Rhode Island 2023 2023 Regular Session

Rhode Island House Bill H5280 Introduced / Bill

Filed 02/01/2023

                     
 
 
 
2023 -- H 5280 
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S TATE  OF RHODE IS LAND 
IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY 
JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2023 
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A N   A C T 
RELATING TO AERONAUT ICS -- THE PERMANENT AIR QUALITY MONITORING ACT 
Introduced By: Representatives McNamara, Solomon, Bennett, Vella-Wilkinson, and 
Shanley 
Date Introduced: February 01, 2023 
Referred To: House Environment and Natural Resources 
 
 
It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows: 
SECTION 1. Section 1-7-9 of the General Laws in Chapter 1-7 entitled "The Permanent 1 
Air Quality Monitoring Act" is hereby amended to read as follows: 2 
1-7-9. Monitoring actions required and compliance — Sunset provision. 3 
(a) On or before January 31, 2017, and on or before January 31, 2018, and January 31, 4 
2019, thereafter, the department of environmental management, the department of health, and the 5 
attorney general shall submit to the governor, the speaker of the house, and the president of the 6 
senate, recommendations as to the continuation of the air monitoring required in this act. 7 
(b) Unless extended by the general assembly, the corporation’s obligation to operate and 8 
maintain the air monitoring system will cease on July 31, 2023; provided, this sunset date shall be 9 
dependent upon the corporation undertaking and completing the following actions prior to July 31, 10 
2023 five (5) years after the completion of the freight terminal construction: 11 
(1) As part of the long-term air-quality monitoring program, ambient air-quality monitors 12 
shall be set up in a network that shall include at least four (4) monitoring sites in the area of and 13 
surrounding Rhode Island T.F. Green International Airport. These monitors shall be designed, 14 
placed, and maintained so as to measure air-quality impacts from airport operations, including those 15 
impacts associated with planes operating on the extended runway and on neighborhoods adjacent 16 
to the airport facility, and at the Winslow Park playing fields. In addition to the quarterly summary 17 
reports prepared by the corporation based on this data, the corporation shall compile at least twenty 18 
(20) months of complete air quality monitoring data from these monitors and submit that data to 19   
 
 
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the department of health prior to May 1, 2023, pursuant to § 1-7-6; and 1 
(2) The corporation shall comply with all other reporting and publishing requirements set 2 
forth in this chapter. 3 
(c) The corporation shall provide long-term air quality monitoring for the areas surrounding 4 
the Rhode Island T.F. Green International Airport for an additional five (5) years after the 5 
completion of the freight terminal. 6 
SECTION 2. This act shall take effect upon passage. 7 
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EXPLANATION 
BY THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL 
OF 
A N   A C T 
RELATING TO AERONAUT ICS -- THE PERMANENT AIR QUALITY MONITORING ACT 
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This act would mandate an additional five (5) year period of air quality monitoring, after 1 
completion of the freight terminal, of the area surrounding the Rhode Island T.F. Green 2 
International Airport.  3 
This act would take effect upon passage. 4 
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