(1) The legislative authority of a county may by ordinance provide for the establishment of a system or systems of solid waste handling for all unincorporated areas of the county or for portions thereof. A county may designate a disposal site or sites for all solid waste collected in the unincorporated areas pursuant to the provisions of a comprehensive solid waste plan adopted pursuant to chapter 70A.205 RCW. However for any solid waste collected by a private hauler operating under a certificate granted by the Washington utilities and transportation commission under the provisions of chapter 81.77 RCW and which certificate is for collection in a geographic area lying in more than one county, such designation of disposal sites shall be pursuant to an interlocal agreement between the involved counties.

(2) A county may construct, lease, purchase, acquire, add to, alter, or extend solid waste handling systems, plants, sites, or other facilities and shall have full jurisdiction and authority to manage, regulate, maintain, utilize, operate, control, and establish the rates and charges for those solid waste handling systems, plants, sites, or other facilities. A county may enter into agreements with public or private parties to: (a) Construct, purchase, acquire, lease, add to, alter, extend, maintain, manage, utilize, or operate publicly or privately owned or operated solid waste handling systems, plants, sites, or other facilities; (b) establish rates and charges for those systems, plants, sites, or other facilities; (c) designate particular publicly or privately owned or operated systems, plants, sites, or other facilities as disposal sites; (d) process, treat, or convert solid waste into other valuable or useful materials or products; and (e) sell the material or products of those systems, plants, or other facilities.

(3) The legislative authority of a county may award contracts for solid waste handling that provide that a county provide for a minimum periodic fee or other method of compensation in consideration of the operational availability of those solid waste handling systems, plants, sites, or other facilities at a specified minimum level, without regard to the ownership of the systems, plants, sites or other facilities, or the amount of solid waste actually handled during all or any part of the contract. When a minimum level of solid waste is specified in a contract entered into under this section, there shall be a specific allocation of financial responsibility in the event the amount of solid waste handled falls below the minimum level provided in the contract. Solid waste handling systems, plants, sites, or other facilities constructed, purchased, acquired, leased, added to, altered, extended, maintained, managed, utilized, or operated pursuant to this section, whether publicly or privately owned, shall be in substantial compliance with the solid waste management plan applicable to the county adopted pursuant to chapter 70A.205 RCW. Agreements relating to such solid waste handling systems, plants, sites, or other facilities may be for such term and may contain such covenants, conditions, and remedies as the legislative authority of the county may deem necessary or appropriate.

(4) As used in this chapter, the terms "solid waste" and "solid waste handling" shall be as defined in RCW 70A.205.015.

(5) The legislative authority of a county may:

(a) By ordinance award a contract to collect source separated recyclable materials from residences within unincorporated areas. The legislative authority has complete authority to manage, regulate, and fix the price of the source separated recyclable collection service. The contracts may provide that the county pay minimum periodic fees to a municipal entity or permit holder; or

(b) Notify the commission in writing to carry out and implement the provisions of the waste reduction and recycling element of the comprehensive solid waste management plan.

(6) This election may be made by counties at any time after July 23, 1989. An initial election must be made no later than ninety days following approval of the local comprehensive waste management plan required by RCW 70A.205.045.

(7) Nothing in this section shall be construed to authorize the operation of a solid waste collection system by counties or to authorize counties to affect the authority of the utilities and transportation commission under RCW 81.77.020.

Severability—Legislative findings—Construction—Liberal construction—Supplemental powers—1986 c 282: See notes following RCW 35.21.156.