relative to the solid waste facility site evaluation committee.

SB 536 creates a new seven-member Solid Waste Facility Site Evaluation Committee to assess proposed major waste facilities beyond standard regulatory reviews. The committee, appointed by the governor with specific expertise requirements (including local conservation and waste industry knowledge), must evaluate non-regulatory impacts like noise, odor, property values, tourism effects, and economic impacts on affected communities. This applies to facilities accepting over 100,000 tons of waste annually (excluding certain food waste facilities or municipal projects), prioritizing expansions of existing landfills over new greenfield sites. The committee will issue a certificate authorizing construction after its review, replacing the current process for evaluating broader community impacts.