(a)        For the purpose of promoting and preserving an environment that is conducive to public health and welfare, and preventing the creation of nuisances and the depletion of our natural resources, the Department shall maintain a Division of Waste Management to promote sanitary processing, treatment, disposal, and statewide management of solid waste and the greatest possible recycling and recovery of resources, and the Department shall employ and retain qualified personnel as may be necessary to effect such purposes. It is the purpose and intent of the State to be and remain cognizant not only of its responsibility to authorize and establish a statewide solid waste management program, but also of its responsibility to monitor and supervise, through the Department, the activities and operations of units of local government implementing a permitted solid waste management facility serving a specified geographic area in accordance with a solid waste management plan.

(b)        In furtherance of this purpose and intent, it is hereby determined and declared that it is necessary for the health and welfare of the inhabitants of the State that solid waste management facilities permitted hereunder and serving a specified geographic area shall be used by public or private owners or occupants of all lands, buildings, and premises within the geographic area. Actions taken pursuant to this Article shall be deemed to be acts of the sovereign power of the State of North Carolina, and to the extent reasonably necessary to achieve the purposes of this section, a unit of local government may displace competition with public service for solid waste management and disposal. It is further determined and declared that no person, firm, corporation, association or entity within the geographic area shall engage in any activities which would be competitive with this purpose or with ordinances, rules adopted pursuant to the authority granted herein.

(c)        Except as provided in subsections (d) and (e) of this section, a unit of local government may, by ordinance, franchise, business license, contract, or otherwise, require that all solid waste generated within the geographic area and placed in the waste stream for disposal be delivered to the permitted solid waste management facility or facilities serving the geographic area only under one of the following conditions:

(1)        If the unit of local government has debt associated with solid waste management facilities and equipment outstanding on September 1, 2017, the unit of local government may adopt and enforce such an ordinance until the date that such debt has matured.

(2)        If the unit of local government incurs debt after September 1, 2017, and the issuance of the debt will be conditioned upon the unit of local government requiring that all waste collected within the county be disposed of within the landfill, for expansion of a landfill or construction of a new landfill after all necessary approvals for issuance of the debt have been obtained from the Local Government Commission in compliance with Chapter 159 of the N.C. Gen. Stat., including the demonstration of need and cost required by N.C. Gen. Stat. § 159-216, the unit of local government may adopt and enforce such an ordinance until the date the debt associated with expansion of the landfill, or construction of the new landfill, has matured.

(3)        If the unit of local government is a party to an exclusive franchise agreement with a private entity governing the management or disposal of waste within the jurisdiction in effect on September 1, 2017, the unit of local government may adopt and enforce such an ordinance until the date that such franchise has expired.

(4)        Expired June 30, 2019, pursuant to Session Laws 2018-114, s. 20(b).

(d)       Notwithstanding any limitations set forth in subsection (c) of this section, and except as provided in subsection (e) of this section, a regional solid waste management authority established under Article 22 of Chapter 153A of the N.C. Gen. Stat., and a unit of local government that is a member of an authority, may, by ordinance, require that all solid waste generated within its jurisdiction and placed in the waste stream for disposal be delivered to the permitted solid waste management facility or facilities operated by the regional solid waste management authority.

(e)        Notwithstanding authority given to local governments to manage solid waste generated or disposed of within their jurisdiction pursuant to subsection (c) or (d) of this section, or otherwise, units of local government shall not, by ordinance or otherwise, prohibit the disposal of construction and demolition debris in any sanitary landfill permitted for the disposal of construction and demolition debris, which landfill has a valid and operative franchise agreement and is otherwise properly permitted pursuant to N.C. Gen. Stat. § 130A-294 ?(1969, c. 899; 1973, c. 476, s. 128; 1975, c. 311, s. 3; 1977, 2nd Sess., c. 1216; 1983, c. 795, ss. 2, 8.1; c. 891, s. 2; 1987, c. 574, s. 1; 1989, c. 727, s. 144; 1989 (Reg. Sess., 1990), c. 1004, ss. 7, 8; 1995 (Reg. Sess., 1996), c. 743, s. 4; 2017-209, s. 17(a); 2018-114, s. 20(a); 2020-3, s. 4.30(i).)