| 1 | 1 | | BILL AS INTRODUCED H.280 |
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| 2 | 2 | | 2025 Page 1 of 3 |
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| 4 | 4 | | |
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| 5 | 5 | | VT LEG #379375 v.1 |
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| 6 | 6 | | H.280 1 |
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| 7 | 7 | | Introduced by Representatives Masland of Thetford, Higley of Lowell, 2 |
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| 8 | 8 | | Mrowicki of Putney, and Olson of Starksboro 3 |
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| 9 | 9 | | Referred to Committee on 4 |
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| 10 | 10 | | Date: 5 |
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| 11 | 11 | | Subject: Conservation and development; solid waste; expanded polystyrene 6 |
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| 12 | 12 | | foam; densifier; siting assessment 7 |
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| 13 | 13 | | Statement of purpose of bill as introduced: This bill proposes to require the 8 |
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| 14 | 14 | | Secretary of Natural Resources to conduct an assessment of the feasibility of 9 |
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| 15 | 15 | | siting an EPS foam densifier in the State to serve as a location to transport 10 |
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| 16 | 16 | | waste EPS foam for recycling or reuse. 11 |
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| 17 | 17 | | An act relating to the siting of an expanded polystyrene foam densifier in 12 |
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| 18 | 18 | | the State 13 |
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| 19 | 19 | | It is hereby enacted by the General Assembly of the State of Vermont: 14 |
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| 20 | 20 | | Sec. 1. ASSESSMENT OF THE FEASIBILITY OF SITING AN 15 |
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| 21 | 21 | | EXPANDED POLYSTYRENE FOAM DENSIFIER IN THE STATE 16 |
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| 22 | 22 | | (a) As used in this section: 17 |
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| 23 | 23 | | (1) “EPS foam densifier” means a machine that shears, compresses, and 18 |
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| 24 | 24 | | heats waste EPS foam into a uniform melt that can be formed into blocks or 19 |
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| 25 | 25 | | other shapes for transport and ultimate reuse. 20 BILL AS INTRODUCED H.280 |
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| 26 | 26 | | 2025 Page 2 of 3 |
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| 28 | 28 | | |
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| 29 | 29 | | VT LEG #379375 v.1 |
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| 30 | 30 | | (2) “Expanded polystyrene foam” or “EPS foam” means a thermoplastic 1 |
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| 31 | 31 | | petrochemical material utilizing the styrene monomer that is processed 2 |
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| 32 | 32 | | according to multiple techniques, including fusion of polymer spheres, 3 |
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| 33 | 33 | | injection molding, form molding, and extrusion-blow molding. 4 |
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| 34 | 34 | | (b) The Secretary of Natural Resources shall assess the feasibility of siting 5 |
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| 35 | 35 | | an EPS foam densifier in the State to serve as a site to transport waste EPS 6 |
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| 36 | 36 | | foam for recycling or reuse. The Secretary shall coordinate with interested 7 |
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| 37 | 37 | | parties in conducting the assessment, including solid waste management 8 |
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| 38 | 38 | | entities, solid waste haulers, and representative of businesses that generate 9 |
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| 39 | 39 | | waste EPS foam through manufacturing or shipping. On or before January 15, 10 |
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| 40 | 40 | | 2026, the Secretary of Natural Resources shall submit to the House Committee 11 |
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| 41 | 41 | | on Environment and Energy and the Senate Committee on Natural Resources 12 |
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| 42 | 42 | | and Energy a report with the results of the site assessment. The report shall 13 |
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| 43 | 43 | | include: 14 |
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| 44 | 44 | | (1) a recommendation of whether an EPS foam densifier should be sited 15 |
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| 45 | 45 | | in Vermont, where it should be sited, and what entity would run the densifier; 16 |
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| 46 | 46 | | (2) an estimate of the cost of the EPS foam densifier to purchase and 17 |
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| 47 | 47 | | operate; 18 |
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| 48 | 48 | | (3) a recommendation of whether EPS foam should be banned from 19 |
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| 49 | 49 | | landfill disposal if an EPS foam densifier is located in the State; and 20 BILL AS INTRODUCED H.280 |
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| 50 | 50 | | 2025 Page 3 of 3 |
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| 52 | 52 | | |
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| 53 | 53 | | VT LEG #379375 v.1 |
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| 54 | 54 | | (4) a proposal of how solid waste haulers, businesses, and the public 1 |
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| 55 | 55 | | would access an EPS foam densifier for disposition of waste EPS foam. 2 |
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| 56 | 56 | | Sec. 2. EFFECTIVE DATE 3 |
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| 57 | 57 | | This act shall take effect on July 1, 2025. 4 |
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