Relates to the use of waste tire management and recycling fee funds; directs certain funds to be used by the department of economic development for funding demonstration projects relating to reuse in agricultural settings and for conducting analysis of waste tire reuse opportunities.
NEW YORK STATE ASSEMBLY MEMORANDUM IN SUPPORT OF LEGISLATION submitted in accordance with Assembly Rule III, Sec 1(f)
BILL NUMBER: A1630
SPONSOR: Buttenschon TITLE OF BILL:
An act to amend the environmental conservation law, in relation to the
use of waste tire management and recycling fee funds
PURPOSE OR GENERAL IDEA OF BILL:
The purpose of this bill is to help farmers find a beneficial use for
their unwanted tires.
SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:
This bill would expand the Department of Economic Development's authori-
ty to conduct market analysis, including demonstration projects, to
include reuse of waste tires in agricultural settings, and to conduct an
analysis of waste tire reuse opportunities.
JUSTIFICATION:
In March of 2016 DEC proposed an overhaul of its solid waste regu-
lations. One of the proposed changes placed tight restrictions on farm-
ers who reuse waste tires to hold down tarps that cover animal feed.
This long-time practice prevents fermentation and mold development and
ensures that animals and the foodstuffs they produce are healthy.
The proposed rules limited farms of any size from using more than 1,000
tires unless they applied for a full permit as a solid waste management
facility, and required that every tire be cut in half or have holes
drilled in it to let water drain out. Since most available waste tires
are steel-belted radials, this poses health risks to farmworkers who
could be injured by metal shards in cutting, stacking or handling them.
The alternative -- purchasing side walls or cut tires - could run $2.00
or more per side wall. Due to the outcry from the farming community, DEC
has provided some temporary relief on the tire numerical limits in the
final rules through issuing a "beneficial use determination" and an
"enforcement discretion letter." However, these documents still require
cutting or drilling the tires and expire in May 2020 (or sooner if
rescinded by DEC).
This legislation will help address unwanted farm tires by expanding the
existing authorization for the Department of Economic Development to
conduct market analysis, including demonstration projects related to
reuse in agricultural settings and to authorize an analysis of waste
tire reuse opportunities.
PRIOR LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:
2021-2022: A.1231 - Referred to Environmental Conservation
2019-2020: A.7078 - Reported to Ways and Means / S.6863 - Reported to
Finance
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:
None.
EFFECTIVE DATE:
This act shall take effect on the 90th day. An act to amend the environ-
mental conservation law, in relation to prohibiting marine solid Waste
transfer stations located in proximity to public housing projects in
certain cases
STATE OF NEW YORK
________________________________________________________________________
1630
2023-2024 Regular Sessions
IN ASSEMBLY
January 17, 2023
___________
Introduced by M. of A. BUTTENSCHON, BLANKENBUSH, EPSTEIN, JACKSON,
JONES, OTIS, SAYEGH, STECK -- read once and referred to the Committee
on Environmental Conservation
AN ACT to amend the environmental conservation law, in relation to the
use of waste tire management and recycling fee funds
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem-bly, do enact as follows:
1 Section 1. Subdivision 2 of section 27-1915 of the environmental
2 conservation law, as added by section 3 of part V1 of chapter 62 of the
3 laws of 2003, is amended to read as follows:
4 2. costs of the department of economic development for the following:
5 (a) conducting an updated market analysis of outlets for waste tire
6 utilization including recycling and energy recovery opportunities;
7 (b) establishment of a program to provide funds to businesses to
8 develop technology that leads to increased markets for waste tires;
9 (c) funding of demonstration projects, including, but not limited to,
10 reuse in agricultural settings; [and]
11 (d) administration of requirements of this section; and
12 (e) conducting an analysis of waste tire reuse opportunities.
13 § 2. This act shall take effect on the ninetieth day after it shall
14 have become a law.
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[] is old law to be omitted.
LBD04935-01-3
