(1) Each application for the issuance of a permit to operate a commercial hazardous waste management facility shall be accompanied by a demonstration of need for that facility in the anticipated service area, which shall be of the form and content as the Permit Board may prescribe. Applications for the reissuance, transfer or modification of previously issued permits, except modifications seeking an increase in the volume of hazardous waste to be managed on an annual basis, shall not be subject to the requirements of this section.

(2) The demonstration of need shall be specific as to the types of hazardous waste to be managed and shall include, but not be limited to:

(a) Documentation of the available capacity at existing commercial hazardous waste management facilities in the area to be served by the facility;

(b) Documentation of the current volume of hazardous waste generated in the area to be served by the facility and the volume of hazardous waste reasonably expected to be generated in the area to be served over the next twenty (20) years; and

(c) A description of any additional factors, such as physical limitations on the transportation of the hazardous waste or the existence of additional capacity outside the area to be served which may satisfy the projected need.

(3) The Permit Board shall consider the following factors in evaluating the need for the proposed facility:

(a) The extent to which the proposed commercial hazardous waste management facility is in conformance with the Mississippi Capacity Assurance Plan and any interstate or regional agreements associated therewith;

(b) An approximate service area for the proposed facility which takes into account the economics of hazardous waste collection, transportation, treatment, storage and disposal;

(c) The quantity of hazardous waste generated within the anticipated service area suitable for treatment, storage or disposal at the proposed facility;

(d) The design capacity of existing commercial hazardous waste management facilities located within the anticipated service area of the proposed facility; and

(e) The extent to which the proposed facility is needed to replace other facilities, if the need for a proposed commercial hazardous waste management facility cannot be established under paragraphs (a) through (d).

(4) Based on the needs of the State of Mississippi, it is the intent of the Legislature that there shall not be a proliferation of unnecessary facilities in any one (1) county of the state.

(5) If the Permit Board determines that a proposed commercial hazardous waste management facility is inconsistent with or contradictory to the factors set forth in subsection (3), the Permit Board is hereby empowered to deny any permit for such facility.

(6) The commission shall develop and adopt criteria and standards to be considered in location and permitting of commercial hazardous waste management facilities. The standards and criteria shall be developed through public participation, shall be enforced by the Permit Board and shall include, in addition to all applicable state and federal rules and regulations, consideration of:

(a) Hydrological and geological factors such as flood plains, depth to water table, soil composition and permeability, cavernous bedrock, seismic activity, and slope;

(b) Natural resource factors such as wetlands, endangered species habitats, proximity to parks, forests, wilderness areas and historical sites, and air quality;

(c) Land use factors such as local land use, whether residential, industrial, commercial, recreational or agricultural, proximity to public water supplies, and proximity to incompatible structures such as schools, churches and airports;

(d) Transportation factors, such as proximity to waste generators and to population, route safety and method of transportation; and

(e) Aesthetic factors such as the visibility, appearance and noise level of the facility.