Rhode Island 2023 Regular Session

Rhode Island Senate Bill S0131 Compare Versions

Only one version of the bill is available at this time.

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5	5	2023 -- S 0131
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7	7	LC000928
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9	9	S TATE OF RHODE IS LAND
10	10	IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY
11	11	JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2023
12	12	____________
13	13
14	14	A N A C T
15	15	RELATING TO HEALTH AND SAFETY -- HIGH HEAT WASTE FACILITY ACT OF 2023
16	16	Introduced By: Senators Ujifusa, Murray, Zurier, DiMario, Mack, Lawson, Gu, Lauria,
17	17	Bell, and Acosta
18	18	Date Introduced: February 01, 2023
19	19	Referred To: Senate Judiciary
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22	22	It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows:
23	23	SECTION 1. Title 23 of the General Laws entitled "HEALTH AND SAFETY" is hereby 1
24	24	amended by adding thereto the following chapter: 2
25	25	CHAPTER 19.19 3
26	26	HIGH HEAT WASTE FACILITY ACT OF 2023 4
27	27	23-19.19-1. Findings. 5
28	28	(1) As stated in §§ 23-19-3(14) and (16), solid waste incineration releases more than four 6
29	29	hundred (400) toxic pollutants including lead, mercury, dioxins, and acid gasses; poses 7
30	30	unacceptable threats to the health and safety of Rhode Islanders and the environment; and is the 8
31	31	most costly method of waste disposal; 9
32	32	(2) Energy derived from the combustion of solid waste, and from the combustion of fuels 10
33	33	derived from solid waste, is not renewable energy; and 11
34	34	(3) It is in the best interests of the health, safety, and welfare of residents and visitors to 12
35	35	Rhode Island to protect our communities, environment, climate, and natural resources by 13
36	36	prohibiting the construction and operation of solid waste incinerators, waste-to-fuel facilities, 14
37	37	waste-to-chemical facilities, and other high-heat waste facilities. 15
38	38	23-19.19-2. Definitions. 16
39	39	(1) “Construction and demolition (C&D) debris” has the same meaning as set forth in § 17
40	40	23-18.9-7. 18
41	41	(2) “Depolymerization” means a process through which heat, pressure, and/or solvents are 19
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45	45	used to break plastic polymers into oligomers and/or monomers. 1
46	46	(3) “Gasification” means a process through which materials are exposed to heat, converting 2
47	47	carbon-based materials to synthetic fuels, chemical feedstocks, waxes, lubricants, or other 3
48	48	substances and solid residues, slag, ash, char, liquid wastes, and/or wastewater. 4
49	49	(4) “Hazardous waste” has the same meaning as set forth in § 23-19.1-4. 5
50	50	(5) “High-heat waste facility” means a facility which: 6
51	51	(i) Uses any disposal, treatment, recycling, or manufacturing process including, but not 7
52	52	limited to, combustion, incineration, gasification, pyrolysis, hydropyrolysis, solvolysis, or 8
53	53	depolymerization, that exposes solid waste, segregated solid waste, recyclable materials, 9
54	54	construction and demolition (C&D) debris, post-use polymers, or recovered feedstock to 10
55	55	temperatures above four hundred degrees Fahrenheit (400⁰ F); or 11
56	56	(ii) Combusts chemicals, feedstocks, fuels, monomers, oligomers, hydrocarbons, or waste 12
57	57	residues derived from any process that exposes solid waste, segregated solid waste, recyclable 13
58	58	materials, construction and demolition (C&D) debris, post-use polymers, or recovered feedstock to 14
59	59	temperatures above four hundred degrees Fahrenheit (400⁰ F). 15
60	60	“High-heat waste facility” includes advanced recycling facilities, chemical recycling 16
61	61	facilities, molecular recycling facilities, and any other facility that uses a thermochemical process 17
62	62	to convert post-use polymers, plastic, or recovered feedstock into fuels, chemical feedstocks, 18
63	63	monomers, oligomers, hydrocarbons, waxes, lubricants, feedstocks, fuels, or hydrocarbons. 19
64	64	(6) “Hydropyrolysis” means a process through which materials are exposed to heat in the 20
65	65	presence of hydrogen, converting carbon-based materials to synthetic fuels, chemical feedstocks, 21
66	66	waxes, lubricants, or other substances and solid residues, slag, ash, char, liquid wastes, and/or 22
67	67	wastewater. 23
68	68	(7) “Plastic” means a synthetic material made from linking monomers through a chemical 24
69	69	reaction to create a polymer chain, including material derived from either petroleum or a 25
70	70	biologically based polymer, such as corn or other plant sources. 26
71	71	(8) “Post-use polymer” means a plastic polymer previously used in any industrial, 27
72	72	commercial, agricultural, or domestic activity. 28
73	73	(9) “Pyrolysis” means a process through which materials are exposed to heat in the absence 29
74	74	of oxygen, converting carbon-based materials to synthetic fuels, chemical feedstocks, waxes, 30
75	75	lubricants, or other substances and solid residues, slag, ash, char, liquid wastes, and/or wastewater. 31
76	76	(10) “Recovered feedstock” means material derived and separated from solid waste, 32
77	77	segregated solid waste, recyclable materials, or construction and demolition (C&D) debris for use 33
78	78	as a feedstock or raw material in a high-heat waste facility. 34
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82	82	(11) “Recyclable materials” has the same meaning as set forth in § 23-18.9-7. 1
83	83	(12) “Segregated solid waste” has the same meaning as set forth in § 23-18.9-7. 2
84	84	(13) “Solid waste” has the same meaning as set forth in § 23-18.9-7. 3
85	85	(14) “Solvolysis” means a process through which materials are combined with a solvent 4
86	86	and subjected to heat and/or high pressure. 5
87	87	23-19.19-3. Prohibition on new high-heat waste facilities. 6
88	88	Notwithstanding any other law, rule, or regulation to the contrary, no permit or license shall 7
89	89	be issued for the construction or operation of a new high-heat waste facility, and no application for 8
90	90	a permit or license for such a facility shall be granted or issued by the state. 9
91	91	SECTION 2. This act shall take effect upon passage. 10
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98	98	EXPLANATION
99	99	BY THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL
100	100	OF
101	101	A N A C T
102	102	RELATING TO HEALTH AND SAFETY -- HIGH HEAT WASTE FACILITY ACT OF 2023
103	103	***
104	104	This act would provide for a prohibition on any new high-heat waste facility. 1
105	105	This act would take effect upon passage. 2
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