The Department of Environment and Energy, with the advice and consent of the Environmental Quality Council, shall contract for the preparation of a comprehensive solid waste management plan. Such plan shall be contracted for and prepared on or before December 15, 1991.

It is the intent of the Legislature that in preparation of the plan the state consider the following hierarchy of criteria: (1) Volume reduction at the source; (2) recycling, reuse, and vegetative waste composting; (3) incineration with energy resource recovery; (4) incineration for volume reduction; and (5) land disposal.

It is the intent of the Legislature that the plan be used as a guide to assist political subdivisions in the planning and implementation of their individual, joint, or regional solid waste management systems. The comprehensive solid waste management plan shall not supersede or impair plans, agreements, or contracts initiated by political subdivisions prior to December 15, 1991.

The Environmental Quality Council shall adopt and promulgate rules and regulations for solid waste management options which comply with Environmental Protection Agency rules and guidelines, including rules and guidelines promulgated pursuant to the 1984 Hazardous and Solid Waste Amendments to Subtitle D of the federal Resource Conservation and Recovery Act of 1976, as amended, 42 U.S.C. 6901 et seq.