Solid Waste
The purpose of the Solid Waste Management Program is to protect the health, safety and well-being of the public and to preserve and improve the quality of the environment by assuring proper storage and disposal of solid waste; to minimize the presence of flies, rodents and other vectors relating to solid waste; and to control airborne waste, water pollution, scenic blight, public nuisances and safety hazards relating to the accumulation, storage, collection, processing, and disposal of solid waste.
Environmental Health agencies have the option of becoming a certified local enforcement agency to regulate solid waste activities. Environmental Health's role in the county-wide Solid Waste Management Program is to participate with other concerned agencies in the development and continuous updating of the Management Plan, to enforce solid waste laws for which it has direct enforcement responsibility, to coordinate enforcement efforts with state and local agencies; to assure that cities, sanitary districts and disposal agencies are in compliance with state regulations, to approve and issue permits for landfills and transfer stations to be built in the county; to investigate closed and abandoned landfills; and to investigate citizen complaints regarding solid waste.
For more information, contact Paul Wrighton at pwrighton@co.merced.ca.us or (209) 381-1078.
