(a) “Authority” means a regional solid waste management authority created under Sections 17-17-301 through 17-17-349.

(b) “Board” means the board of commissioners of an authority.

(c) “Bonds” means either revenue bonds, general obligation bonds, bond anticipation notes, or other types of debt instruments issued by the authority unless the reference to bonds clearly indicates “revenue bonds,” “general obligation bonds,” “bond anticipation notes” or such other forms of debt instruments.

(d) “Cost of project” means all costs of site preparation and other start-up costs; all costs of construction; all costs of real and personal property required for the purposes of the project and facilities related thereto, including land and any rights or undivided interest therein, easements, franchises, fees, permits, approvals, licenses, and certificates and the securing of such permits, approvals, licenses, and certificates and all machinery and equipment, including motor vehicles which are used for project functions; and including any cost associated with the closure, post-closure maintenance or corrective action, financing charges and interest prior to and during construction and during such additional period as the authority may reasonably determine to be necessary for the placing of the project in operation; costs of engineering, geotechnical, architectural and legal services; costs of plans and specifications and all expenses necessary or incident to determining the feasibility or practicability of the project; administrative expenses; and such other expenses as may be necessary or incidental to the financing authorized in Sections 17-17-301 through 17-17-349. The costs of any project may also include funds for the creation of a debt service reserve, a renewal and replacement reserve, and such other reserves as may be reasonably required by the authority for the operation of its projects and as may be authorized by any bond resolution or trust agreement or indenture pursuant to the provisions of which the issuance of any such bonds may be authorized. Any obligation or expense incurred for any of the foregoing purposes shall be regarded as a part of the costs of the project and may be paid or reimbursed as such out of the proceeds of user fees, of revenue bonds or notes issued under Sections 17-17-301 through 17-17-349 for such project, or from other revenues obtained by the authority.

(e) “County” means any county of this state.

(f) “Department” means the Department of Environmental Quality.

(g) “Designated representative” means the person named by resolution of the governing body of a county or municipal corporation as the representative of such unit of local government for the purpose of acting on their behalf as an incorporator in concert with other similarly named persons in the creation and incorporation of a regional authority under Sections 17-17-301 through 17-17-349.

(h) “Facilities” means any plant, structure, building, improvement, land, or any other real or personal property used or useful in a project under Sections 17-17-301 through 17-17-349.

(i) “Governing body” means the elected or duly appointed officials constituting the governing body of a municipality or county.

(j) “Incorporation agreement” means that agreement between the designated representatives of various units of local government setting forth the formal creation of a regional authority under Sections 17-17-301 through 17-17-349.

(k) “Incorporator” means the “designated representative.”

(l) “Member” means a unit of local government participating in an authority.

(m) “Municipal solid waste” means any nonhazardous solid waste resulting from the operation of residential, commercial, governmental, industrial or institutional establishments except oil field exploration and production wastes and sewage sludge.

(n) “Municipality” means any incorporated city or town in this state.

(o) “Person” means a person as defined in Section 17-17-3, Mississippi Code of 1972.

(p) “Post-closure” means a procedure approved by the Environmental Protection Agency, or the department to provide for long-term financial assurance, monitoring, and maintenance of solid waste disposal sites to protect human health and the environment.

(q) “Project” means:

(i) The collection, transportation, management and disposal of municipal solid waste, including closure and post-closure and any property, real or personal, used as or in connection with a facility for the composting, extraction, collection, storage, treatment, processing, utilization, or final disposal of resources contained in solid waste, including the conversion of municipal solid waste or resources contained therein into compost, oil, charcoal, gas, steam, or any other product or energy source and the collection, storage, treatment, utilization, processing, or final disposal of solid waste in connection with the foregoing; and

(ii) Any property, real or personal, used as or in connection with a facility for the composting, extraction, collection, storage, treatment, processing and the conversion of such resources into any compost or useful form of energy.

(r) “Public agency” means any incorporated city or town, county, political subdivision, governmental district or unit, public corporation, public institution of higher learning, community college district, planning and development district, or governmental agency created under the laws of the state.

(s) “Resource recovery facility” means any facility at which solid waste is processed for the purpose of extracting, converting to energy or otherwise separating and preparing solid waste for reuse.

(t) “Revenues” means all rentals, receipts, income and other charges derived or received or to be derived or received by the authority from any of the following: the operation by the authority of a facility or facilities, or part thereof; the sale, including installment sales or conditional sales, lease, sublease or use or other disposition of any facility or portion thereof; the sale, lease or other disposition of recovered resources; contracts, agreements or franchises with respect to a facility (or portion thereof), with respect to recovered resources, or with respect to a facility (or portion thereof) and recovered resources, including but not limited to charges with respect to the management of municipal solid waste received with respect to a facility, income received as a result of the sale or other disposition of recovered resources; any gift or grant received with respect thereto; proceeds of bonds to the extent of use thereof for payment of principal of, premium, if any, or interest on the bonds as authorized by the authority; proceeds from any insurance, condemnation or guaranty pertaining to a facility or property mortgaged to secure bonds or pertaining to the financing of a facility; income and profit from the investment of the proceeds of bonds or of any revenues and the proceeds of any special tax to which it may be entitled.

(u) “Solid waste” means solid waste as defined in Section 17-17-3, Mississippi Code of 1972.

(v) “Municipal solid waste management facility” means any land, building, plant, system, motor vehicles, equipment or other property, whether real, personal or mixed, or any combination of either thereof, used or useful or capable of future use in the collection, storage, treatment, utilization, recycling, processing, transporting or disposal of municipal solid waste, including transfer stations, incinerators, sanitary landfill facilities or other facilities necessary or desirable.

(w) “Solid waste landfill” means a disposal facility where any amount of solid waste, whether or not mixed with or including other waste allowed under Subtitle D of the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act of 1976, as amended, is disposed of by means of placing an approved cover thereon.

(x) “State” means the State of Mississippi.

(y) “Unit of local government” means any county or municipality of the state.