1. (a) The commissioner shall administer and enforce the planning and implementation requirements of this chapter. He shall examine all existing or proposed solid waste facilities and provide for their proper planning, design, construction, operation, monitoring, closure and postclosure maintenance in a manner which ensures against pollution of the waters of the state, prevents the harboring of vectors, prevents fire and explosion and minimizes the emission of objectionable odors, dust or other air pollutants so that the health, safety, and welfare of the people of the state shall be safeguarded and enhanced and the natural resources and environment of the state may be conserved, improved and protected. The commissioner shall order the alteration, extension, limitation, closure or replacement of such facilities whenever necessary to ensure against pollution of the waters of the state, prevent the harboring of vectors, prevent fire and explosion hazards and minimize the creation of objectionable odors, dust or other air pollutants so that the health, safety and welfare of the people of the state shall be safeguarded and enhanced and the natural resources and environment of the state may be conserved, improved and protected provided, before ordering the closure of any solid waste facility, said commissioner shall determine that reasonable alternative facilities for the users of such facility exist. In any such order, the commissioner may require the submission of and compliance with a plan for the design, construction, operation, monitoring, closure and postclosure maintenance of such facility in accordance with the provisions of this chapter.
2. (b) Repealed by P.A. 86-403, S. 128, 132.

(1971, P.A. 845, S. 2; P.A. 73-646, S. 2; P.A. 76-25; P.A. 77-221; P.A. 78-67, S. 1, 2; P.A. 83-189; P.A. 84-535, S. 5; P.A. 85-334, S. 1, 8; 85-342, S. 2; P.A. 86-403, S. 128, 132.)

History: P.A. 73-646 clarified Subsecs. (a) and (b) and broadened purpose of facilities in Subsec. (a) to include natural resource and environment protection and conservation as well as public health and safety protection; P.A. 76-25 inserted new Subsec. (d) re filing of permit copies and relettered former Subsec. (d) accordingly; P.A. 77-221 required facilities to ensure against water pollution, prevent harboring of vectors, prevent fire and explosion and minimize objectionable odors and allowed commissioner to require submission of plan for facility; P.A. 78-67 required provision of alternative facilities before closing facility customarily used and protected rights of local governments re zoning for waste disposal in Subsec. (c); Sec. 19-524b transferred to Sec. 22a-208 in 1983; P.A. 83-189 amended Subsec. (c) to prohibit the operation of a solid waste facility after October 1, 1984, without a closure plan; P.A. 84-535 amended Subsec. (c) by adding provision requiring the commissioner to notify the chief elected official of each municipality in which the facility is to be located; P.A. 85-334, deleted former Subsecs. (b) to (e) re commissioner's approval of facility operators' qualifications and re approval procedure required for permit to build, establish or alter facilities, generally, and added to the commissioner's authority under former Subsec. (a) provisions re monitoring, closure and postclosure maintenance and authorized closing of facilities when reasonable alternative facilities exist rather than only when the commissioner provides an alternative; P.A. 85-342 added Subsec. (f) re denial of permits to applicants convicted of environmental law violations but since Subsecs. (b) to (e) were deleted by P.A. 85-334 the new subsection was relettered as Subsec. (b) and the former Subsec. (a) indicator, deleted by P.A. 85-334, was reinstated editorially by the Revisors; P.A. 86-403 repealed Subsec. (b).