Solid Waste Management

(a) These regulations are promulgated by the County Executive with the approval of the Prince William Health District and the Department of Public Works, pursuant to Section 22-4 of the Prince William County Code to govern County solid waste disposal within the purposes of Chapter 22. These regulations shall have the force and effect of law, and may be amended, altered or repealed by the County Executive as is appropriate.

(b) These regulations became effective at 12:01 a.m. on January 1, 1999. All amendments shall become effective on that date on which they are promulgated.

(c) A copy of these regulations shall be posted in a conspicuous place at County designated solid waste disposal facilities and made available to interested individuals.

(d) The authority to enforce and administer these regulations is hereby delegated to the Director of Public Works

For the purpose of these regulations, the following terms shall have the meanings ascribed to them herein, except where the context clearly requires another meaning. Terms not defined herein shall have the meanings ascribed to them in Section 22-2 of the Prince William County Code.

Commercial User – Any person using a County designated solid waste disposal facility to dispose of refuse from a commercial establishment doing business in Prince William County, or the towns of Dumfries, Occoquan, Haymarket, or Quantico. Commercial Users shall include all governmental agencies and authorities.

Facility Manager – Director of Public Works or his designee, responsible for the management and daily operation of a County designated solid waste disposal facility.

Non-commercial User – Any person using a County designated solid waste disposal facility who is not a Refuse Remover, Commercial User or Residential User.

Recycling Remover – Any person engaged in the collection of recyclable material as a commercial enterprise. Recycling Remover also includes any refuse remover that collects recyclable materials.

Recycling System – A container or set of containers that are designed to receive and contain source separated recyclable materials and written instructions as to what may be placed in the container.

Refuse Remover – Any person engaged in removing or transporting refuse for compensation from two or more residential, commercial or industrial establishments either within or without the County.

Residential User – Any person using a County designated solid waste disposal facility who resides in Prince William County, or the towns of Dumfries, Occoquan, Haymarket or Quantico and who is not a Refuse Remover or Commercial User.

Solid Waste Disposal Facility – Any area designated by the Director of Public Works for the disposal of refuse, garbage, trash or other solid waste including yard waste generated within the confines of Prince William County, or the towns of Dumfries, Occoquan, Haymarket or Quantico.

Solid Waste Disposal Residential User Decal (SWD Residential User Decal) – Is a sticker used for efficient identification of County residents who utilize County solid waste facilities (County landfill, Balls Ford Road Compost Facility, and Rural Park-outs).

These regulations shall apply to any solid waste disposal facilities which Prince William County designates. Notwithstanding these regulations, the Department of Public Works shall comply with any applicable County, State or Federal law which may not be presently reflected in these regulations.

(a) The Director of Public Works is hereby authorized to delegate such duties set forth in these regulations, except those reserved specifically to him/her. However, the designation of these duties shall not be deemed to relieve the Director of Public Works of his/her responsibility for supervision and control of the County designated solid waste disposal facilities.

(b) The Solid Waste Division Chief shall perform such duties as may be assigned to him/her by the Director, consistent with these regulations, and shall have charge of the County designated solid waste disposal facilities.

(a) The Director of Public Works is hereby authorized to promulgate, after review and approval by the Prince William Health District and the County Executive, rules of operation for the internal administration of County designated solid waste disposal facilities and such other matters as may be provided herein. Such rules shall be consistent with these regulations, and with the laws of the United States, the Commonwealth of Virginia and Prince William County, and shall have the force and effect of law.

(b) Rules, which may be promulgated by the Director of Public Works in accordance with Subsection (a), above, shall be in effect from the date on which they are promulgated and may be amended, altered or repealed by the Director upon review and approval by the Prince William Health District and County Executive.

(a) The Facility Manager shall be responsible for the operation of County designated solid waste disposal facilities in accordance with these regulations and any rules of operation promulgated under these regulations or Section 22-4 of the Prince William County Code. A written copy of the rules shall be available to interested persons upon request and shall be posted in a conspicuous place at County designated solid waste disposal facilities.

(b) County designated solid waste disposal facilities shall be available to persons disposing refuse during such hours and upon such conditions as the Director of Public Works may direct.

(a) Use of County designated solid waste disposal facilities is limited to residents of, and commercial establishments doing business in, Prince William County, or the towns of Dumfries, Occoquan, Haymarket or Quantico, and refuse removers, having a valid permit issued by the Department of Public Works, who collect waste generated in Prince William County, or the towns of Dumfries, Occoquan, Haymarket and Quantico. Refuse haulers, residents and commercial establishments may deliver City of Manassas and Manassas Park refuse with the approval of the Director of Public Works.

(b) Proof of County residency is required upon entering County solid waste facilities. The SWD Residential User Decal serves as proof of residency in Prince William County. County staff reserves the right to ask for further identification when necessary. The SWD Residential User Decal is not required. Residents may continue showing ID each time they enter the facility. Acceptable forms of ID are described in the Rules of Operation for the Prince William County Sanitary Landfill.

(c) The decal does not relieve any fees that may be applicable. The decal is also issued only to residential users; not commercial users. This decal is issued by Taxpayer Services and there is no charge nor is there a time limit. No more than 2 (two) decals per address will be allowed. The decal is not transferable and may be revoked if the user shares it with persons not residing in Prince William County. Fees for that load may apply. The decal must be permanently affixed to the inside of the vehicle windshield on the driver’s side (bottom left). Loose or taped decals will not be accepted.

(d) The Director of Public Works or his designee shall determine the materials which may be dumped in County designated solid waste disposal facilities, provided that no caustic, hazardous or medical waste as defined by regulations of the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality shall be disposed of in the facilities, and the materials disposed are consistent with Federal and State regulations for such disposal.

(a) Subject to approval by the County Executive and the Board of County Supervisors, the Director of Public Works shall establish a fee schedule setting forth charges for use of County designated solid waste disposal facilities by refuse removers, commercial users, residential and non-commercial users, and other reasonable charges as are necessary for the efficient operation of County designated solid waste disposal facilities.

(b) It shall be unlawful for any refuse remover or commercial user to dispose of refuse in County designated solid waste disposal facilities before weighing the vehicle containing the refuse. In lieu of weighing a vehicle prior to and subsequent to disposing refuse, the Facility Manager may, with the consent of the vehicle driver, estimate the weight of the load based on the capacity of the vehicle.

(c) If a gate fee is charged, any refuse remover or commercial user disposing of refuse shall be liable for charges as set forth in the rules of County designated solid waste disposal facilities, payable at the time of weighing. The charge shall be computed based upon the weight or volume of the material disposed.

(d) The Director of Public Works may promulgate reasonable rules to permit certain materials (for example, soil and gravel), that the Director determines to be beneficial to proper maintenance and operation of County designated solid waste disposal facilities, to be disposed of without charge.

(e) The Director of Public Works may promulgate reasonable rules to permit the disposal of refuse from community clean-ups, approved by the Director of Public Works upon consultation with Keep Prince William Beautiful.

(f) If any fee is charged, in lieu of payment at the gate, the Director of Public Works may provide for billing on a monthly basis, or otherwise. Any refuse remover or commercial user desiring an account whereby the monthly charge may be billed, must provide a payment bond or irrevocable letter of credit before that account is established. The bond or letter of credit shall be equal to actual or estimated billing amounts for two (2) months. Bonds or a letter of credit will not be required if the actual or estimated billing amounts for two months is less than $500.00. The minimum bond or letter of credit amount shall be $500.00 and subject to review every six (6) months. Bills shall be paid within thirty (30) days of billing and are subject to a penalty of ten (10) percent of the unpaid balance or ten (10) dollars, whichever is higher, plus interest on the total amount due at the rate of ten (10) percent, and suspension of disposal privileges, if not paid within thirty (30) days.

(g) A returned check fee will be charged for all returned checks. The fee will be in accordance with County fiscal policy. Accounts and disposal privileges will be suspended for returned checks and will not be reinstated until the checks have cleared. Cash or a cashier’s check must be presented to clear accounts. Account holders with two or more returned checks within a 180 day period may be denied charging privileges.

(h) Charging to third party accounts will not be allowed unless written authorization for each load is received from the account holder at least 24 hours in advance.

(a) Vehicles used by a refuse remover for transporting or removing refuse shall provide against leaking, spilling or refuse being blown or hurled from or deposited upon any street or public way during loading or while in transit.

(b) The following type of vehicles shall be allowed for the transportation or removal of refuse-by-refuse removers:

1. A vehicle equipped for hydraulic compaction of refuse and constructed with a watertight body completely enclosed and covered.
2.  A vehicle used for transporting roll-off or other mechanically lifted stationary containers. Such containers shall be leak proof and equipped with built-in covers or with tarpaulin or equally effective covers, which shall be secured in place while in transit to prevent the escape of refuse.
3. A vehicle used only for the collection and transportation of discarded household furnishings, appliances, auto tires, construction debris and other non-putrescible wastes. Such vehicles shall be equipped with built-in covers or with tarpaulin or equally effective covers, which shall be secured in place while in transit to prevent the escape of refuse.

Each refuse remover shall permanently display, on each vehicle operated by him in the removal or transportation of refuse, the number assigned to the vehicle pursuant to Section 100.10.3. The Department of Public Works shall provide the number assigned to the truck. These permit numbers shall be not less than three (3) inches high. The number shall be displayed and shall be permanently affixed on both sides of the vehicle, on the door of the cab. If placement on the door of the cab is not possible, the decal will be placed by the staff of Department of Public Works at the location they deem to be most visible. Alternately, the refuse remover may have the number permanently painted onto his vehicle provided he obtains approval from the Department of Public Works. The refuse remover shall display on each vehicle, its company name and telephone number as it appears on the permit issued to the refuse remover by the Department of Public Works. It shall be displayed in letters and numbers not less than four (4) inches high. Such information shall be painted in a conspicuous color contrasting to the color of the vehicle.

All vehicles used by a refuse remover for the transportation or removal of refuse shall be provided with a fire extinguisher of not less than five (5) pound capacity. Such fire extinguisher shall be kept affixed to the vehicle and shall be fully charged

A vehicle used to transport solid waste shall use a cover to prevent the escape of materials from the vehicle, and shall be of such design, installation, and construction as to contain the vehicle’s cargo within the vehicle, regardless of the vehicle’s speed or weather conditions.

(a) Prior to the use of any vehicle in the collection or transportation of refuse, the applicant shall obtain a permit pursuant to Section 100.10 and shall have all vehicles to be operated pursuant thereto inspected and approved by the Department of Public Works. Thereafter, the permit holder shall have all such vehicles inspected annually by the Department of Public Works, at a reasonable time and place within the County. In the event of an emergency requiring the immediate replacement of such a vehicle, the refuse remover shall notify the Department of Public Works of such replacement. The replacement vehicle shall be inspected by the Department of Public Works, within thirty (30) days of its first use in the County. Use of the truck at that time may be allowed at the discretion of the Department of Public Works.

(b) Vehicles used for the removal or transportation of refuse by a refuse remover shall be made available for inspection, in addition to the inspections required in subsection (a) of this section, upon the request of the Department of Public Works. A reasonable time shall be provided for such inspections.

A fee shall be paid in the amount of fifty dollars ($50.00) for each inspection of a vehicle to be operated by the refuse remover in the removal or transportation of refuse. A ten dollar ($10.00) fee will be assessed if a new decal is placed on the truck. Such fees shall be paid at the time of the inspection or invoiced with the monthly statement.

Every person desiring a permit required by this section shall apply therefore to the Department of Public Works. Such application shall state the full name, address and telephone number of the applicant and the applicant shall therein state generally the areas within the County that he proposes to serve, the frequency of collections proposed and the number of vehicles to be used, and submit a recycling plan in accordance with the requirements of the Department of Public Works.

(a) A permit for which an application has been filed shall be issued or denied by the Department of Public Works within forty-five (45) days of the receipt of such application.

(b) The Department of Public Works shall issue a permit required by Section 100.10.1 upon receipt of a valid application and a satisfactory finding that the applicant has reasonably and substantially complied with all applicable sections of this section.

(c) The denial of a permit for which an application has been filed under Section 100.10.1 shall be accompanied by assigned reasons for the denial. Three (3) months from the date of such denial, the application in question shall expire. Within that period of time, the Department of Public Works may issue a permit, upon finding that the applicant has noted the reasons for denial and substantially complied with the provisions of this section.

(d) Violation of Sections 100.9 and 10 will subject permit holder to suspension or revocation of permit, in accordance with these regulations.

Upon the issuance of a permit under this section, and completion of a truck inspection, the Department of Public Works shall assign a number to each vehicle covered by such permit.

All permits issued under this section shall expire one year following the date of issue and shall be renewed annually or as determined by the Director of Public Works.

When a refuse remover terminates and discontinues his business, he shall surrender the permit issued under this section to the Department of Public Works, as of the date of such termination and discontinuance

Any permitted refuse remover shall be required to have a representative attend four (4) quarterly refuse remover meetings scheduled by the Department of Public Works, Solid Waste Division. Failure to attend at least three (3) regularly scheduled quarterly meetings per year may result in fines in accordance with Section 100.13 (c).