Revisions to Criteria for Municipal Solid Waste Landfills

On July 29, 1997, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) published a direct final rule (62 FR 40708) which established regulations to implement the Land Disposal Program Flexibility Act of 1996 (LDPFA). These regulations provide additional flexibility to Approved States for any municipal solid waste landfill (MSWLF) that receives 20 tons or less of municipal solid waste per day. The additional flexibility applies to alternative frequencies of daily cover, frequencies of methane monitoring, and infiltration layers for final cover. As stated in the preamble to the direct final rule, provisions contained in the Revised Criteria for Municipal Solid Waste Landfills (56 FR 51104; October 9, 1991 and 61 FR 60327; November 27, 1996) provide the additional flexibility for demonstrating financial assurance contemplated by Congress in the LDPFA. The additional flexibility will allow the owners and operators of small MSWLFs the opportunity to reduce their costs of MSWLF operation while still protecting human health and the environment. The EPA has not received an adverse comment objecting to this rule as written. Therefore, this rule will go into effect as scheduled.