2014 -- S 2520 SUBSTITUTE A

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LC004764/SUB A

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     STATE OF RHODE ISLAND

IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY

JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2014

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S E N A T E   R E S O L U T I O N

RESPECTFULLY REQUESTING THE RHODE ISLAND RESOURCE RECOVERY

CORPORATION TO PLAN AND CARRY OUT A PILOT PROGRAM FOR THE SAFE

REMOVAL OF SHARPS

     

     Introduced By: Senator William A.Walaska

     Date Introduced: February 27, 2014

     Referred To: Senate Health & Human Services

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     WHEREAS, Rhode Islanders with chronic health conditions such as diabetes, allergies,

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and arthritis rely on needles, syringes, and lancets – collectively known as "sharps" – to help

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manage their health at home. According to the Environmental Protection Agency, more than three

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billion disposable needles and syringes and 900 million lancets each year are used at home in the

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United States; and

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     WHEREAS, Although many people take appropriate precautions when they dispose of

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the sharps they have used in their homes, too often these devices end up included in household

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trash or recycling bins, which can put others at risk through needle pricks and exposure to

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infections; and

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     WHEREAS, A number of states have put into place programs that allow home users to

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safely dispose of sharps. Hazardous waste sites, residential pick-up programs, neighborhood drop

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boxes, and mail-back programs all represent effective approaches to the disposal of sharps that

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are used in homes; and

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     WHEREAS, In Rhode Island, the state Department of Environmental Management and

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the Department of Health have recognized the growing need to inform the public about safe ways

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to dispose of sharps. Working together, these state agencies have created a guide for the safe

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disposal of home-generated medical waste; and

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     WHEREAS, Rhode Island has an opportunity to build on the experiences of other states

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and the outstanding efforts of our state agencies, by exploring a coordinated approach to safe

 

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sharps disposal; and

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     WHEREAS, The Rhode Island Resource Recovery Commission (RIRRC) is responsible

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for managing the Ocean State's solid waste and recyclables. Staffed by a cadre of landfill

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management and recycling professionals, RIRRC is a natural starting point in the state's efforts to

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increase public safety through an environmentally safe sharps disposal program; now, therefore

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be it

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     RESOLVED, That this Senate of the State of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations

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hereby respectfully requests that RIRRC plan and carry out a pilot program that will allow home

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users of sharps to safely dispose of these devices; and be it further

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     RESOLVED, That this Senate hereby respectfully requests that RIRRC begins the pilot

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safe sharps disposal program on or before July 1, 2014. RIRRC is asked to monitor the use of the

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program and provide a written report to the Senate on or before January 1, 2016, that documents

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the program's design and operation and provides recommendations for funding and further

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improvement; and be it further

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     RESOLVED, That the Secretary of State be and hereby is authorized and directed to

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transmit duly certified copies of this resolution to the Governor, the Executive Director of the

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Rhode Island Resource Recovery Commission, the Director of the Rhode Island Department of

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Environmental Management, and the Director of the Rhode Island Department of Health.

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