2024 -- S 2303 | |
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LC004776 | |
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STATE OF RHODE ISLAND | |
IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY | |
JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2024 | |
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A N A C T | |
RELATING TO HEALTH AND SAFETY -- HIGH HEAT WASTE FACILITY ACT | |
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Introduced By: Senators Ujifusa, Mack, Bell, Murray, Kallman, Gu, Acosta, and Zurier | |
Date Introduced: February 12, 2024 | |
Referred To: Senate Environment & Agriculture | |
It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows: | |
1 | SECTION 1. Findings. |
2 | (1) As stated in §§ 23-19-3(14) and (16), solid waste incineration releases more than four |
3 | hundred (400) toxic pollutants including lead, mercury, dioxins, and acid gasses; poses |
4 | unacceptable threats to the health and safety of Rhode Islanders and the environment; and is the |
5 | most costly method of waste disposal; |
6 | (2) Energy derived from the combustion of solid waste, and from the combustion of fuels |
7 | derived from solid waste, is not renewable energy; and |
8 | (3) It is in the best interests of the health, safety, and welfare of residents and visitors to |
9 | Rhode Island to protect our communities, environment, climate, and natural resources by |
10 | prohibiting the construction and operation of solid waste incinerators, waste-to-fuel facilities, |
11 | waste-to-chemical facilities, and other high-heat waste facilities. |
12 | SECTION 2. Title 23 of the General Laws entitled "HEALTH AND SAFETY" is hereby |
13 | amended by adding thereto the following chapter: |
14 | CHAPTER 19.19 |
15 | HIGH HEAT WASTE FACILITY ACT |
16 | 23-19.19-1. Definitions. |
17 | (1) "Construction and demolition (C&D) debris" has the same meaning as set forth in § 23- |
18 | 18.9-7. |
19 | (2) "Depolymerization" means a process through which heat, pressure, and/or solvents are |
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1 | used to break plastic polymers into oligomers and/or monomers. |
2 | (3) "Gasification" means a process through which materials are exposed to heat, converting |
3 | carbon-based materials to synthetic fuels, chemical feedstocks, waxes, lubricants, or other |
4 | substances and solid residues, slag, ash, char, liquid wastes, and/or wastewater. |
5 | (4) "Hazardous waste" has the same meaning as set forth in § 23-19.1-4. |
6 | (5) "High-heat waste facility" means a facility which: |
7 | (i) Uses any disposal, treatment, recycling, or manufacturing process including, but not |
8 | limited to, combustion, incineration, gasification, pyrolysis, hydropyrolysis, solvolysis, or |
9 | depolymerization, that exposes solid waste, segregated solid waste, recyclable materials, |
10 | construction and demolition (C&D) debris, post-use polymers, or recovered feedstock to |
11 | temperatures above four hundred degrees Fahrenheit (400⁰ F); or |
12 | (ii) Combusts chemicals, feedstocks, fuels, monomers, oligomers, hydrocarbons, or waste |
13 | residues derived from any process that exposes solid waste, segregated solid waste, recyclable |
14 | materials, construction and demolition (C&D) debris, post-use polymers, or recovered feedstock to |
15 | temperatures above four hundred degrees Fahrenheit (400⁰ F). |
16 | "High-heat waste facility" includes advanced recycling facilities, chemical recycling |
17 | facilities, molecular recycling facilities, and any other facility that uses a thermochemical process |
18 | to convert post-use polymers, plastic, or recovered feedstock into fuels, chemical feedstocks, |
19 | monomers, oligomers, hydrocarbons, waxes, lubricants, feedstocks, fuels, or hydrocarbons. |
20 | (6) "Hydropyrolysis" means a process through which materials are exposed to heat in the |
21 | presence of hydrogen, converting carbon-based materials to synthetic fuels, chemical feedstocks, |
22 | waxes, lubricants, or other substances and solid residues, slag, ash, char, liquid wastes, and/or |
23 | wastewater. |
24 | (7) "Plastic" means a synthetic material made from linking monomers through a chemical |
25 | reaction to create a polymer chain, including material derived from either petroleum or a |
26 | biologically based polymer, such as corn or other plant sources. |
27 | (8) "Post-use polymer" means a plastic polymer previously used in any industrial, |
28 | commercial, agricultural, or domestic activity. |
29 | (9) "Pyrolysis" means a process through which materials are exposed to heat in the absence |
30 | of oxygen, converting carbon-based materials to synthetic fuels, chemical feedstocks, waxes, |
31 | lubricants, or other substances and solid residues, slag, ash, char, liquid wastes, and/or wastewater. |
32 | (10) "Recovered feedstock" means material derived and separated from solid waste, |
33 | segregated solid waste, recyclable materials, or construction and demolition (C&D) debris for use |
34 | as a feedstock or raw material in a high-heat waste facility. |
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1 | (11) "Recyclable materials" has the same meaning as set forth in § 23-18.9-7. |
2 | (12) "Segregated solid waste" has the same meaning as set forth in § 23-18.9-7. |
3 | (13) "Solid waste" has the same meaning as set forth in § 23-18.9-7. |
4 | (14) "Solvolysis" means a process through which materials are combined with a solvent |
5 | and subjected to heat and/or high pressure. |
6 | 23-19.19-2. Prohibition on new high-heat waste facilities. |
7 | Notwithstanding any other law, rule, or regulation to the contrary, no permit or license shall |
8 | be issued for the construction or operation of a new high-heat waste facility, and no application for |
9 | a permit or license for such a facility shall be granted or issued by the state. |
10 | SECTION 3. This act shall take effect upon passage. |
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LC004776 | |
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EXPLANATION | |
BY THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL | |
OF | |
A N A C T | |
RELATING TO HEALTH AND SAFETY -- HIGH HEAT WASTE FACILITY ACT | |
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1 | This act would provide for a prohibition on the licensing of any new high-heat waste |
2 | facility. |
3 | This act would take effect upon passage. |
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