Solid Waste Disposal Facility Criteria; Re-Establishment of Ground-Water Monitoring Exemption for Small Municipal Solid Waste Landfills Located in Either Dry or Remote Areas

Today, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is revising the criteria for municipal solid waste landfills (MSWLFs)by re- establishing an exemption from ground-water monitoring for owners or operators of certain small landfills. In order to qualify for the exemption, the landfill must accept less than 20 tons of municipal solid waste per day (based on an annual average), have no evidence of ground-water contamination, and be located in either a dry or remote location. This action codifies Sec. 3 of the Land Disposal Program Flexibility Act of 1996 (LDPFA, P.L. 104-119, March 26, 1996), which provides explicit authority for this ground-water monitoring exemption. This action will ease burdens on certain small landfill owners and local governments, without compromising groundwater quality.