(a)The authority shall have the power to purchase, in accordance with the requirements of the state-wide solid waste management plan, at such costs or prices as are mutually deemed agreeable by the authority and the seller, any solid waste disposal facility, volume reduction plant or solid waste disposal areas owned by a municipality or regional authority or by a person and to own and operate such facilities and plants when and as deemed necessary, convenient or desirable, by the authority, and in accordance with the state plan, to carry out its purposes in accordance with this chapter; it may alter, reconstruct, improve, enlarge or extend any such facility, plant or disposal area at its own discretion to carry out the requirements of the state-wide solid waste management plan; it may con
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(a) The authority shall have the power to purchase, in accordance with the requirements of the state-wide solid waste management plan, at such costs or prices as are mutually deemed agreeable by the authority and the seller, any solid waste disposal facility, volume reduction plant or solid waste disposal areas owned by a municipality or regional authority or by a person and to own and operate such facilities and plants when and as deemed necessary, convenient or desirable, by the authority, and in accordance with the state plan, to carry out its purposes in accordance with this chapter; it may alter, reconstruct, improve, enlarge or extend any such facility, plant or disposal area at its own discretion to carry out the requirements of the state-wide solid waste management plan; it may contract to plan, design, finance, construct and operate and maintain any solid waste management project, processing facility or disposal area on behalf of a municipal or regional authority, in accordance with such state plans; and may otherwise make the waste management services and capabilities of authority projects available by contract to any municipal or regional authority or private person or institution at reasonable fees or charges to be established by the authority for such services. (b) Any municipal or regional authority having a solid waste management plan that is required, pursuant to the provisions of chapter 446b, to be in conformity with the state-wide solid waste management plan, and which municipal or regional plan provides that the disposition of the solid wastes of said municipality or region shall be accomplished through the use of state or regional facilities providing adequate resources recovery and large-scale waste disposal processing, is hereby authorized to enter into a long-term contract for such services with the authority, to pay any reasonable fees and charges established by the authority for such services, and, further, to pledge the full faith and credit of the municipal or regional authority for the payment of such fees and charges. (c) Prior to negotiating any such contract with a municipal or regional authority, the authority shall adopt procedures governing such contract negotiations and contracting processes in accordance with subsection (d) of this section. Such procedures shall include but not be limited to (1) specific procedures for resolving impasses, disputes or other controversies that may arise during contract negotiations, and (2) such other information, standards, analyses and procedures as will facilitate the negotiation and establishment of equitable contracts. (d) Prior to the adoption, amendment or repeal of any procedure prescribed in subsection (c) of this section, or of any procedure that would adversely affect the operations or affairs of any municipality or municipal or regional authority, the authority shall provide notice of and opportunity for a hearing on such intended action in accordance with subsection (e) of this section. Any municipality or municipal or regional authority may petition the authority with respect to the promulgation, amendment or repeal of such procedure, in accordance with a form and procedure prescribed by the authority for the submission, consideration and disposition of such petition, including adequate provision for notice and hearing. Within thirty days after the submission of such a petition the directors of the authority shall either deny said petition in writing, stating the reasons for such denial, or shall order the initiation of proceedings in accordance with subsection (e) of this section. (e) In adopting, amending or repealing any procedure referred to in this section, the directors of the authority shall, at least sixty days prior to the effective date of such action, pass a resolution expressing their intent to adopt, amend or repeal such procedure, and shall within ten days cause a copy of such resolution to be printed in one daily and one weekly newspaper published within the state and the Connecticut Law Journal. Thereupon, any interested party so desiring may, within thirty days, petition the directors with respect to such action and offer evidence in support of such petition before a referee appointed by the chairman. Said referee shall not be an employee of the authority, and shall report his findings with respect to such petition and evidence to the directors at least ten days prior to the date established by the directors as the effective date of their action. Due consideration shall be given to such findings by the directors in determining their final action with respect to such procedural adoption, amendment or repeal. (f) Any municipal or regional authority is also authorized under this section to borrow from the authority such sums of money as may be necessary to establish a solid waste management project or projects, or a disposal facility, volume reduction plant or disposal area whenever such municipal or regional authority, in accordance with its approved local plan conforming to the state-wide solid waste management plan, is not required to utilize the services of a state or regional waste management project for the disposal of its wastes. Any such loan may be made on the basis of a long-term loan agreement or service contract between such municipal or regional authority and the solid waste authority, and as collateral for such loan a municipal or regional authority may pledge its full faith and credit, or an applicable portion of the charges levied or revenues received for municipal or regional waste disposal, or both. Any municipal or regional authority is also under this section authorized to contract with the authority for planning, design, financing, construction and operation and maintenance services by the authority or by any person under contract with the authority, of a waste management project, facility or disposal area to be used to provide for the disposal of wastes and the recovery of resources within said municipality or region and to contract for any payment in lieu of taxes to be made with respect to such project, facility or disposal area in accordance with the intentions and provisions of this chapter and the state-wide solid waste management plan. All required payments of fees and charges, interest on loans, principal of loans and necessary fees and assessments related thereto required under any contract or agreement entered into pursuant to the provisions of this section, are considered expenditures for public purposes by a municipal or regional authority and, notwithstanding the provisions of any other law, any necessary general or special taxes or cost-sharing or other assessments may be levied or collected by such municipal or regional authority for the purpose of making such required payments. (g) Whenever the authority, by resolution of its board of directors, distributes surplus revenues of the authority to any municipal or regional authority or person who by virtue of the provisions of the state-wide solid waste management plan or any contract or agreement with the authority may be entitled to participate in such distribution, such municipal or regional authority or person is entitled to receive and to have and to hold the proceeds of such distribution and to use the same for any lawful purpose, including but not limited to the reduction of local taxes or assessments levied or to be levied for the purpose of raising revenues to pay authority fees or service charges. (h) The authority, when performing services on behalf of or providing a waste management project for any municipal or regional authority pursuant to this section, shall be considered eligible to receive on behalf of such municipal or regional authority any state grants for which such municipal or regional authority may be ordinarily eligible under chapter 446d, or any other law, rule or regulation of the state. The proceeds of any such grant shall be applied by the authority to reduce the costs of the services or project being provided. (i) When performing work at the direction of the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection, in furtherance of the objectives of the state-wide solid waste management plan and pursuant to such plan, the authority shall be entitled to receive any state grants or other assistance to which a municipal or regional authority would be entitled had the work been performed by such municipal or regional authority. (j) Notwithstanding the provisions of any local law, ordinance or regulation, the authority, in carrying out its purposes according to this chapter and in fulfilling the requirements of the state plan, shall have power to transport or to provide for the transportation of solid wastes and recovered resources anywhere within the state. (k) Nothing in this chapter shall be deemed or interpreted to preclude or prohibit state financial assistance to municipal and regional authorities according to the provisions of chapter 446d, or of any other law, rule or regulation of the state relating to solid waste management planning, solid waste reduction and disposal operations, approved solid waste disposal facilities and equipment, per capita grants and the distribution of federal funds for the acquisition and development of lands by municipalities. Such assistance shall be provided to any municipal or regional authority having a solid waste management plan which has been adopted and approved pursuant to chapter 446d, and is in conformity with the state-wide solid waste management plan, until such time as such municipal or regional authority contracts with the authority for and receives resource recovery or solid waste processing services.