Rhode Island 2025 Regular Session

Rhode Island House Bill H5166 Compare Versions

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

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5	5	2025 -- H 5166
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7	7	LC000447
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9	9	S T A T E O F R H O D E I S L A N D
10	10	IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY
11	11	JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2025
12	12	____________
13	13
14	14	A N A C T
15	15	RELATING TO HEALTH AND SAFETY -- HIGH HEAT WASTE FACILITY ACT
16	16	Introduced By: Representatives McGaw, Boylan, Batista, Speakman, Carson, Fogarty,
17	17	Serpa, Bennett, Kislak, and Alzate
18	18	Date Introduced: January 24, 2025
19	19	Referred To: House Environment and Natural Resources
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21	21
22	22	It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows:
23	23	SECTION 1. Findings. 1
24	24	(1) As stated in §§ 23-19-3(14) and (16), solid waste incineration releases more than four 2
25	25	hundred (400) toxic pollutants including lead, mercury, dioxins, and acid gasses; poses 3
26	26	unacceptable threats to the health and safety of Rhode Islanders and the environment; and is the 4
27	27	most costly method of waste disposal; 5
28	28	(2) Energy derived from the combustion of solid waste, and from the combustion of fuels 6
29	29	derived from solid waste, is not renewable energy; and 7
30	30	(3) It is in the best interests of the health, safety, and welfare of residents and visitors to 8
31	31	Rhode Island to protect our communities, environment, climate, and natural resources by 9
32	32	prohibiting the construction and operation of solid waste incinerators, waste-to-fuel facilities, 10
33	33	waste-to-chemical facilities, and other high-heat waste facilities. 11
34	34	SECTION 2. Title 23 of the General Laws entitled "HEALTH AND SAFETY" is hereby 12
35	35	amended by adding thereto the following chapter: 13
36	36	CHAPTER 19.19 14
37	37	HIGH HEAT WASTE FACILITY ACT 15
38	38	23-19.19-1. Definitions. 16
39	39	(1) "Construction and demolition (C&D) debris" has the same meaning as set forth in § 23-17
40	40	18.9-7. 18
41	41	(2) "Depolymerization" means a process through which heat, pressure, and/or solvents are 19
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44	44	LC000447 - Page 2 of 4
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	(iii) "High-heat waste facility" also includes advanced recycling facilities, chemical 16
61	61	recycling facilities, molecular recycling facilities, and any other facility that uses a thermochemical 17
62	62	process to convert post-use polymers, plastic, or recovered feedstock into fuels, chemical 18
63	63	feedstocks, monomers, oligomers, hydrocarbons, waxes, lubricants, feedstocks, fuels, or 19
64	64	hydrocarbons. 20
65	65	(6) "Hydropyrolysis" means a process through which materials are exposed to heat in the 21
66	66	presence of hydrogen, converting carbon-based materials to synthetic fuels, chemical feedstocks, 22
67	67	waxes, lubricants, or other substances and solid residues, slag, ash, char, liquid wastes, and/or 23
68	68	wastewater. 24
69	69	(7) "Plastic" means a synthetic material made from linking monomers through a chemical 25
70	70	reaction to create a polymer chain, including material derived from either petroleum or a 26
71	71	biologically based polymer, such as corn or other plant sources. 27
72	72	(8) "Post-use polymer" means a plastic polymer previously used in any industrial, 28
73	73	commercial, agricultural, or domestic activity. 29
74	74	(9) "Pyrolysis" means a process through which materials are exposed to heat in the absence 30
75	75	of oxygen, converting carbon-based materials to synthetic fuels, chemical feedstocks, waxes, 31
76	76	lubricants, or other substances and solid residues, slag, ash, char, liquid wastes, and/or wastewater. 32
77	77	(10) "Recovered feedstock" means material derived and separated from solid waste, 33
78	78	segregated solid waste, recyclable materials, or construction and demolition (C&D) debris for use 34
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82	82	as a feedstock or raw material in a high-heat waste facility. 1
83	83	(11) "Recyclable materials" has the same meaning as set forth in § 23-18.9-7. 2
84	84	(12) "Segregated solid waste" has the same meaning as set forth in § 23-18.9-7. 3
85	85	(13) "Solid waste" has the same meaning as set forth in § 23-18.9-7. 4
86	86	(14) "Solvolysis" means a process through which materials are combined with a solvent 5
87	87	and subjected to heat and/or high pressure. 6
88	88	23-19.19-2. Prohibition on new high-heat waste facilities. 7
89	89	Notwithstanding any other law, rule, or regulation to the contrary, no permit or license shall 8
90	90	be issued for the construction or operation of a new high-heat waste facility, and no application for 9
91	91	a permit or license for such a facility shall be granted or issued by the state. 10
92	92	SECTION 3. This act shall take effect upon passage. 11
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99	99	EXPLANATION
100	100	BY THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL
101	101	OF
102	102	A N A C T
103	103	RELATING TO HEALTH AND SAFETY -- HIGH HEAT WASTE FACILITY ACT
104	104	***
105	105	This act would provide for a prohibition on the licensing of any new high-heat waste 1
106	106	facility. 2
107	107	This act would take effect upon passage. 3
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