2014 -- S 2520 SUBSTITUTE 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

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

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

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

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

United States; and

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

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

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

infections; and

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

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

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

are used in homes; and

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

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

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

disposal of home-generated medical waste; and

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

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

sharps disposal; and

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

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

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

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

be it

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

improvement; and be it further

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

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

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

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

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