Solid Waste Disposal

Plain English Breakdown

Checked against official source text during the last sync.

Tennessee Secondary Aluminum Waste Management Act

This act sets rules for managing secondary aluminum waste in Tennessee by prohibiting mixing with regular trash, requiring dedicated disposal units, and setting standards to protect the environment.

What This Bill Does

• Prohibits mixing municipal solid waste (regular trash) with secondary aluminum waste at landfills.
• Requires that secondary aluminum waste be disposed of only in special areas called 'dedicated units' within a landfill.
• Does not allow adding more waste on top of previously filled or closed dedicated units for secondary aluminum waste.
• Gives the Department of Environment and Conservation (DEC) authority to create rules about how these dedicated units are permitted, operated, and monitored.
• Requires DEC to set standards that protect human health and the environment when dealing with secondary aluminum waste.

Who It Names or Affects

• Landfill owners and operators
• People or companies generating secondary aluminum waste
• The Department of Environment and Conservation

Terms To Know

Secondary Aluminum Waste

Waste material containing aluminum from recycling processes, including dross, salt cake, dust, and dry-milled wastes.

Dedicated Unit

A special area within a landfill where only secondary aluminum waste is allowed to be disposed of.

Limits and Unknowns

• The bill does not specify how much it will cost or if there will be any decrease in state revenue.
• It applies to all secondary aluminum waste and municipal solid waste disposed after July 1, 2026.

Official Summary Text

This bill prohibits

a
person or an owner or operator of a solid waste landfill
from
commingl
ing
municipal solid waste with secondary aluminum waste.

Secondary aluminum waste may be disposed of in a landfill, but only in a dedicated unit, which includes

monofills and monocells, that has been permitted for such specific purpose under
present law
.

This bill also prohibits a
person or an owner or operator of a solid waste landfill
from
add
ing
secondary aluminum waste or municipal solid waste on top of waste in a previously filled or closed unit, which includes

monofills and monocells, and which has been permitted for such specific purpose under
present law
, or in any other area containing secondary aluminum waste. The department
of environment and conservation
("department")

must
determine when a unit must be designated as filled or closed pursuant
to rules promulgated by the department in setting operational and enforcement criteria for landfill units.

RULEMAKING

This bill requires the
department
to
promulgate rules to implement
this bill
. The rules must
i
nclude criteria for permitting dedicated secondary aluminum waste landfill units and performance standards for the protection of human health and the environment
. Additionally, the department must promulgate rules
establish
ing
permitting standards and set
ting
operational criteria for dedicated secondary aluminum waste landfill units. In promulgating
such additional
rules, the department
must
consider liner desi
gn, leachate control, monitoring, closure requirements, and any other technical standard necessary to protect public health and groundwater resources.

APPLICABILITY

This bill
applies to all secondary aluminum waste and municipal solid waste disposed of after July 1, 2026.

Current Bill Text

HOUSE BILL 2133
By Terry

SENATE BILL 2552
By Reeves
SB2552
012433
- 1 -

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated,
Title 5; Title 6; Title 7; Title 62, Chapter 9 and Title
68, relative to the Tennessee Secondary
Aluminum Waste Management Act.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF TENNESSEE:
SECTION 1. Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 68, Chapter 211, is amended by adding
the following as a new part:
68-211-1201.
This part is known and may be cited as the "Tennessee Secondary Aluminum
Waste Management Act."
68-211-1202.
As used in this part:
(1) "Department" means the department of environment and
conservation; and
(2) "Secondary aluminum waste" means waste material or byproducts,
when disposed, containing aluminum generated from secondary aluminum
smelting operations and including aluminum dross, salt cake, baghouse dust
associated with aluminum recycling furnace operations, or dry-milled wastes.
68-211-1203.
(a) A person or an owner or operator of a solid waste landfill shall not commingle
municipal solid waste with secondary aluminum waste.
(b) Secondary aluminum waste may be disposed of in a landfill, but only in a
dedicated unit, which includes, but is not limited to, monofills and monocells, that has
been permitted for such specific purpose under this chapter.

- 2 - 012433

(c) A person or an owner or operator of a solid waste landfill shall not add
secondary aluminum waste or municipal solid waste on top of waste in a previously filled
or closed unit, which includes, but is not limited to, monofills and monocells, and which
has been permitted for such specific purpose under this chapter, or in any other area
containing secondary aluminum waste. The department shall determine when a unit
must be designated as filled or closed pursuant to rules promulgated by the department
in setting operational and enforcement criteria for landfill units pursuant to subsection
(d).
(d) The department shall promulgate rules to implement this section. The rules
must:
(1) Include criteria for permitting dedicated secondary aluminum waste
landfill units and performance standards for the protection of human health and
the environment; and
(2) Be promulgated in accordance with the Uniform Administrative
Procedures Act, compiled in title 4, chapter 5.
68-211-1204.
In addition to the requirements under § 68-211-1203(d), the department shall
promulgate rules in accordance with the Uniform Administrative Procedures Act,
compiled in title 4, chapter 5, to effectuate the purposes of this part, including, but not
limited to, the establishment of permitting standards and to set operational criteria for
dedicated secondary aluminum waste landfill units. In promulgating the rules, the
department shall consider liner design, leachate control, monitoring, closure
requirements, and any other technical standard necessary to protect public health and
groundwater resources.

- 3 - 012433

SECTION 2. For the purpose of promulgating rules, this act takes effect upon becoming
a law, the public welfare requiring it. For all other purposes, this act takes effect July 1, 2026,
the public welfare requiring it, and applies to all secondary aluminum waste and municipal solid
waste disposed of after that date.