2014 -- H 7482

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LC004458

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     STATE OF RHODE ISLAND

IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY

JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2014

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A N   A C T

RELATING TO THE RECYCLING OF ORGANIC MATERIALS BY CERTAIN FOOD

WHOLESALERS, MANUFACTURERS, SUPERMARKETS, AND CONFERENCE CENTERS

     

     Introduced By: Representatives Walsh, Valencia, Tanzi, O`Grady, and Ajello

     Date Introduced: February 13, 2014

     Referred To: House Environment and Natural Resources

     (Environmental Management)

It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows:

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     SECTION 1. Section 23-18.9-7 of the General Laws in Chapter 23-18.9 entitled "Refuse

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Disposal" is hereby amended to read as follows:

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     23-18.9-7. Definitions. -- As used in this chapter, the following terms shall, where the

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context permits, be construed as follows:

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      (1) "Beneficial reuse material" means a processed, nonhazardous, solid waste not already

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defined as recyclable material by this chapter and by regulations of the Rhode Island department

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of environmental management that the director has determined can be reused in an

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environmentally beneficial manner without creating potential threats to public health, safety,

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welfare or the environment or creating potential nuisance conditions.

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      (2) "Beneficial use determination" (BUD) means the case-by-case process by which the

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director evaluates a proposal to use a specific solid waste as a beneficial reuse material for a

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specific purpose at a specific location within the host municipality.

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      (3) "Cocktailing" means the adding, combining or mixing of hazardous waste as defined

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in section 23-19.1-4 with construction debris and demolition debris.

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      (4) "Construction and demolition (C&D) debris" means non-hazardous solid waste

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resulting from the construction, remodeling, repair, and demolition of utilities and structures; and

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uncontaminated solid waste resulting from land clearing. This waste includes, but is not limited

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to, wood (including painted, treated and coated wood and wood products), land clearing debris,

 

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wall coverings, plaster, drywall, plumbing fixtures, non-asbestos insulation, roofing shingles and

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other roof coverings, glass, plastics that are not sealed in a manner that conceals other wastes,

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empty buckets ten (10) gallons or less in size and having no more than one inch of residue

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remaining on the bottom, electrical wiring and components containing no hazardous liquids, and

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pipe and metals that are incidental to any of the previously described waste. Solid waste that is

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not C&D debris (even if resulting from the construction, remodeling, repair, and demolition of

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utilities, structures and roads and land clearing) includes, but is not limited to, asbestos, waste,

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garbage, corrugated container board, electrical fixtures containing hazardous liquids such as

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fluorescent light ballasts or transformers, fluorescent lights, carpeting, furniture, appliances, tires,

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drums, containers greater than ten (10) gallons in size, any containers having more than one inch

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of residue remaining on the bottom and fuel tanks. Specifically excluded from the definition of

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construction and demolition debris is solid waste (including what otherwise would be

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construction and demolition debris) resulting from any processing technique, other than that

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employed at a department-approved C&D debris processing facility, that renders individual waste

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components unrecognizable, such as pulverizing or shredding.

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      (5) "Construction and demolition debris processing facility" means a solid waste

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management facility that receives and processes construction and demolition debris of more than

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fifty (50) tons per day. These facilities must demonstrate, through records maintained at the

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facility and provided to the department, that seventy-five percent (75%) of all material received

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by the facility is processed and removed from the site within six (6) weeks of receipt on a

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continuous basis, and that in no case stores material on site for over three (3) months; provided,

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however, these facilities do not include municipal compost facilities.

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      (6) "Construction and demolition debris separation facility" means a facility that

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receives, separates and or screens construction and demolition debris into its components for

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subsequent resale or processing which includes, but is not limited to, grinding, shredding,

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crushing, or landfilling at another location separate and apart from the location on which the

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separation occurs.

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      (7) "Director" means the director of the department of environmental management or any

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subordinate or subordinates to whom the director has delegated the powers and duties vested in

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him or her by this chapter.

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      (8) "Expansion" means any increase in volume, size, or scope, either vertically,

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horizontally, or otherwise; provided, however, that this section does not apply to the vertical

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expansion of the Charlestown Municipal landfill until the closure date of July 1, 2000.

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      (9) "Person" includes an individual, firm, partnership, association, and private or

 

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municipal corporation.

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      (10) "Recyclable materials" means those materials separated from solid waste for reuse.

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The director of the department of environmental management through regulations shall specify

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those materials that are to be included within the definition of recyclables. The materials to be

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included may change from time to time depending upon new technologies, economic conditions,

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waste stream characteristics, environmental effects, or other factors.

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      (11) "Segregated solid waste" means material separated from other solid waste for reuse.

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      (12) "Solid waste" means garbage, refuse, tree waste as defined by subsection 14 of this

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section and other discarded solid materials generated by residential, institutional, commercial,

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industrial, and agricultural sources, but does not include solids or dissolved material in domestic

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sewage or sewage sludge or dredge material as defined in chapter 6.1 of title 46, nor does it

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include hazardous waste as defined in chapter 19.1 of this title, nor does it include used asphalt,

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concrete, or Portland concrete cement.

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      (13) "Solid waste management facility" means any plant, structure, equipment, real and

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personal property, except mobile equipment or incinerators with a capacity of less than one

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thousand pounds (1,000 lbs.) per hour, operated for the purpose of processing, treating, or

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disposing of solid waste but not segregated solid waste. Any solid waste management facility that

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stores waste materials containing gypsum on site over three (3) months must install and maintain

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an active gas collection system approved by the department of environment management.

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      (14) (a) "Tree Waste" means all parts of a tree including stumps, branches and logs

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which shall be considered solid waste for purposes of this chapter unless the tree waste meets the

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following criteria:

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      (1) The tree waste remains on the property where it was generated; or

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      (2) The tree waste remains in the possession of the person who generated it and is stored

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above the ground surface, on property that the same person controls, for purposes of recycling

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and reuse; or

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      (3) The tree waste, whether generated on or off-site, is being actively managed as a

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usable wood product such as landscape mulch, wood chips, firewood, or mulch.

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      (b) The application of the criteria set forth in this section shall not be deemed to

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abrogate, diminish, or impair the enforcement of the requirements established pursuant to chapter

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28.1 of this title or the authority of the state and/or a city or town to protect the public health,

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safety or welfare from a public nuisance resulting from the storage and handling of tree waste.

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     (15) "Organic waste material" means the organic material portion of the solid waste

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stream, including, but not limited to, food scraps, food processing residue and soiled or

 

LC004458 - Page 3 of 5

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unrecyclable paper that has been separated from nonorganic material.

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     (16) "Composting facility" means land, appurtenances, structures, or equipment where

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organic materials originating from another process or location that have been separated at the

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point or source of generation from nonorganic material are recovered using a process of

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accelerated biological decomposition of organic material under controlled aerobic conditions.

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     (17) "Anaerobic digestion facility" means a facility employing a closed vessel to perform

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a closed process of accelerated biodegradation of organic materials and/or organic solid wastes

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into biogas and digestate, using microorganisms under controlled conditions in the absence of

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oxygen.

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     SECTION 2. Chapter 23-18.9 of the General Laws entitled "Refuse Disposal" is hereby

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amended by adding thereto the following section:

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     23-18.9-17. Food waste ban. – On and after January 1, 2015, each commercial food

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wholesaler or distributor, industrial food manufacturer or processor, supermarket, resort or

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conference center, banquet hall, restaurant, educational or religious institution, research

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institution, military installation, prison, corporation, hospital or other medical care institution, and

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casino shall ensure that the organic waste materials that are generated by the entity are recycled at

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an authorized, composting facility, or anaerobic digestion facility if:

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     (1) The organic waste generator generates not less than one hundred four (104) tons per

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year of organic waste material; and

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     (2) The organic waste material generator is located not more than ten (10) miles from an

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authorized composting facility or anaerobic digestion facility with available capacity to accept

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such material.

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     SECTION 3. This act shall take effect on July 1, 2014.

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EXPLANATION

BY THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL

OF

A N   A C T

RELATING TO THE RECYCLING OF ORGANIC MATERIALS BY CERTAIN FOOD

WHOLESALERS, MANUFACTURERS, SUPERMARKETS, AND CONFERENCE CENTERS

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     This act would require certain large commercial food scrap generators to divert food

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residuals to composting facilities.

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     This act would take effect on July 1, 2014.

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LC004458

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