2026 -- H 7736

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LC004945

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     STATE OF RHODE ISLAND

IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY

JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2026

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A N   A C T

RELATING TO HEALTH AND SAFETY -- RHODE ISLAND RESOURCE RECOVERY

CORPORATION

     Introduced By: Representatives Boylan, Ajello, Stewart, Tanzi, Carson, Cortvriend,
McGaw, Spears, Speakman, and Donovan

     Date Introduced: February 12, 2026

     Referred To: House Environment and Natural Resources

     It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows:

     SECTION 1. Sections 23-19-13.6 and 23-19-24 of the General Laws in Chapter 23-19

entitled "Rhode Island Resource Recovery Corporation" are hereby amended to read as follows:

     23-19-13.6. Cover materials not permitted.

     (a) No resource recovery system or facility made available by the corporation shall use the

following as material to cover compacted solid waste at a sanitary landfill:

     (1) Construction and demolition debris, whole, shredded, or pulverized, including wood

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

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

roof coverings; or

     (2) Organic materials, including materials that contain carbon-to-carbon bonds and are

biodegradable, such as paper, wood, food waste, leaves, and yard waste. Organic materials may be

used only as a final landfill cover with approval of the department of environmental management;

or

     (3) Artificial turf. Provided, the provisions of this subsection do not require the removal of

artificial turf which has been installed as material to cover compacted solid waste at a sanitary

landfill on or before July 1, 2026.

     (b) Any facility violating the provisions of this section shall be fined not less than two

thousand five hundred dollars ($2,500), nor more than five thousand dollars ($5,000). The fine shall

be paid to the city or town in which the facility is located.

     23-19-24. Reporting requirements.

     (a) The corporation shall, within ninety (90) days after the close of each fiscal year, submit

an annual report of its activities for the preceding year to the governor, the speaker of the house of

representatives, the president of the senate, the state treasurer, and the secretary of state. The report

shall provide: a summary of the corporation’s meetings including when the commissioners, solid

waste facilities siting board, and citizen advisory board met, subjects addressed, and decisions or

recommendations rendered; a summary of the corporation’s actions including a listing of transfer

stations, waste processing facilities, and resources recovery facilities planned, being constructed or

renovated, or owned and operated by the corporation as prescribed in § 23-19-9, rules and

regulations promulgated as prescribed in § 23-19-10, hearings held as prescribed in § 23-19-10,

fees charged as prescribed in § 23-19-10, property acquired or disposed of as prescribed in § 23-

19-10, contracts and agreements entered into as prescribed in § 23-19-10, bonds and notes issued

and secured as prescribed in §§ 23-19-14 and 23-19-16, surveys, studies, and investigations

conducted as prescribed in § 23-19-10, and administrative penalties imposed as prescribed in § 23-

19-28.1; a synopsis of the hearings, complaints, suspensions, or other legal matters related to the

authority of the corporation; a consolidated financial statement of all funds received and expended

by the corporation including the source of the funds, liabilities incurred or assumed, funds invested,

and revenues received from the sale of materials, energy, and other by products of solid waste

processing as prescribed in subsection 23-19-10(30); a summary of actions taken to assist in the

development of industrial and commercial enterprises within the state based on resource recovery,

recycling, and reuse as prescribed in subsection 23-19-9(5); a summary of activities related to the

development, amendment, and implementation of a statewide plan for the separation of solid waste

as prescribed in subsection 23-19-10(29); a synopsis of the status of source reduction activities

including efforts taken to reduce the state’s waste stream and develop new uses for materials

recovered from solid waste as prescribed in subsections 23-19-10(42) and 23-19-11(12); a

summary of any training courses held pursuant to subsection 23-19-10(44); a listing of the staff

and/or consultants employed by the corporation as prescribed in § 23-19-10; a summary of

activities related to the management of the central landfill in Johnston as prescribed in § 23-19-

11.1; a summary of performance during the previous fiscal year including accomplishments,

shortcomings and remedies; a listing of findings and recommendations derived from corporation

activities and the findings of the citizen advisory board as prescribed in § 23-19-23.

     (b) The report shall be posted electronically as prescribed in § 42-20-8.2.

     (c) The corporation shall cause an audit of its books and accounts to be made at least once

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each fiscal year.

     (d) The corporation shall develop a system for tracking and reporting on artificial turf

disposal volume and weight. A summary of the information gathered by this tracking and reporting

for the previous fiscal year shall be included in the annual report prepared and submitted pursuant

to the provisions of subsection (a) of this section.

     SECTION 2. Chapter 23-19 of the General Laws entitled "Rhode Island Resource

Recovery Corporation" is hereby amended by adding thereto the following section:

     23-19-13.7. Pilot program established.

     (a) The resource recovery corporation shall initiate a landfill plant cover pilot program to

determine feasibility and benefits of using a grass mix with pollinators and/or plant mix as landfill

cover.

     (b) As used herein the term “plant mix” means and shall include native plants and be

determined in consultation with subject matter experts such as the university of Rhode Island

cooperative extension, college of the environment and life sciences, or similar researchers or

scientists.

     (c) The corporation shall provide a report on the landfill cover pilot program to the speaker

of the house of representatives, the president of the senate, and the public, on or before January 1,

2028.

     SECTION 3. This act shall take effect upon passage.

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EXPLANATION

BY THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL

OF

A N   A C T

RELATING TO HEALTH AND SAFETY -- RHODE ISLAND RESOURCE RECOVERY

CORPORATION

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     This act would prohibit the use of artificial turf as material to cover compacted solid waste

at a sanitary landfill on or after July 1, 2026. This act would also establish a pilot program to

determine the benefits of using a plant mix and/or grass mix with pollinators as landfill cover. This

act would also impose reporting requirements on the resource recover corporation on these matters

on or before January 1, 2028.

     This act would take effect upon passage.

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