§ 44-96-90 — Full cost disclosure.

(A) Not later than one year after this chapter is effective, the department shall promulgate regulations establishing the method for local governments to use in calculating the full cost for solid waste management within the service area of the local government which, at a minimum, shall include the provisions of subsections (C), (D), and (E)of this section. The department shall comply with the requirements of the South Carolina Administrative Procedures Act and notify local government officials of the opportunity to provide input prior to issuing proposed regulations for comment under this article. (B) Not later than one year after promulgation of the regulations provided in Section 44-96-80(A), and annually thereafter, each local government shall determine its full cost for its solid waste management services within its service area for the previous year. Each local government shall publish annually a notice in a newspaper of general circulation in its service area setting forth the full cost and the cost to residential and nonresidential users, on an average or individual basis of its solid waste management services within its service area for the previous year. In calculating the costs, local governments must include costs charged to them by persons with whom they contract for solid waste management services. (C) For local governments which provide collection, recycling, transfer station services, or all three services, "full cost" shall, at a minimum, include an itemized accounting of: (1) the cost of equipment, including, but not limited to, trucks, containers, compactors, parts, labor, maintenance, depreciation, insurance, fuel and oil, and lubricants for equipment maintenance; (2) the cost of overhead, including, but not limited to, supervision, payroll, land, office and building costs, personnel and administrative costs of running the waste management program, and support costs from other departments, government agencies, and outside consultants or firms; (3) the cost of employee social security, worker's compensation, pension and health insurance payments; and (4) disposal cost and laboratory and testing costs. (D) For local governments which provide disposal services, "full cost" shall, at a minimum, include an itemized accounting of: (1) the cost of land, disposal site preparation, permits and licenses, scales, buildings, site maintenance and improvements; (2) the cost of equipment, including operation and maintenance costs such as parts, depreciation, insurance, fuel and oil, and lubricants; (3) the cost of labor and overhead, including, but not limited to, supervision, payroll, office and building costs, personnel and administrative costs of running the waste management program, and support costs from, and studies provided by, other departments, government agencies, and outside consultants or firms; (4) the cost of employee social security, worker's compensation, pension and health insurance payments; and (5) disposal costs, leachate collection and treatment costs, site monitoring costs, including, but not limited to, sampling, laboratory and testing costs, environmental compliance inspections, closure and postclosure expenditures, and escrow, if required. (E) For purposes of this section, "service area" means the area in which the local government provides, directly or by contract, solid waste management services. (F) A person operating under an agreement to collect or dispose of solid waste within the service area of a local government or region shall assist and cooperate with the local government or region to make the calculations or to establish a system to provide the information required under this section. However, contracts entered into prior to the effective date of this chapter are exempt from the provisions of this section.

Legislative History

HISTORY: 1991 Act No. 63, SECTION 1.