Solid Waste in Idaho
Solid waste is defined in Idaho's Solid Waste Management Rules (IDAPA 58.01.06) as any garbage or refuse, sludge from a wastewater treatment plant, water supply treatment plant, or air pollution control facility and other discarded material including solid, liquid, semisolid, or contained gaseous material resulting from industrial, commercial, mining, and agricultural operations and from community activities. It does not include solid or dissolved materials in domestic sewage, or solid or dissolved material in irrigation return flows or industrial discharges that are point sources subject to certain permits, or source, special nuclear, or by-product material.
Under the Idaho Solid Waste Facilities Act (Idaho Code §39-74) and IDAPA 58.01.06, DEQ is designated as the state agency responsible for regulating most solid waste management facilities in Idaho, including landfills, incinerators, transfer stations, processing facilities, and wood or mill yard debris facilities. Excluded from DEQ's regulation under IDAPA 58.01.06 are recycling centers and backyard composting sites. Other rules regulate disposal of hazardous and radioactive waste, petroleum-contaminated soils, agricultural, and certain other wastes.
Landfills in Idaho
Landfills are areas of land or excavations in which wastes are placed for permanent disposal. Certain regulations apply to all municipal solid waste landfills in the state, while others such as ground water monitoring requirements are based on volume of waste managed. All nonmunicipal solid waste landfills are regulated on the basis of volume and characteristics of waste managed and classified as Tier I, II, or III facilities. Responsibility for regulating municipal and nonmunicipal solid waste landfills in the state is shared between DEQ and the seven public health districts in Idaho. Learn more.
Incinerators
Incineration is one alternative to landfilling solid waste. Incinerators burn solid waste in a furnace and are regulated according to the volume and type of waste managed. Learn more.
Transfer Stations in Idaho
Transfer stations are facilities where solid wastes are transferred from a vehicle or container and then transported off site to another facility. Similar to nonmunicipal solid waste landfills, transfer stations are regulated as Tier II solid waste facilities in Idaho. Learn more.
Processing Facilities in Idaho
Processing facilities use biological or chemical decomposition to prepare solid waste for reuse. Regulations vary based on whether the facilities are classified as Tier I, II, or III. Learn more.
CESQG Management Facilities
In conditionally exempt small quantity generator (CESQG) management facilities, household hazardous wastes or wastes from CESQG are transferred from a vehicle or container and transported to another facility. CESQG facilities are regulated as either Tier II or Tier II, depending on potential risk to human health or the environment. Learn more.
Wood or Mill Yard Debris Facilities in Idaho
Wood or mill yard debris facilities exclusively manage solid wood, bark, or wood fiber generated from wood products manufacturing. DEQ has developed a technical guidance manual to assist owners and operators in managing these facilities. Wood or mill yard debris facilities that operate under the provisions of the manual are exempt from state waste management rules; otherwise, they are regulated as Tier I facilities. Learn more.
Waste Tires
Idaho's Waste Tire Disposal Act (Idaho Code §39-65) ensures waste tires are properly stored, disposed of, and transported in Idaho. Learn what is required and how to prolong the life of your tires here.