(a) The Authority shall have the power to:
(1) Approve and adopt an organizational structure to implement this chapter.
(2) Employ a staff to carry out the functions of the Authority.
(3) Establish offices where necessary in the State.
(4) Retain by contract legal counsel, auditors, engineers, private consultants, advisors or other contractual services required by the Authority.
(5) Sue and be sued.
(6) Have a seal and alter it at pleasure.
(7) Conduct such hearings, examinations and investigations as may be necessary and appropriate to the conduct of its operations and the fulfillment of its responsibilities.
(8) To procure and keep in force adequate insurance or otherwise provide for the adequate protection of its property, as well as to indemnify and save harmless it and its officers, agents or employees against loss or liability with respect to any risk to which it or they may be exposed in carrying out any function of the Authority.
(9) To design, construct, own and operate facilities.
(10) Obtain access to public records and apply for the process of subpoena if necessary to produce books, papers, records and other data.
(11) Charge reasonable fees for services it performs and waive, suspend, reduce or otherwise modify such fees when it is deemed appropriate to do so.
(12) Purchase, manage, lease or rent such real and personal property as it may deem necessary, convenient or desirable.
(13) Otherwise, do all things necessary for the performance of its duties, the fulfillment of its obligations, the conduct of its operations and the conduct of a comprehensive program for solid waste disposal and resources recovery, and for solid waste management services, in accordance with the state solid waste management plan, applicable statutes and regulations and the requirements of this chapter.
(14) Assume through contract or otherwise, any existing contract, grant or property right, or interest held by any person, partnership, corporation, municipality, county, state agency, federal agency or other legal entity, pertaining to solid waste storage, collection, transportation, treatment, processing, disposal, recycling, reuse or any other use.
(15) Determine the location and character of any project to be developed under this chapter, subject to the requirements of the statewide solid waste management plan, including the location of recycling centers, without the need to obtain land use approval.
(16) Purchase, receive by gift or otherwise, lease, exchange or otherwise acquire and construct, reconstruct, improve, maintain, equip and furnish such waste management projects as are called for by the state solid waste management plan.
(17) Sell or lease to any person, all or any portion of a waste management project, for such consideration and upon such terms as the Authority may determine to be reasonable.
(18) Mortgage or otherwise encumber all or any portion of a project whenever, in the opinion of the Authority, such action is deemed to be in furtherance of the purposes of this chapter.
(19) Grant options to purchase, or to renew a lease for, any Authority waste management project on such terms as the Authority may determine to be reasonable.
(20) Acquire, by purchase, gift, transfer or by condemnation for public purposes, and manage and operate, hold and dispose of real property and, subject to agreements with lessors or lessees, develop or alter such property by making improvements and betterments with the purpose of enhancing the value and the usefulness of such property.
(21) Make plans, surveys, studies and investigations necessary or desirable, in conformity with the state plan and with due consideration for local or regional plans, to carry out authority functions with respect to the acquisition, use and development of real property and the design and construction of systems and facilities.
(22) Make short and long range plans, consistent with the state solid waste management plan, for the storage, collection, transportation or processing and disposal of solid wastes and recovered resources by the authority-owned facilities.
(23) Design or provide for the design of solid waste management facilities including design for the alteration, reconstruction, improvement, enlargement or extension of existing facilities.
(24) Construct, erect, build, acquire, alter, reconstruct, improve, enlarge or extend waste management projects including provision for the inspection and supervision thereof and the engineering, architectural, legal, fiscal and economic investigations and studies, surveys, designs, plans, working drawings, specifications, procedures and any other actions incidental thereto.
(25) Own, operate and maintain solid waste management projects and make provision for their management and for the manufacturing, processing and transportation operations necessary to derive recovered resources from solid waste, and contracting for the sale of such.
(26) Enter upon lands and waters, as may be necessary, to make surveys, soundings, borings and examinations in order to accomplish the purposes of this chapter.
(27) Contract with municipal, county and regional authorities, state agencies and persons to provide waste management services in accordance with this chapter and to plan, design, construct, manage, operate and maintain solid waste disposal and processing facilities on their behalf.
(28) Design and construct improvements or alterations on properties which it owns or which it operates by contract on behalf of municipal or regional authorities.
(29) Contract for services in the performance of architectural and engineering design, the supervision of design and construction, system management and facility management, for such professional or technical services as are required, and for such other professional or technical services as may require either prequalification of a contractor or the submission by any person, firm or consortium or association of persons or firms of a proposal in response to an official request for proposal or similar written communication of the Authority, whenever such services are, in the discretion of the Authority, deemed necessary, desirable or convenient in carrying out the purposes of the Authority.
(30) Contract for the construction of solid waste facilities with individuals or firms, or consortiums of such individuals or firms, pursuant to applicable provisions of this chapter, the requirements of applicable regulations and the state plan and in accordance with such specifications, terms and conditions as the Authority may deem necessary or advisable.
(31) Control, through regulation or otherwise, the collection, transportation, storage and disposal of solid waste, including the diversion of solid waste within specified geographic areas to facilities owned, operated or controlled by the Authority; provided, however, that such power shall not extend to the collection, transportation, transfer and storage of hazardous wastes as defined in § 6302(8) of this title, except to the extent that the Authority engages in activities authorized under § 6452(8) of this title.
(32) Issue bonds or notes in anticipation of the issuance of bonds, or otherwise, to finance any of the purposes of this chapter, lend the proceeds of such obligations to any person to effectuate any of the purposes of this chapter, contract with any person in any manner deemed advisable by the Authority to secure the payment of such obligations and to pledge such contracts as security for the payment of such obligations.
(b) Any contract for construction valued at over $25,000 shall be let by the Authority pursuant to the process of open or competitive bidding, provided, the Authority shall have power to determine the format, contents and scope of any contract for a solid waste management project, the conditions under which bidding shall take place and the schedule and stipulations for a contract award. The Authority shall also have power to select the contractor deemed to have submitted the most responsive bid, price and other factors considered, when, in the judgment of the Authority, such award is in the best interests of the State. The Authority may in its discretion negotiate and enter into a contract or contracts with a single source when it is desirable to do so.