(a) General rule.--The Department of Commerce¹ shall be responsible for identifying and encouraging potential commercial hazardous waste treatment or disposal facility developers to establish within this Commonwealth the commercial hazardous waste treatment or disposal facilities needed to properly manage Pennsylvania's hazardous waste. The Department of Commerce shall coordinate business outreach efforts with the needs and priorities established by the Pennsylvania Hazardous Waste Facilities Plan and siting criteria adopted under the Solid Waste Management Act.²

(b) Siting coordinator.--The Secretary of Commerce shall designate a commercial hazardous waste facility siting coordinator to serve as the department's liaison with potential commercial treatment or disposal facility developers, other State agencies and local governments. The siting coordinator shall develop and be responsible for State efforts aimed at business outreach, preliminary site evaluation assistance and the packaging of available financial assistance programs. For the effective performance of these duties, the siting coordinator shall have the ability to directly utilize members of the department's siting team, as well as employees of other State agencies, to coordinate necessary activities pursuant to this act.

(c) Technical assistance.--The siting coordinator shall assist interested developers in the identification of potential locations for proposed commercial hazardous waste treatment or disposal facilities. The assistance shall be limited to the examination of nonenvironmental site selection factors, including access to transportation networks and markets.

(d) Assistance programs.--The Department of Commerce shall ensure that interested developers are advised of and assisted in the use of available State financial assistance programs in order to encourage the siting of new commercial hazardous waste treatment or disposal facilities in this Commonwealth. Programs that may be considered shall include, but are not limited to, the Pennsylvania Industrial Development Authority, business infrastructure development, site development, the Ben Franklin Partnership and the Pennsylvania Infrastructure Investment Authority. The Department of Commerce shall also ensure, as allocations permit, the availability of tax-exempt industrial development bonds for commercial hazardous waste treatment or disposal facilities.