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29 <br /> ENV-2:Eliminate requirement for a 10 year solid waste management plan and add a <br /> requirement in the Solid Waste Management and Facilities annual report for long-term <br /> planning. <br /> Support legislation to eliminate the statutory provisions requiring units of local government to <br /> prepare 10-year solid waste management plans in order to simplify the process,reduce costs and <br /> produce results more relevant for local governments. Currently, a 10-year plan and any changes <br /> to it, including mandatory three-year updates, must often be approved by multiple units of <br /> government, even those that may not utilize local waste disposal facilities. The original and <br /> primary reason for requiring 10-year plans was to measure remaining landfill space to ensure <br /> future space availability. Other state rules require an annual survey of all landfill facilities to <br /> calculate remaining space and,with modern Geographical Information Systems,there is no need <br /> for the 10-year plan to duplicate this effort. <br /> ENV-3:Authorize some county oversight of bio-solids application. <br /> Support legislation that provides county governments some opportunity to regulate and/or have <br /> input into,but not prohibit,bio-solids application activities, including the acceptable "classes"of <br /> bio-solids for application and the prohibition of bio-solids application in certain environmentally <br /> sensitive areas such as critical watersheds. The appropriate application of bio-solids for <br /> agricultural use should be allowed with counties playing a role in the process. <br /> ENV-4:Modify spray irrigation systems classification for volunteer fire departments. <br /> Support legislation to change North Carolina Division of Water Quality (DWQ)wastewater <br /> . system classification rules that currently classify a spray irrigation system such as one utilized by <br /> volunteer fire departments as "commercial."When the flow generated by the system is domestic <br /> quality/non-industrial process wastewater,the system should be held to the same monitoring and <br /> testing standards as a residential wastewater system under DWQ jurisdiction. In the alternative, <br /> volunteer fire departments should also be excluded entirely from the "commercial"classification. <br /> The annual inspections and testing costs associated with a"commercial" designation for a spray <br /> irrigation system serving a volunteer fire department can be several thousands of dollars. <br /> Accounting for the type of flow actually treated by a system rather than assigning a blanket <br /> "commercial"designation to the system would significantly reduce volunteer the annual costs for <br /> fire departments across the state, saving taxpayer dollars supporting these services. <br /> ENV-S:Monitor and protect counties from negative fiscal and environmental impacts caused by <br /> natural resource extraction and oppose removal of Virginia's ban on uranium mining. <br /> Support state legislative and regulatory actions to protect county budgets and services from any <br /> negative impacts resulting from natural resource extraction. The state is moving forward in <br /> exploring new means of, and additional locations for, natural gas extraction. Such activities have <br /> the potential to affect county government operations and quality of life in impacted areas, and <br /> therefore could increase county service costs. <br /> • <br />