

• Full
• Standardized
• Registration
• Notification
• Excluded

Also see the fact sheet, Who Needs a Permit.

What types of facilities are required to obtain a full permit:

The following types of facilities are currently required to obtain a full solid waste facilities permit prior to commencing operations:

• Solid waste landfills
• All compost facilities with feedstock other than green material (Title 14, Section 17854)
• Green Material Composting Facilities with more than 12,500 cubic yards of  feedstock, compost, or chipped and ground material on-site at any one time (Title 14, Section Section 17857.1)
• Chipping and Grinding Operations handling more than 500 tons per day (Title 14, Section 17862.1)
• Large volume transfer/processing facilities (Title 14, Section 17403.7) receiving 100 tons or more of solid waste per operating day.
• Transformation (a.k.a. "waste to energy" or "co-generation") means incineration, pyrolysis, distillation, or biological conversion of mixed municipal waste (including biosolids). "Transformation" does not include composting, gasification, or biomass conversion (PRC Section 40201).
• Certain large volume construction and demolition/inert debris facilities.

See the Tiered Regulatory Placement Chart for a comprehensive list of facilities and operations that have been slotted into the permit tiers.

Top

Full permit application processing requirements

The process and timelines for processing a full solid waste facility permit (SWFP) are described in:

• Public Resources Code (PRC) Sections 44001 - 44018 and 
• California Code of Regulations (CCR), Title 27, Chapter 4, Subchapter 3.

Operator and Applicant Filing Requirements

Title 27, Section 21570 identifies the requirements for preparing and submitting a complete and correct application, which initiates the process of obtaining or revising a permit.

Also see the Full Permit Application and Permit Package Checklist ("The Laundry List").

Note: The application form needs to be updated to include "modified permit" as a type of application. Updating the application form, which is located in the Appendices of Title 27, will require the regulations to be amended in a separate new rulemaking that could take some time. In the meantime, to submit an application for a modified permit, applicants may change the CIWMB E-1-77 form before submitting it to the LEA by crossing out "revision" under "Part 1.C.2." of the form and writing in "Modification."

Title 27, Section 21650 identifies the responsibilities of the LEA for receipt and review of the complete and correct application, and for writing and issuing the permit. 

Also see the LEA Full Permit Tasks and Timelines Table and LEA Advisory 57, Guidance on Writing a Solid Waste Facility Permit.

A Solid Waste Facility Permit (MS Word, 90 KB) template/form is available for use by LEAs.

Note: Effective April 13, 2007, Title 27 Sections 21660.2 and 21660.3 require enforcement agencies to notice and conduct an informational meeting for all new and revised full solid waste facilities permit applications after accepting the application package as complete and correct and within 60 days of receipt of the application by the EA.  Section 21660.3 also requires enforcement agencies to notice all modified full solid waste facilities permit applications after finding the permit application complete and correct and within 60 days of receipt of the application by the EA.  [More...]

Public Participation Tools are now available on LEA Central to assist LEAs with the informational meeting component.

Title 27, Section 21685 identifies the roll of the Board for new and revised solid waste facilities permits and the roll of the Board's Executive Director for modified solid waste facilities permits for final review and concurrence in, or objection to, the issuance of the permit.

Top

Permit requirements unique to the full permit tier 

• The full permit application process is described in Title 27 of the California Code of Regulations (CCR) rather than Title 14 for other tiers.
• New and revised full permits require the LEA to notice and conduct an informational meeting.
• Modified permits require the LEA to notice the LEA's preliminary determination to modify the permit.
• Full permits contain site-specific LEA (or EA) terms and conditions (rather than standardized conditions for other tiers).
• The application submittal package ("laundry list") requires more information.
• The review/processing timelines are longer. 
• Certain insignificant changes can sometimes be approved through an RFI amendment or modification to the permit.

Top

Resources

• Full permit application and permit submittal checklist ("laundry list")
• Full permit LEA tasks and timelines
• Full permit process flowchart
• Application for New or Revised Full Permit, Permit Review, and RFI Amendment (Form E-177)
• Answers to questions about completing the full permit application form E-177 (Word, 88 KB or PDF, 122 KB)
• Solid Waste Facility Permit (MS Word, 90 KB) Template/Form
• Permit Application Review Chart (A tool that lets you compare site parameters in the various elements of the permit package)
• Examples of issued permits
• Who Needs a Permit (Fact Sheet)
• Permit Tier/Task Chart (Which types if permits require which types of documentation?)
• Permit Tier Placement Chart (Which types of facilities require which type of permit?)
• List of other local, state, or federal agencies which may regulate solid waste facilities.
• Complete and Correct
• LEA Advisory 57: Guidance on Writing a Solid Waste Facility Permit

Top

Last updated: November 25, 2008