(a) Establishment.--Within 30 days after the effective date of this act, the secretary shall establish a Hazardous Waste Facility Siting Team consisting of department personnel with the particular expertise necessary for the complete review of permit applications for commercial hazardous waste treatment or disposal facilities. The secretary shall select siting team representatives from each section of review required to determine conformity of applications with siting criteria contained in Phase I of 25 Pa. Code Ch. 75 Subch. F (relating to siting hazardous waste treatment and disposal facilities) and other applicable law and regulations relating to the review and approval of permit applications. Members of the siting team shall include attorneys, engineers and such other administrative and program personnel considered essential by the secretary for expedited review of permit applications. The performance of the siting team's duties pursuant to this section shall be deemed a priority with regard to any other work assignments and responsibilities.

(b) Application procedures.--Within three months after the effective date of this act, the secretary shall set forth guidelines by which any person interested in establishing a commercial hazardous waste treatment or disposal facility may submit the siting modules and the remainder of a permit application directly to the siting team. The guidelines shall instruct applicants on siting criteria and permit requirements, application timetables and the review process.

(c) Expedited site review.--Within five months of the receipt of an administratively complete siting module portion of a permit application for a commercial hazardous waste treatment or disposal facility, the siting team shall complete its review of the siting modules to determine the conformity of the proposed site to the siting criteria established pursuant to Phase I of 25 Pa. Code Ch. 75 Subch. F. Upon filing the siting modules with the siting team, an applicant shall provide written notification of such filing to the governing bodies of the proposed host county and host municipality. To facilitate review by the host county and host municipality, grants may be made available pursuant to section 304(d).¹ In addition, members of the department's siting team shall be available to the applicant and the governing bodies of the proposed host county and host municipality for the purpose of discussing the siting modules and their conformity with the siting criteria. The siting team shall conduct one public hearing and at least one public information meeting on the application at locations near the proposed site during the five-month review period. The siting team shall notify the applicant, the host county and host municipality of its determination regarding the conformity of the siting modules with the siting criteria in writing.

(d) Expedited permit review.--Within 90 days of receipt of the remainder of a permit application to operate a commercial hazardous waste treatment or disposal facility, the siting team shall review the permit application to determine whether it is administratively complete. Should the siting team find that the permit application is not administratively complete, it shall return the permit application to the applicant, along with a written statement indicating the deficiencies of the permit application.

(e) Review period.--Within ten months of the date of the determination by the siting team that a permit application is administratively complete, the siting team shall complete its review of the permit application and shall recommend to the secretary either the approval or the disapproval of the permit application. The secretary shall publish notice of the intent to either approve or disapprove the permit application within 30 days after receipt of the recommendation of the siting team. Appeal of any decision of the secretary on the permit application shall be as provided by applicable law.

(f) Public education.--The department shall develop a comprehensive, innovative and effective public education program to inform the public with regard to the nature and extent of hazardous waste generation and the need for environmentally sound management, treatment and disposal of hazardous waste.