Bill Text: NY S05843 | 2019-2020 | General Assembly | Introduced

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Bill Title: Relates to establishing state and municipal composting programs; requires all state and municipal agencies to establish a composting program in buildings owned, occupied or operated by such agencies; allows such agencies to arrange for collection of compostable waste by a private carter, transport such waste itself or process such waste on-site; requires reports on the costs and effectiveness of such programs.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)

Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2020-01-08 - REFERRED TO ENVIRONMENTAL CONSERVATION [S05843 Detail]

Download: New_York-2019-S05843-Introduced.html

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                STATE OF NEW YORK
        ________________________________________________________________________

                                          5843

                               2019-2020 Regular Sessions

                    IN SENATE

                                      May 15, 2019
                                       ___________

        Introduced  by  Sen. SALAZAR -- read twice and ordered printed, and when
          printed to be committed to the Committee on Environmental Conservation

        AN ACT to amend the  environmental  conservation  law,  in  relation  to
          establishing state and municipal composting programs

          The  People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem-
        bly, do enact as follows:

     1    Section 1. Article 27 of the environmental conservation law is amended
     2  by adding a new title 30 to read as follows:
     3                                   TITLE 30
     4                   STATE AND MUNICIPAL COMPOSTING PROGRAMS
     5  Section 27-3001. State and municipal composting programs.
     6  § 27-3001. State and municipal composting programs.
     7    1. For the purposes of this section, the following  terms  shall  have
     8  the following meanings:
     9    (a)  "agency"  means  any  department,  agency,  board, public benefit
    10  corporation, public authority, or commission;
    11    (b) "compostable" means all the materials  in  the  product  will  (i)
    12  undergo  degradation  by biological processes during composting to yield
    13  carbon dioxide, water,  inorganic  compounds,  and  biomass  at  a  rate
    14  consistent  with  other  known  compostable materials; and (ii) leave no
    15  visible, distinguishable or toxic residue, including no  adverse  impact
    16  on  the  ability  of  composts to support plant growth once the finished
    17  compost is placed in soil; and
    18    (c) "municipal" means a village, town, city, or county.
    19    2. Beginning one year after the effective date of  this  section,  all
    20  state  and  municipal  agencies  shall establish a composting program in
    21  buildings owned, occupied or operated by such agencies that shall, at  a
    22  minimum:
    23    (a)  require  that  all compostable waste including but not limited to
    24  food scraps, plant trimmings, food-soiled paper and certified  composta-

         EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                              [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                                   LBD10515-01-9
        S. 5843                             2

     1  ble  products from garbage and other recyclables be separated and placed
     2  in labeled containers;
     3    (b) post and maintain signs with instructions on identifying and sepa-
     4  rating compostable waste from garbage and recyclables;
     5    (c)  ensure  agency employees place compostable waste in appropriately
     6  labeled containers and do not mix such waste with  garbage  or  recycla-
     7  bles;
     8    (d)  ensure  containers are latched at the time of storage or set-out;
     9  and
    10    (e) arrange for compostable waste to be transported  and/or  processed
    11  separately from garbage and recycling.
    12    3.  Each  state  and  municipal  agency  may arrange for collection of
    13  compostable waste by a private carter, transport such  waste  itself  or
    14  process such waste on-site.
    15    4.  Beginning one year after the establishment of the program pursuant
    16  to subdivision two of this section, and annually thereafter, each  state
    17  and  municipal  agency  shall  report to the department on such program,
    18  including, but not limited  to  (i)  the  amount  of  compostable  waste
    19  collected; and (ii) the costs associated with such program.
    20    5.  By December first, two thousand twenty-two, and annually thereaft-
    21  er, the department shall post a report on its website  detailing  agency
    22  composting  programs  in  the state. Such report shall include an evalu-
    23  ation of the effectiveness of such composting programs, and  information
    24  on costs and collection rates.
    25    § 2. This act shall take effect immediately.