§ 13-2042. Landfill disposal fee; payment; interest; use; grants; department; powers; council; duties.

(1) A disposal fee of two dollars and thirty-four cents is imposed for each six cubic yards of uncompacted solid waste, two dollars and thirty-four cents for each three cubic yards of compacted solid waste, or two dollars and thirty-four cents per ton of solid waste (a) disposed of at landfills regulated by the department or (b) transported for disposal out of state from a solid waste processing facility holding a permit under the Integrated Solid Waste Management Act. Each operator of a landfill or solid waste processing facility shall make the fee payment quarterly. The fee shall be paid quarterly to the department on or before the forty-fifth day following the end of each quarter. For purposes of this section, landfill has the same definition as municipal solid waste landfill unit in 40 C.F.R. 258.2. (2) Each fee payment shall be accompanied by a form prepared and furnished by the department and completed by the permitholder. The form shall state the total volume of solid waste disposed of at the landfill or transported for disposal out of state from the solid waste processing facility during the payment period and shall provide any other information deemed necessary by the department. The form shall be signed by the permitholder. (3) If a permitholder fails to make a timely payment of the fee, he or she shall pay interest on the unpaid amount at the rate specified in section 45-104.02, as such rate may from time to time be adjusted. (4) This section shall not apply to a site used solely for the reclamation of land through the introduction of landscaping rubble or inert material. (5) Sixty-five percent of the total of such fees collected in each quarter shall be remitted to the State Treasurer for credit to the Integrated Solid Waste Management Cash Fund and shall be used by the department to cover the direct and indirect costs of (a) responding to spills or other environmental emergencies, (b) providing cost share, operation, and maintenance for remediation of superfund sites in order to pay for nonfederal costs, including costs for in-kind services, under the federal Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act of 1980, 42 U.S.C. 9601 et seq., (c) regulating, investigating, remediating, and monitoring facilities during and after operation of facilities, or (d) performance of regulated activities under the Integrated Solid Waste Management Act, the Nebraska Litter Reduction and Recycling Act, and the Waste Reduction and Recycling Incentive Act. The department may seek recovery of expenses paid from the fund for responding to spills or other environmental emergencies or for investigation, remediation, and monitoring of a facility from any person who owned, operated, or used the facility in violation of the Integrated Solid Waste Management Act, the Nebraska Litter Reduction and Recycling Act, and the Waste Reduction and Recycling Incentive Act in a civil action filed in the district court of Lancaster County. (6)(a) The remaining thirty-five percent of the total of such fees collected per quarter shall be remitted to the State Treasurer for credit to the Waste Reduction and Recycling Incentive Fund. For purposes of determining the total fees collected, any amount of fees rebated pursuant to section 13-2042.01 shall be included as if the fees had not been rebated, and the amount of the fees rebated pursuant to such section shall be deducted from the amount to be credited to the Waste Reduction and Recycling Incentive Fund. (b) From the fees credited to the Waste Reduction and Recycling Incentive Fund under this subsection: (i) Grants shall be awarded to counties, municipalities, and agencies for the purposes of planning and implementing facilities and systems to further the goals of the Integrated Solid Waste Management Act. The grant proceeds shall not be used to fund landfill closure site assessments, closure, monitoring, or investigative or corrective action costs for existing landfills or landfills already closed prior to July 15, 1992. The council shall adopt and promulgate rules and regulations to carry out this subdivision. Such rules and regulations shall base the awarding of grants on a project's reflection of the integrated solid waste management policy and hierarchy established in section 13-2018, the proposed amount of local matching funds, and community need; and (ii) The department may disburse amounts to political subdivisions for costs incurred in response to and remediation of any solid waste disposed of or abandoned at dump sites or discrete locations along public roadways or ditches and on any contiguous area affected by such disposal or abandonment. Such reimbursement shall be by application to the department on forms prescribed by the department. The department shall prepare and make available a schedule of eligible costs and application procedures which may include a requirement of a demonstration of preventive measures to be taken to discourage future dumping. The department may not disburse to political subdivisions an amount which in the aggregate exceeds five percent of total revenue from the disposal fees collected pursuant to this section in the preceding fiscal year. These disbursements shall be made on a fiscal-year basis, and applications received after funds for this purpose have been exhausted may be eligible during the next fiscal year but are not an obligation of the state. Any eligible costs incurred by a political subdivision which are not funded due to a lack of funds shall not be considered an obligation of the state. In disbursing funds under this subdivision, the director shall make efforts to ensure equal geographical distribution throughout the state and may deny reimbursements in order to accomplish this goal. History: Laws 1992, LB 1257, § 42; Laws 1994, LB 1207, § 11; Laws 1997, LB 495, § 2; Laws 1999, LB 592, § 1; Laws 2001, LB 128, § 1; Laws 2003, LB 143, § 8; Laws 2004, LB 916, § 1; Laws 2010, LB696, § 1; Laws 2011, LB29, § 1; Laws 2025, LB247, § 1.