Solid Waste
Solid Waste Program
The primary responsibility of the solid waste program is to protect the health and safety of the residents of Nevada County and the environment. Environmental Health evaluates the amount and types of waste received, design and operation of the facilities, and the control measures in place for dust, litter, vector, drainage, erosion, incidental hazardous waste, landfill gas, leachate, fire hazard, odor impact, cleaning and maintenance of the site and equipment, and user/customer safety.
All waste must be reduced, reused, recycled, and/or disposed of properly. Solid waste facilities and operations that do not follow proper protocols can contaminate the land, air, and water, which can cause harm to public health, safety, and the environment.
Solid Waste Facilities
Solid waste facilities and operations are permitted sites where non-hazardous waste generated in households, commercial establishments, institutions, and light industrial wastes are collected, processed, stored, or transferred. These facilities include:
- Active and closed landfills
- Composting facilities
- Construction, demolition, and inert debris processing facilities
- Transfer and processing facilities
- "Wood and green waste" chip and grinding operations
- Transformation facilities
Disposal Facilities
Nevada County currently has three operating Transfer Stations in Western Nevada County. Eastern Nevada County utilizes Tahoe Truckee Sierra Disposal in Placer County.
Recology Ostrom Road, located in Yuba County, currently provides solid waste disposal services to both municipal and commercial customers in the northern Sacramento Valley, including Yuba, Sutter, Butte, Colusa, and Nevada Counties.
The Solid Waste Information System (SWIS) Facility/Site Search is a searchable database that contains solid waste facilities, operations, and disposal sites through the state of California.
Solid Waste Facility Permits
Solid waste activities may require solid waste facility oversite by Environmental Health, which may fall under one of five regulatory tiers. Each tier level is based on the type of activity and the type and amount of solid waste handled. The five regulatory tiers are:
CalRecycle's Basic Permit Process Flowchart provides details on the steps for each type of tier.
To see what tier your facility may fall under, please visit CalRecycle's Tiered Regulatory Placement webpage.
Regulations
Title 27, Environmental Protection - Division 2, Solid Waste