Modifying certain provisions under the waste management act to provide greater flexibility for counties; eliminating certain waste management practice preferences and prohibiting waste management goals from imposing mandates on local government units without state funding; expanding the definition of processing and clarifying the definitions of resource recovery and waste management method chosen by a county; establishing a state policy relating to energy production from waste; requiring the director of the office of environmental assistance to make environmental assistance grants to users of active gas extraction technology and to disseminate information to potential applicants on grants availability; expanding the content requirements for the solid waste management policy consolidated report; requiring the office of environmental assistance in cooperation with the pollution control agency and counties to compile a financial accounting of office, agency and county revenue and expenditures relating to solid waste for annual posting on the office web site, requiring counties to annually submit data for the accounting; requiring an office technical assistance emphasis on regional areas; providing for review of county waste management plans by the director of the office in lieu of approval, authorizing county board plan revisions after advice from the director, plans to be final upon adoption by the county board; reducing the frequency requirement for periodic plan review and update; requiring a director assistance priority to waste management projects using alternative technologies to minimize environmental impact; providing an exception to the requirement for monthly pickup of recyclable materials in certain cities; modifying certain county waste abatement (SCORE) funding distribution and use requirements, providing for distribution by the commissioner of revenue in lieu of the director; requiring use of a certain amount of money transferred from the motor vehicle transfer account in the environmental fund to the environmental response, compensation and compliance account (superfund) for the waste tire program; eliminating certain conditions on the processing of motor oil filters at permitted mixed municipal solid waste resource recovery facilities; imposing a limit on the county disposal fee; requiring reasonable compensation by local government units for collector businesses displaced by organized collection due to annexation or other use of government authority; requiring biennial audits by the legislative auditor of PCA expenditures to ensure compliance with landfill cleanup requirements, requiring copies to the legislature; increasing the membership of the PCA, commissioner not to be a member; expanding certain commissioner information dissemination requirements and removing certain contracting authority restrictions; clarifying ash management plan requirements for waste incineration facility permit purposes; shortening the time limit for commissioner approval or disapproval of applications for solid waste facility permits and eliminating the authority of the commissioner to delay permit application decisions; providing for the mediation of disputes by the bureau of mediation services; modifying the allocation of revenues from the solid waste management tax; providing for the status of federal statutes and rules; imposing a PCA permit response time limit; final end use plans for solid waste land disposal facilities to be subject solely to local zoning authority approval; requiring the PCA to develop internal procedures to assure the equitable application of waste rules; setting the annual reporting date for solid waste management facilities; requiring availability of capital assistance grants by the PCA and the environmental assistance office for waste activities supporting resource conservation; repealing the statewide waste packaging reduction goal and the certificate of need requirement for mixed municipal solid waste disposal new capacity (mk)