Flow control regulations to gain waste disposal self sufficiency

In a recent ruling, the U.S. Supreme Court has determined that solid waste flow control regulations are unconstitutional. Many states have established some form of flow control. As an example, the state of New Jersey has implemented a long-term plan to gain waste disposal self-sufficiency by the year 2000. The success of this plan hinges on the flow controls implemented by the state. Almost two billion U.S. dollars of debt has been incurred by the twenty-two solid waste districts in New Jersey to build the state-of-the-art facilities necessary to reach these goals. An analysis has been performed on the most recent data available of the state’s solid waste generation and management system, at a time when New Jersey must restructure its solid waste management plan. The New Jersey solid waste management model is of interest to other states. The consequences, facts, and alternatives of flow control are examined.