2025 -- S 0024
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LC000443
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S T A T E O F R H O D E I S L A N D
IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY
JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2025
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A N A C T
RELATING TO HEALTH AND SAFETY -- HIGH HEAT WASTE FACILITY ACT
Introduced By: Senators Ujifusa, Euer, Valverde, Pearson, Bell, Murray, Zurier, and
Kallman
Date Introduced: January 23, 2025
Referred To: Senate Environment & Agriculture
It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows:
SECTION 1. Findings. 1
(1) As stated in §§ 23-19-3(14) and (16), solid waste incineration releases more than four 2
hundred (400) toxic pollutants including lead, mercury, dioxins, and acid gasses; poses 3
unacceptable threats to the health and safety of Rhode Islanders and the environment; and is the 4
most costly method of waste disposal; 5
(2) Energy derived from the combustion of solid waste, and from the combustion of fuels 6
derived from solid waste, is not renewable energy; and 7
(3) It is in the best interests of the health, safety, and welfare of residents and visitors to 8
Rhode Island to protect our communities, environment, climate, and natural resources by 9
prohibiting the construction and operation of solid waste incinerators, waste-to-fuel facilities, 10
waste-to-chemical facilities, and other high-heat waste facilities. 11
SECTION 2. Title 23 of the General Laws entitled "HEALTH AND SAFETY" is hereby 12
amended by adding thereto the following chapter: 13
CHAPTER 19.19 14
HIGH HEAT WASTE FACILITY ACT 15
23-19.19-1. Definitions. 16
(1) "Construction and demolition (C&D) debris" has the same meaning as set forth in § 23-17
18.9-7. 18
(2) "Depolymerization" means a process through which heat, pressure, and/or solvents are 19
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used to break plastic polymers into oligomers and/or monomers. 1
(3) "Gasification" means a process through which materials are exposed to heat, converting 2
carbon-based materials to synthetic fuels, chemical feedstocks, waxes, lubricants, or other 3
substances and solid residues, slag, ash, char, liquid wastes, and/or wastewater. 4
(4) "Hazardous waste" has the same meaning as set forth in § 23-19.1-4. 5
(5) "High-heat waste facility" means a facility which: 6
(i) Uses any disposal, treatment, recycling, or manufacturing process including, but not 7
limited to, combustion, incineration, gasification, pyrolysis, hydropyrolysis, solvolysis, or 8
depolymerization, that exposes solid waste, segregated solid waste, recyclable materials, 9
construction and demolition (C&D) debris, post-use polymers, or recovered feedstock to 10
temperatures above four hundred degrees Fahrenheit (400⁰ F); or 11
(ii) Combusts chemicals, feedstocks, fuels, monomers, oligomers, hydrocarbons, or waste 12
residues derived from any process that exposes solid waste, segregated solid waste, recyclable 13
materials, construction and demolition (C&D) debris, post-use polymers, or recovered feedstock to 14
temperatures above four hundred degrees Fahrenheit (400⁰ F). 15
(iii) "High-heat waste facility" also includes advanced recycling facilities, chemical 16
recycling facilities, molecular recycling facilities, and any other facility that uses a thermochemical 17
process to convert post-use polymers, plastic, or recovered feedstock into fuels, chemical 18
feedstocks, monomers, oligomers, hydrocarbons, waxes, lubricants, feedstocks, fuels, or 19
hydrocarbons. 20
(6) "Hydropyrolysis" means a process through which materials are exposed to heat in the 21
presence of hydrogen, converting carbon-based materials to synthetic fuels, chemical feedstocks, 22
waxes, lubricants, or other substances and solid residues, slag, ash, char, liquid wastes, and/or 23
wastewater. 24
(7) "Plastic" means a synthetic material made from linking monomers through a chemical 25
reaction to create a polymer chain, including material derived from either petroleum or a 26
biologically based polymer, such as corn or other plant sources. 27
(8) "Post-use polymer" means a plastic polymer previously used in any industrial, 28
commercial, agricultural, or domestic activity. 29
(9) "Pyrolysis" means a process through which materials are exposed to heat in the absence 30
of oxygen, converting carbon-based materials to synthetic fuels, chemical feedstocks, waxes, 31
lubricants, or other substances and solid residues, slag, ash, char, liquid wastes, and/or wastewater. 32
(10) "Recovered feedstock" means material derived and separated from solid waste, 33
segregated solid waste, recyclable materials, or construction and demolition (C&D) debris for use 34
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as a feedstock or raw material in a high-heat waste facility. 1
(11) "Recyclable materials" has the same meaning as set forth in § 23-18.9-7. 2
(12) "Segregated solid waste" has the same meaning as set forth in § 23-18.9-7. 3
(13) "Solid waste" has the same meaning as set forth in § 23-18.9-7. 4
(14) "Solvolysis" means a process through which materials are combined with a solvent 5
and subjected to heat and/or high pressure. 6
23-19.19-2. Prohibition on new high-heat waste facilities. 7
Notwithstanding any other law, rule, or regulation to the contrary, no permit or license shall 8
be issued for the construction or operation of a new high-heat waste facility, and no application for 9
a permit or license for such a facility shall be granted or issued by the state. 10
SECTION 3. This act shall take effect upon passage. 11
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EXPLANATION
BY THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL
OF
A N A C T
RELATING TO HEALTH AND SAFETY -- HIGH HEAT WASTE FACILITY ACT
***
This act would provide for a prohibition on the licensing of any new high-heat waste 1
facility. 2
This act would take effect upon passage. 3
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